O’Mahony edges out Fitzpatrick in Baile Mhuirne

IN a good group A senior ladies championship battle at Baile Mhuirne on Wednesday, Veronica O’Mahony went up against Emma Fitzpatrick, with O’Mahony coming out ahead. She now joins Geraldine Curtin at the head of the group. Lisa Hegarty may have laid down a marker in the women’s intermediate championship with an excellent performance in her opening group A score with Ailbhe O’Shea at Ardcahan on Wednesday. For a €400 total, O’Shea shaded the opening exchanges before the Lyre lady found her groove with two brilliant shots to the ‘holly gap’. These had the effect of turning an even score into a convincing two-bowl win for Lisa who now heads this group with Hannah Cronin. In Ted Hegarty’s U12 tournament final at The Phale Road, Tadgh Hickey won from Eoghan Kelly. In the U14 final, Gaeltacht’s Ross O’Brien won by a bowl from Culann Bourke.

On another busy week of championship action, Bryan O’Halloran overcame Kenneth Murphy at Ballinacurra, Upton, in the junior B semi-final. At Templemartin in novice D, Stephen Murphy defeated Tim Allen for €440. A West Cork junior A championship decimated by withdrawals and injuries is now down to the decider. Denis O’Driscoll was forced to concede his semi-final contest at Kealkil with Peter Murray. Murray plays clubmate Noel O’Regan in the decider. At Inch in novice D, Kevin O’Sullivan defeated Luke Cato, last shot, for €600. In Ardcahan in U14, Eoghan Hickey defeated Tadgh O’Farrell.

At The Clubhouse, in U16 boys, Kieran Crowley defeat- ed Josh O’Farrell while in U14 Bantry’s Conor Hourihane continues to make waves having defeated last year’s county U12 winner, Eoghan Hickey in a cracking semi-final on the ‘creamery road’. In novice C at The Clubhouse, Kieran McKenna defeated Johnny Kelly by a bowl, for €1,600. In novice veteran at Ballinacarriga, Jim Cronin defeated Finny Kearney.

In other club action, junior B’s Adrian Buttimer and David Hubbard engaged at Ballinagree on Saturday. For a €3,400 total, the bowling was good over the opening phase. The breakthrough came when Buttimer hit an incredible sixth to the bottom of the hill to rise a bowl of odds. It would be his winning margin at the end. Back the road, Eamonn Murphy and Damien Burns played a cracker for €2,400. Murphy came from arrears to win this one in the last shot. In a score back Baile Bhuirne after the senior contest on Monday, Freddie Scannell won from Kieran Corrigan, just 20 metres for €400.
On another busy week of championship action, Bryan O’Halloran overcame Kenneth Murphy at Ballinacurra, Up- ton, in the junior B semi-final. At Templemartin in novice D, Stephen Murphy defeated Tim Allen for €440.

A West Cork junior A championship decimated by withdrawals and injuries is now down to the decider. Denis O’Driscoll was forced to concede his semi-final contest at Kealkil with Peter Murray. Murray plays clubmate Noel O’Regan in the decider. At Inch in novice D, Kevin O’Sullivan defeated Luke Cato, last shot, for €600. In Ardcahan in U14, Eoghan Hickey defeated Tadgh O’Farrell. The South-West championships had a hard-fought novice A set-to at Fisher’s Cross. Here Eoin McCarthy kept a winning run going with a win over John Connolly. In novice veteran at Lyre, Brendan O’Sullivan defeated Pat Joe Sheehy. Also, in novice veteran in South West, old rivals, Joe Tyner and Ger Fitzpatrick engaged at Lyre. Woodfield man, Tyner, was the master on this occasion, winning by two for €1,400.

Another good omen for Germany was the performance of Anthony Crowley in winning the City U18 final with Paddy McCarthy at Templemichael. In a shot for shot duel, Crowley beat big shots of McCarthy’s to take the title. In North Cork U14 at Firmount, Ted Hegarty tournament winner, Jayden Crowley, advanced with a win over Darragh Foley.