There was no lead for Crowley in this score played for a total stake of €8,200.
O’Driscoll got a sensational second shot out and around full sight of the first bend. A disastrous third from Crowley put himself a bowl out of the score early on.
O’Driscoll was back of the Women’s Lane extending his lead to a bowl and 50 metres. Carrying the luck on the day, O’Driscoll’s eighth shot got a nice rub to hold his odds of a bowl and 50 metres at O’Mahony’s avenue. Crowley’s right hand pull did him no favours on the day. O’Driscoll’s ninth shot was perfect and, with on his side, he made up and around O’Donovan’s bend in two more. There was nothing that Crowley could do to reduce the odds and O’Driscoll progresses to play John O’Donoghue of the East Cork Region.
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Michael Bohane booked his place in the senior championship quarter-final by beating Tommy O’Sullivan for a stake of €3,000 a-side in Bantry.
Three poor opening bowls from O’Sullivan put him on the back foot in this score. After two more to Harrington’s farm, Bohane was not raising any big odds at this point.
At Casey’s Cross it was six each and only 20 metres separating the participants.
Bohane threw three more good bowls and was now throwing his odds over 40 metres. He was lucky with his tenth to the Novice line but O’Sullivan kept up the pressure and was well under the bowl of odds.
Bohane got three massive bowls to finish with a beautiful touch off of Connolly’s Wall to go back of the finish line with his next, where he won by almost a bowl. Michael Bohane awaits the winner of Seamus Sexton and Arthur McDonagh’s upcoming quarter-final clash.
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Juliette Murphy secured her Ladies Intermediate Championship semi-final spot with a bowl of odds win over Julianne Hayes at Castletown, playing for €200 a-side.
Hayes took the first shot only in this score. At Hennessy’s house, Murphy’s lead was only 35 metres. At Round Tower cross Juliette began to extend her advantage after powering up the rising road.
Julianne threw some good bowls but it was not enough to hold off the bowl of odds at Pynes corner where her opponent got a great bowl facing the netting. Julianne finished with three great bowls but could not reel in Juliette’s lead and the latter won by a bowl.
In Group A of the Ladies Intermediate Championship, a three-way playoff between Ellen Sexton, Ailbhie O’Shea and Rachel Kingston, playing for a total stake of €1,200, was held at Ballinacurra. Only two qualified for the semi-finals and it was Ailbhie O’Shea and Ellen Sexton who booked their places.
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Mark Bourke joined Noel O’Donovan in the Mid-Gaelteacht-North junior A Championship semi-finals after he beat Kieran Murphy at Terelton for a total stake of €2,240.
The lead changed several times in an entertaining score. Both were out the first bend in two each where Murphy fore bowled by a meter.
Bourke was in front after two more to Kelly’s house and led by 10 metres. Murphy took the next but Bourke was back in front once again at the Garage.
There was nothing between them after the Garage until Murphy fore bowled by 5 metres. Two more each to the Ducks house where Murphy enjoyed had a slender lead. Two poor bowls in succession from Murphy and suddenly it was Bourke who was in the driving seat.
A big lucky rub with his twelfth shot and Bourke rose the bowl of odds that he held to the line.
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The Willie Whelton Senior Cup tournament continued with James O’Donovan beating Arthur McDonagh by the last shot at Grange. A total stake of €28,000 was involved.
A blistering start from O’Donovan meant he had a bowl and 50 metres. McDonagh got a perfect bowl to De Barra’s. O’Donovan beat this by 50 metres and in two shots. McDonagh went left with his next only to the top of the School hill. O’Donovan made the green, McDonagh caught a planter and it was an even bowl of odds there.
O’Donovan got a big rub with his next to sight for Mickey Sullivan’s and McDonagh was well behind of this.
Then, McDonagh knocked the bowl at the waterfall but O’Donovan restored it again with a good bowl to Fiona’s. McDonagh made Shamies Wall and O’Donovan missed but got a big bowl to the pub door, where McDonagh made the carpark. From there, O’Donovan beat the line to win.
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Senior championship action continued at Beal Na Marbh where Patrick Flood beat Brian Wilmot by 5 metres for €3,000 a-side.
Nothing separated them after four each, Flood with a slight lead. Wilmot made a bad blunder with his fifth, Flood up to the Rock, and was very unlucky to get caught in it where he had big odds. Wilmot had two huge bowls to go sight but he got a super eighth and Flood missed this by 3 metres.
Flood responded with a good ninth to the hedging and, following another bad blunder from Wilmot, he was suddenly trailing by 70 metres again. Three more from Flood facing the novice line and he was throwing his odds over 70 metres. After three more from Flood to the junior line, he was throwing his odds over 20 metres. From there, Wilmot got an incredible sixteenth shot for the finish line that Flood only beat by 20 metres. Wilmot played a good last bowl but it just wasn’t enough as Flood beat it by 5 metres and now plays his cousin, Gary Daly, in the quarter-finals at Grenagh.
U16 final at the Phale Road, Meabh Cuinnea (winner), Ted Hegarty, Orla Murphy (runner-up).
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Another Carbery-South West junior A championship score between Denis O’Driscoll and David Hegarty took place at Caheragh with no stake. This was a trap-to-line victory for Hegarty.
He was down to Lissangle Cross in two huge bowls where he had big odds with the bowl. Hegarty rose the two bowls with a huge third shot. O’Driscoll knocked the two bowls briefly back of the Bridge until Hegarty restored them again at Madore Cross. O’Driscoll got a good bowl to the start of Shellies Farm that knocked the two bowls of odds again as Hegarty got the worst shot of his near perfect score here.
O’Driscoll was finishing well but Hegarty’s odds was just too much and he won out in the end by a bowl and big odds.
At Inchigeela, Denis Cooney will represent the Gaelteach region after his victory over Jim Coffey in the junior veteran final.
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Ted Hegarty finished off his under-age tournaments at the Phale Road. In the Girls U16, Meabh Cuinnea proved too strong for Orla Murphy. In the U14, Anna Deane won out from Saoirse O’Neill and Aoife McCarthy. At the May executive meeting, Ted was highly commended for his tremendous undertaking of running off Boys and Girls U8 to U16 county tournaments every year for the past 17 years.
