European fundraising scores deliver thrills and spills

ST Patrick’s weekend was dedicated to fundraising scores aimed to defray costs associated with the forthcoming European Championships when a panel of 30 will travel to Germany on May 7th. 

It was, overall, generally well-supported and the association is grateful for the endeavours of so many, oftentimes in trying conditions. 

A raft of cancellations scuppered Rosscarbery’s Saturday programme, but scores allocated to Carbery/West and South-West regions did go ahead at The Clubhouse on Sunday and Shannonvale on Monday. The City region had a score at Curraheen, leaving Mid Cork/North and Gaeltacht the main contributors with 12 played at Ballinacurra, Beal na Morrive and Clondrohid. 

There was high praise for those participating at the Mid Cork venue on Saturday. John A Murphy, Templemartin, and Stephen Murphy, Ballinagree, played in a virtual downpour and produced a stirring contest for a €3,400 total, with Murphy coming out on top. The return at Ballinacurra was a three-way novice 2 duel between John MacSullivan (North), Mark Courtney (Mid) and Jamie McCarthy (Gaeltacht). It carried a €1,350 total three-way and a further €2,100 (MacSullivan/Courtney). MacSullivan dominated from the off, and he came home a winner with Courtney in second place. The feature of the day was the meeting of Gaeltacht’s Conor Creedon and Mid Cork’s Kenneth Murphy. Creedon took a stranglehold in the shots to ‘Innishannon cross’ and emerged the winner by almost a bowl of odds. In the last of the day, Paul Twomey, runner-up in the county novice D championship last year, took the victory from Niall Murphy by a bowl of odds for a €6,660 total. 

On St Patrick’s Day the bowling faithful turned out in numbers at The Clubhouse and Beal na Morrive in support of the international fundraisers. Four scores at each venue were well-contested with many ending in last-shot finishes. Brian O’Driscoll was a star performer at The Clubhouse, exhibiting power and poise in a two-bowl victory over David Hegarty. The stakemoney at issue amounted to €10,200. Earlier in the day at The Clubhouse a doubles contest saw South-West men Gavin Twohig and Darren Harrington combine for a last-shot win over the Bantry/City pairing of Donal O’Riordan and Deccie O’Mahony. Novice men, Harrington and O’Mahony more than played their part in a very close score that went right to the wire; they played for a total of €2,800. The afternoon scores saw John Cahalane take the spoils from his encounter with Clon’s John O’Driscoll. In the last of the day, Jim Coffey won in the last shot from Denis O’Sullivan for a €10,000 stake. 

There was excitement aplenty at Beal na Morrive as the day started with a thrilling contest between youthful exponents, Conor Lucey of the host club and Cathal Creedon of the Gaeltacht division. Going for a €3,100 total, Lucey’s 14th was a great effort and it won the day when Creedon’s fine response missed by mere metres. 

Gaeltacht were in the winner’s enclosure in the return when veteran campaigner Paudie Murphy defeated Dan MacSullivan Cup winner David Crowley for a €4,400 stake. The feature of the day had former senior champion Edmund Sexton in against Mid Cork’s new junior A campaigner, Noel O’Donovan. The latter’s persistence paid off as he eked out a last-shot win from an exciting finale. They played for a total of €7,000. In the last of the day at Beal na Morrive another close-quarter encounter delivered a grandstand win for Ballyvourney’s Liam Murphy against North Cork’s Damien Burns; they played for a total of €3,100.

The action moved to Shannonvale and Clondrohid on bank holiday Monday. Early winners at the South West venue were the pairing of local campaigner John Connolly and Mid’s Deccie O’Mahony who bested Ballinacarriga’s Padraigh O’Sullivan and City’s Tom Reaney. Back the road, Dunmanway’s Vincent Healy enjoyed a last-show win against Darren Harrington. The day’s feature had old rivals Tim Young and Wayne Parkes in opposition. For a €6,000 total with Parkes the punter’s favourite, it was Young who took charge from the outset and came home a convincing winner. 

In the last of a hectic day at Shannonvale a mixed doubles contest between West Cork’s Kieran Hourihane and Emma Hickey and the Carbery pairing of Denis O’Sullivan and Triona Murphy. It carried a €10,200 total stake and O’Sullivan’s sweeping opener yielded an early bowl lead for the Carbery duo. Intermediate graded Emma was in top form as the early deficit was reeled in and, in an unexpected turnaround, Hourihane’s fine play to the lines at ‘Desmond’s’ put the West Cork duo in the ascendancy to the tune of a bowl of odds. Hourihane/Hickey ran out winners.