County semi-final defeats for Brinny and Bandon bowlers as all-Fermoy final on the cards
GARY Daly has had to wait ten years to contest the men’s senior county final, but is back in the decider after defeating James O’Donovan by almost a bowl in their semi-final at Whitechurch.
Playing for a stake of €8,000 a-side, Bandon bowler O’Donovan had a good first half in this score. Daly took the first shot but from here O’Donovan took over and was rising odds with every shot. Daly got a huge bowl to the end of Quirke’s Wall but O’Donovan beat this by 50 metres. Daly’s next two shots were poor and he was well back of Boula Lane, while O’Donovan was throwing his odds over 30 metre at this juncture; he also caught the right dyke and only beat tip by 100 metres when it should have been much more.
Daly hit back with an incredible eighth shot up to the guard's house that O’Donovan only beat by 40 metres. This was the start of a trend for Daly as he lined three bowls up past the Greens where he won back the lead by 25 metres. Both missed the Devils Bend but Daly still had 25 metres of an advantage. He held the odds around the Devils Bend but both men had poor bowls from here, O’Donovan got a good 16th shot that Daly beat again by a valuable 25 metres. O’Donovan’s 17th veered very wide right and Daly lined another fantastic shot that just missed the finish line, as the latter triumphed.
We have an all-Fermoy senior final after Arthur McDonagh beat former All-Ireland senior champion Aidan Murphy at Ballinagree for a stake of €14,000 a-side. Both opened with two huge bowls, with Brinny bowler Murphy taking the first by 12 metres. While that lead swelled to 20 metres at one stage, McDonagh’s incredible fourth shot put him in control of the score. McDonagh whipped his fifth out beautifully, up through Caiplín Bán Cross and Murphy did well to keep it under the bowl. McDonagh played a few wayward bowls and got away with them but at the pink cottage Murphy still had a chance. McDonagh got a perfect 11th shot to the post office that raised the bowl fully for him – he held this and raised more odds past the quay wall in two more. Murphy reduced some of the odds up past the new houses but McDonagh was not going to be denied a place in this year’s senior final as he was facing the line in two more.
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It was billed as the score of the season, when two of our top Gen-Z exponents of the game lined out at Clondrohid – Brian O’Driscoll playing Anthony Crowley in the county junior B semi-final, for a stake of €38,500 a-side. That kind of money would put serious pressure on any player but it did not faze these two. O’Driscoll started with intent, lining a massive first that Crowley missed well. Crowley recovered with a big second and reduced the odds substantially.
Crowley took his first lead with another super bowl to O’Leary’s pillars, but O’Driscoll did the impossible and made full light at the black house that won him back the lead again, while Crowley totally misplayed his fifth and was lucky to get a rub. Both were up to the Grotto in seven each where they were dead level. Crowley shifted his eighth out beautifully and won back his second lead of the score but from here Crowley’s form faltered – he failed to open the Well bend in two and was facing a bowl-of-odds deficit here. There was still hope when O’Driscoll’s 11th shot was very right but it was ‘called’. With his second attempt he made full sight below Kelleher’s farm that raised a bowl of odds for him, putting the score beyond Crowley’s reach. After two more nearing the finish O’Driscoll had almost two bowls and he now awaits the winner of Micháel Desmond or Alex O’Donovan.
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The second ladies’ intermediate semi-final was a very close affair at Templemartin between Julianne Hayes from Drinagh and Ailbhie O’Shea from Macroom, no stake in this one. Hayes took the first shot but would not lead again until her 11th at O’Riordans. O’Shea went sight at Slynes Corner in six great bowls, and Hayes did well to keep it to a bowl of odds there. Hayes knocked the odds with her next four great bowls to O’Riordans to take back the lead by 35 metres. O’Shea got a great 12th shot to Collins upper entrance and led here by five metres, but did not hold on the advantage as Hayes was back in front again with her next. She held that lead to the School Cross.
Both cut through the Cross, and Hayes had a 25-metre advantage for the last shot, and she wasn’t to be denied, beating the tip by ten metres. It’s been a while since Julianne has been in a county final – it was in 2008 when she was defeated in an U-2 final at Bweeng by Meghan Collins. She now plays former Cork and Donoughmore footballer Juliette Murphy in the final at Castletown.
The senior ladies championship continued at Beal na Bláth where Triona Kidney had a last-shot victory over Hannah Sexton, playing for €400 a-side.
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At Ballygurteen in a Carbery-South West junior A quarter-final score, Colin O’Donovan made the trip from London to play Donal Riordan from Bantry. Going into this score Riordan was carrying an injury but still played for a stake of €2,100 a-side. O’Donovan started well, and had a substantial lead by the back of the women’s lane where Riordan conceded. On Sunday O’Donovan played in the next round of the same championship when he took on David Hegarty in the semi-final at Bauravilla.
In a junior B quarter-final at Castletownkenneigh between Micháel Desmond (Gaeltaecht) and Shane Collins (North Cork), for a stake of €4,400 a-side, victory went to Desmond after he raised a lead of a bowl and held it until the end.
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Novice veteran quarter-finals continued this past week. At Grenagh, Tony Hickey (North Cork) beat John Donnellan (City) by the last shot for €1,200 a-side. At Togher Cross, Ger Fitzpatrick (South West) had a tough battle on his hands to beat Clement Deane (Mid Cork) by last shot, no stake. In a junior veteran score at Ballinagree it was uncle v nephew, as Jerry Murphy (Mid Cork) beat his nephew Richard Murphy (City) by one bowl. Jerry went on to play and beat last year’s county and All-Ireland winner Andrew O’Leary in the semi-final at Firmount. He now plays PJ Cooney in the final at Grenagh,
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Shannonvale held a Joe Coleman Memorial Cup score between Gavin Twohig and Noel O’Donovan, playing for €3,200 a-side. There was no lead for O’Donovan in this one. Twohig held an early 50-metre lead, but O’Donovan soon had it whittled down to just two. Twohig rose big odds again in two more around the quarry bend. O’Donovan had a chance of being level at Desmond’s but blipped his eight and was a bowl down. Twohig held his bowl advantage to the end of Kingston’s wall in three more. A super 13th shot from O’Donovan reduced the odds considerably but he undid his good work with a poor 14th shot. Twohig went full sight for Campbell’s with his 14th that raised big odds with the bowl again for him. O’Donovan missed Campbell’s again with his next and Twohig took the honours.
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The youth are getting down to the business side of the championships with plenty of quarter-finals played over the last week. At the Phale Road, Tadgh Hickey (Mid Cork) beat Darragh Ahern (South West) in the U16 boys’ quarter-final, while Ed McCarthy (Carbery) beat Michael Foley (Mid Cork) in the U12 boys’ quarter-final. At Carrignavar, Culann Bourke (North Cork) beat Myles Connors (City) in the U16 boys’ quarter-final, and Charlie Callanan (City) beat Jayden Crowley (North Cork) in the U12 boys’ quarter-final. At Kilcorney, Cathal Creedon (Gaeltacht) beat Patrick O’Driscoll (London) in the U18 boys’ preliminary round. At the Phale Road, Meabh Cuinnea (Carbery) beat Anna Deane (Mid) in an U16 girls’ quarter-final.
