Carbery road bowling teams carry serious hopes of glory

CARBERY’S teams vying for the Sliabh Ban trophy this Sunday at Castletownkenneigh will carry plenty of firepower. 

Not since The Marsh Road shared the trophy with Kildee in 2017 has a Carbery team been in the ascendancy at this popular annual event and the club is back as one of the region’s two representatives contesting Sunday’s play-offs. 

Denis Murphy and Jerry O’Sullivan remain from the joint winners of seven years ago and they are joined by the youthful Michael O’Leary, who will be a big plus on Sunday. They throw off at noon when a North Cork team from Kilcorney will be in direct opposition. 

Also holding high hopes are Ballydehob, who looked very strong in the regional qualifier in February. Powered by U16 champion Shane Crowley in his first year in adult competition, and ably supported by Shane O’Mahony and Bryan Regan, the trio have the potential to go all the way. The straight rising stretches at Castletown should see them at their best. Ballydehob are among the early starters, throwing off at 10.20am accompanied by the Ballyvourney Gaeltacht team.

Carbery’s 2024 championship season starts on Sunday. As is usual the novice veteran grade is first away with Leap hosting two first-round section B fixtures. The clash of James O’Neill and Hugh McNulty starts proceedings at 11am and in the return, Mike White plays Curly Collins. With 25 in total contesting novice veteran, there is an urgency in getting first rounds underway.

Carbery’s international fundraisers did not go ahead at Rosscarbery on Saturday after a raft of withdrawals decimated the original fixture list, but the region's players played prominent roles in events on the following days at The Clubhouse and Shannonvale. Carbery’s bowlers had mixed fortunes at the West Cork venue on Sunday where John Cahalane was in splendid form in a win over Clon’s John O’Driscoll while Denis O’Sullivan, a shade unluckily, went down in the last shot to Jim Coffey. On Monday at Shannonvale, despite a brilliant opener from Denis O’Sullivan, his partnership with Triona Murphy lost out by a bowl of odds to West Cork’s Kieran Hourihane and Emma Hickey.

Carbery Bowling remembers Jerh Collins, Knockmore, Drinagh, on his recent passing. Jerh played many scores on the bowling roads of West Cork, Reenascreena, Reavouler, Cahermore and Drimoleague among them through the sixties and seventies. Rest in Peace. 

Results

Ballinacarriga: Danny O’Donovan defeated Kevin O’Sullivan, last shot, for €700.

Phale Road: Ted Hegarty tournaments; Ladies junior/U18 semi-final, Ailbhe O’Shea won from Siobhan Kelleher; Boys’ U14 semi-final, Eoghan Kelly won from Luke Barry.

The Clubhouse: International fund scores, Doubles, Gavin Twohig/Darren Harrington defeated Donal O’Riordan/Deccie O’Mahony, last shot, for €2,800; Brian O’Driscoll defeated David Hegarty, two bowls, for €10,200; John Cahalane defeated John O’Driscoll, two bowls, for €9,000; Jim Coffey defeated Denis O’Sullivan, last shot, for €10,000.

Shannonvale: John Connolly/Deccie O’Mahony defeated Padraigh O’Sullivan/Tom Reaney, one bowl, for €5,600; Vincent Healy defeated Darren Harrington, last shot, for €6,600; Tim Young defeated Wayne Parkes, two bowls, for €6,000; doubles, Kieran Hourihane/Emma Hickey defeated Denis O’Sullivan/Triona Murphy, one bowl, for €10,040.