JULIET Murphy is back in the senior ranks after her victory over Julianne Hayes in the Munster intermediate final at Castletownkenneigh.
Hayes had the better start in this score, lining great bowls to the railings, but from here and on up the rising, tough road, former All-Ireland winning Cork football captain Murphy produced some top-class shots. At Round Tower cross, she had a bowl of odds. Murphy held these odds to Pynes corner and rose further odds at sight for the netting – she held these to the finish.
Murphy was a county and All-Ireland winner in this grade in 2007 and was a county runner-up in 2022. Hayes is no stranger either to finals – she contested under-age counties and won the junior in 2017.
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A Group A senior ladies score at Togher Cross between Veronica O’Mahony and Rosscarbery's Emma Fitzpatrick – no stake in this one – saw the former finish strong to take the win. Fitzpatrick had the lead for the first five shots to the bridge. From here O'Mahony took the lead. With three more out to Jagoes Cross, she had a three-metre advantage. O’Mahony powered over the bridge and at Nora Cotters Cross she raised a full bowl. A super 15th show from Fitzpatrick to O’Farrell’s Cottage knocked considerable odds and after O’Mahony’s next the odds were down to 15 metres. At Cronin’s garage nothing separated the tips, but after two more to the school wall O’Mahony had almost a bowl again and finished with a big shot to win by a bowl.
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The junior veteran final at Grenagh saw PJ Cooney (East Cork) up against Jerry Murphy, who is 15 years his senior from Templemartin. Jerry was again denied a junior veteran title, having been a runner-up also in 2012 to Tony Carey.
Playing for a stake of €1,500 a-side, Murphy took the first two shots of this score but from there on Cooney was in control. He got a great third bowl to the lollipops that won him his first lead. He extended his advantage around the double bends and raised the bowl fully with his sixth shot. Up past the farm in three more Cooney extended his lead to a bowl and 100 metres and held this to Magnier’s Lane.
Murphy played two great bowls, first past the bungalow and a super 12th, but knocked no odds as Cooney followed and beat them well. Both were out to Boula Lane in two more where Cooney had almost two bowls. He now awaits the winner of the novice veteran section.
Emma Fitzpatrick and Veronica O'Mahony ahead of their senior score.
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Eoghan Kelly from Macroom and Tommy Coppinger from Bantry will contest this year’s U12 county final at Castletown on Friday evening. They both won their respective semi-finals during.
At Ballinagree, Kelly took on Charlie Callanan from Farranree. Kelly was out sight at Mannings Lane in three good bowls. Callanan lined a big fourth but Kelly’s fourth was an incredible one to the pump house that raised 80 metres of odds for him. From here Callanan lined some beautiful bowls but could not keep up with the pace of Kelly as he raised a bowl at McCarthy’s Cottage and held this to the finish.
On Thursday at Timoleague, Tommy Coppinger beat Ed McCarthy from Adrigole in the second semi-final. They were both out to the first bend in four good bowls where Coppinger took his first lead. Two more well-played bowls to Hollands for Coppinger and a bad blunder from McCarthy yielded Coppinger almost a bowl of odds. McCarthy got to the top of the hill in two more and had the odds back to ten metres. They were deadlocked at Barry’s Hall Cross. Coppinger got a great bowl from here to the monument and was back of the line in another huge bowl to win by a bowl.
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There was an intermediate quarter-final at Lyre where Skibbereen’s David Shannon took on Paul Buckley for a stake of €1,500 a-side. This was a poor performance from both players. After three each past the Forest Entrance, Buckley had 80 metres of odds. Two more back of the tunnel for Shannon and two more to Crowley’s Wall where the Skibb man found himself a bowl of odds down. Buckley held this bowl advantage up and around Crowley’s bend and in two more to McCarthy’s bend. Shannon could make no inroads into the lead and a huge 15th shot back of the Forge Cross sealed the deal for Buckley, who now plays Patrick Stokes in the semi-final at Kilcorney.
In another quarter-final at Conna, Timmy McDonagh, brother of Arthur, beat last year’s junior A county and All-Ireland winner Michael Murphy by the last shot playing for €3,500 a-side. McDonagh will now play John O’Rourke in the semi-final at Newcestown.
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The second junior B semi-final was played at Jagoes Mills, as Alex O’Donovan (South West) took on Michael Desmond (Gaeltacht) for a total stake of €10,000. They were level after four shots each around O’Brien’s bend. At the back of the footpath, Desmond had a five-metre lead, but O’Donovan won back the lead with a huge bowl to the double gates. At Lawtons, O’Donovan had an 80-metre advantage and held this to the railway entrance. At the power station and on towards the novice line, O’Donovan still had big odds.
O’Donovan was expected to take this big advantage through the cross in two more but Desmond lined a perfect bowl back of the cross that O’Donovan missed by 30 metres. O’Donovan missed the cross again with his next and suddenly Desmond was in control again. Desmond went through the cross, and O’Donovan beat this by 50 metres to keep his hopes alive. With two shots to go O’Donovan had the odds down to 40 metres. O’Donovan lined a huge second-last that Desmond missed by a big margin. Desmond missed the line and O’Donovan marched on to play Brian O’Driscoll in the final at Castletown.
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A girls’ U16 county semi-final was played at Timoleague between last year’s U16 county winner Maebh Cuinnea from Rosscarbery up against Shauna O’Driscoll, sister of Brian who is in the junior B county final. Maebh led for the first four shots but Shauna got a great bowl to Cleary’s cottage that raised a bowl and increased her odds to two bowls at Holland bungalow. Well-played bowls did not just run for Maebh, and Shauna ran out a winner by two bowls and now awaits the winner of Chloe Hubbard (North) or Orla Murphy (Gaeltacht). Could we have a brother and sister in this first series of All-Irelands at Castletown?
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Ballygurteen held a Paddy Murray Cup score between local man Gavin Twohig and Edmund Sexton from Naad, playing for a stake of €1,670 a-side. Sexton got two great opening bowls but Twohig got a great third and took the lead by five metres. Sexton was back in front after his fourth shot and extended his lead to a bowl at the women’s lane. Sexton held the odds to Oakmount entrance and past O’Mahony’s coffee shop. Sexton raised a second bowl when he went up and around O’Donovan’s bend. Twohig rallied late but the odds were just too much and Sexton won out in the end by a bowl of odds.
