Gavin Harrington holds his nerve in novice C triumph

CARBERY’S premier grade competition, its junior A championship, got off to a stirring start at The Marsh Road on Sunday morning when Darragh Dempsey and Shane Shannon played the first of the competition’s three round-robin scores.

Last year’s finalist Dempsey was the overwhelming favourite against the upgraded 2023 junior B champion and he duly got the verdict but only after producing a top-drawer performance, having been given little leeway by a determined Shannon.

Bar the opening exchanges, the bowling was first class. Shannon led for the first three and fired a magnificent fifth as he sought to reclaim the ascendancy. Dempsey’s response was electric as the sheer power in his delivery enabled him to get away with a tightly-cut response that increased his lead. Shannon kept it close in excellent bowling to ‘the steps’ where just 30 metres separated them in ten each. Superb efforts again from Dempsey finally put daylight between them and the Skibb man led by a bowl at ‘Ballyhilty’. A misplay here by Shannon put paid to his challenge but he will have another attempt to reignite his hopes when he takes on David Shannon at The Marsh Road this weekend. Meanwhile Darragh Dempsey is in pole position for another final spot.

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Gavin Harrington was a big Carbery winner at the weekend. The Caheragh man atoned for a final defeat last year when he captured the winner’s prize from the Lyre Bowling Club’s novice C tournament with a thrilling last-shot win over Dunmanway’s Mark Deane. It was a struggle all the way for Harrington after he fell a bowl down to his opponent’s superior start.

A perfectly-executed ‘perley que’ on the incline to ‘Buttimer’s pillars’ levelled it up and the Caheragh man looked to take a winning advantage with a super cast to ‘Ballycummer creamery’. A mistake then and a big effort by Deane saw the lead change in the Dunmanway man’s favour but Harrington responded well with a fine cast to ‘Ballinascarthy cross’. And he had momentum for the closing stages. Deane’s good last shot put pressure on again but Harrington stayed firm and beat a formidable mark for a deserved win.

Seamus Hayes did the business too, winning a cracking Mick Flor Cup semi-final at Schull from a game Andy McCarthy. The Ross man took an early lead and beat big shots to hold his advantage. Drimoleague man McCarthy kept pressing but Hayes held on for a bowl of odds win. He plays Cian Minihane and Darren Lynch in the three-way 2024 Mick Flor Cup final.

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In an extraordinary Michelle Hayes tournament score at Rosscarbery, Ger Connolly’s five to the finish from ‘Cahermore Cross’ overhauled John Cahalane’s two-bowl lead. Shannonvale man Connolly looked out of sorts for much of the contest as he trailed by close to three at one stage. Cahalane, who had bowled excellently through the opening half, looked an all over winner but was caught by Connolly’s blinding finish. At Ross too, Kevin Coughlan advanced in the novice B tournament with a win over Vincent Healy while the Dunmanway man had the satisfaction of winning the return pick-up from Coughlan.

In other championship action, Denis Murphy won his novice veteran contest with Jack Cahalane at Bauravilla after a score of excellent bowling and Ewan McNulty won in novice D at Leap defeating James O’Neill. Ted Hegarty’s finals are at The Phale Road at the weekend and Carbery bowling wishes the best to Dylan O’Callaghan in U10 on Saturday and Saoirse O’Neill U12 on Sunday.

Results:

Carbery Championships:

Bauravilla: Novice veteran, Denis Murphy defeated Jack Cahalane, two bowls, for €400.

Leap: Boys’ U18. Jack Maloney won from Sean Cuinnea; Novice D, Ewan McNulty defeated James O’Neill, one bowl for €600.

Marsh Road: Junior A Darragh Dempsey defeated Shane Shannon, one bowl.

Club:

Ardcahan: Padraigh O’Sullivan defeated Chris Cronin, last shot, for €500.

Ballinacarriga: Doubles, David Deane/Chris Bowles defeated Ian O’Sullivan/Conor Bursell, last shot, for €500.

Beál na mBláth: Doubles, Chris Hayes/Paudie Keohane defeated Batty Foley/Michael Desmond, one bowl, for €400.

Lyre: Novice C tournament final, Gavin Harrington defeated Mark Deane, last shot; return, Paul Twomey defeated Adrian Wilmot, two bowls, for €940.

Rosscarbery: Junior B tour, Ger Connolly defeated John Cahalane, last shot, for €3,400; Novice B, Kevin Coughlan defeated Vincent Healy, last shot, for €2,000; return, Vincent Healy defeated Kevin Coughlan, last shot, for €1,800.

Schull: Mick Flor Cup semi-final, Seamus Hayes defeated Andy McCarthy, last shot, for €2,200; return, Shane O’Mahony defeated Donal McCarthy, one bowl, for €1,640.

Shannonvale: Intermediate tournament semi-final, Wayne Parkes defeated Donal O’Riordan, one bowl, for €2,120; return, Finbarr Coomey (Jun) defeated Damien Burns, one bowl, for €2,000. Noel Phair Cup, Seamus Sexton defeated Michael Bohane, one bowl, for €7,000; intermediate tournament quarterfinal, Tim Young defeated Brian Wilmot, almost a bowl, for €4,100; return, Shane Crowley defeated Jonathan Deane, two bowls, for €2,000.

Timoleague: Eoin McCarthy defeated Michael Carroll, last shot, for €2,000; return, Richie Lawton defeated Ger Shanahan, last shot, for €1,600.

Togher Cross: Mark McCarthy defeated Barry O’Donovan last shot, for €400.