JULIET Murphy secured her place in this year’s intermediate ladies’ final with a win over Ellen Sexton at Clondrohid.
Playing for a total stake of €1,000, after three shots each to the bark mulch, former Cork footballer Murphy was five metres ahead. After two more each to Tier Beg cross, Sexton edged in front by ten metres. When they reached the Black House in three more, Sexton still held a five-metre advantage. With two more each back of the Bell Inn, Sexton could have had more of a lead but some shots were weak and fell off the road. Murphy then grabbed back the lead with a good bowl to the Grotto.
After two more throws each on the rough, cantankerous piece of road to Kelly’s bungalow, still nothing separated them. Murphy got a huge bowl from here to Geoff’s Lane that raised a bowl of odds for her. Both were out to the waterfall with their next shots, Murphy still holding odds with the bowl. Sexton got a super bowl past Kelleher’s farm full sight for the finish line, Murphy missed this and another twist was to come when she missed the finish line. Sexton made a gallant effort but Murphy had too much odds and beat the tip by ten metres. She now awaits the winner of Julianne Hayes or Ailbhie O’Shea in the final and Castletown.
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Inter-county scores came hot and heavy last weekend, a total of 14 scores were played at various grades and ages.
John Cahalane, representing the Carbery region, had a convincing win over Humphrey O’Leary from West Cork in the preliminary round of the junior veteran championship at Ballygurteen mid-week. They played for a total stake of €1,550 a-side. Cahalane, new to this grade this year, had a trap-to-line win and now progresses on to the quarter-final where he will play PJ Cooney from East Cork at Ballinacurra.
The Gaeltacht junior B final was held at Clondrohid between Cillian Kelleher and Micháel Desmond; they played for a total stake of €2,600. Desmond had a bowl of odds after two big opening shots. Kelleher put down some great bowls and at the Black House the odds were down to 16 metres. Kelleher took his first lead at the Bell Inn and held a marginal lead over Kelly’s hill and on for the cottage. From here Desmond went full sight at the waterfall and won back the lead again; it was nine fantastic bowls thrown to this juncture.
Desmond was very tight right with his bowl past Kelleher’s farm but got away with it and made sight for the novice line, Kelleher missed this to go a bowl down again. Kelleher laid down a massive bowl to the lollipops that Desmond missed well but made sight, his next was very tight left. If it had stayed there, the score would have been dead level but rubbed sight for the finish line. Kelleher could not put a shot in front of him, Desmond beat a good line and now plays Shane Collins (North Cork) in the quarter-final at Castletown.
Drimoleague bowler Brian O'Driscoll in action at Jagoes Mills where he beat John O'Donoghue (East Cork) in a junior B championship quarter-final. (Photo: Gretta Cormican)
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Newcestown hosted the first quarter-final of the senior men’s championship between James O’Donovan and David Murphy. They played for a total stake of €16,000. It was one of those evenings that nothing went right for Murphy. After two good opening bowls from O’Donovan he was a bowl up, and had almost two bowls in two more to Mac’s cross. Murphy had it back to an even bowl at Allen’s lane, but at Desmond’s lane and on down into the dip O’Donovan had almost two bowls again. A very well played 13th shot up the rising road past Kelleher’s rose the two bowls for O’Donovan. Murphy knocked the two bowls briefly, going out to O’Brien’s Cross but at the Cross they stood at an even two bowls for O’Donovan again. Both missed sight at the lollipops with two poor bowls off the cross. Both then made the pitch and putt entrance where almost two bowls again and O’Donovan marched on to the semi-final draw.
In Baile Bhuirne in another senior quarter-final Arthur McDonagh snatched victory from Michael Bohane; they played for €3,400 a-side. Bohane took the first two opening shots of this score, McDonagh took the third shot but did not capitalise on a couple of poor bowls from Bohane. At the Island McDonagh only led by 40 metres. Bohane got a massive 11th shot past the novice line that won him back the lead, but it was short-lived as after three more to the junior line McDonagh was back in front by ten metres. But after he gave away the lead again with a short bowl at O’Riada’s, a great 17th from McDonagh to McSuibhnes entrance that Bohane missed twice as his first effort was ‘called’.
If you call me I’m going to call you back, and that’s what happened with McDonagh’s 18th, but he didn’t do any better on the second attempt either. Both made out sight for the finish line with their next where McDonagh got a very valuable rub and had a 30-metre lead. Bohane’s effort for the line missed it and McDonagh beat it easily. In a return score at Baile Bhuirne, Cathal Creedon beat Sean Paul McDonagh. In the third and last senior quarter-final played at Grenagh between cousins Gary Daly and Patrick Flood, Daly was an easy winner.
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A junior B quarter-final was played at Jagoe’s Mills between Brian O’Driscoll (West Cork), a county and All-Ireland junior C winner in 2023, playing an U18 county runner-up from 2024, John O’Donoghue (East). This one carried no stake. O’Driscoll dominated from the start making Mac’s cross in two fine shots where he rose a bowl of odds. When O’Donoghue missed sight with his first shot he was in trouble, and that set the tone. After O’Driscoll crossed the main road in 11 shots, at the planters he had a lead of almost two bowls and this is where hands were shaken.
On to Inchageelagh from Jagoes to a junior veteran quarter-final score between last year’s county and All-Ireland veteran winner Andrew O’Leary (North East) playing (South West) representative Kieran O’Driscoll for a stake of €600 a-side. There was no lead for O’Driscoll in this score, as his first three shots put him on the back foot, O’Leary got a big third past O’Riordan’s farm entrance, he rose the bowl of odds with his fifth shot. The winner never relinquished his lead and O’Leary won by almost a bowl of odds.
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At The Clubhouse in a novice veteran preliminary round score Ger Fitzpatrick from The Pike beat John Nagle from Rossarbery for a stake of €3,050 a-side. Fitzpatrick led from the off, he was out the chips cross in four good bowls for the grade where he was a bowl of odds up. At Clon cross Nagle had it well under the bowl and at Murray’s pillars only 40 metres separated them. Fitzpatrick's 13th was very left but he got a kind rub off a stone and made the start of the Garage yard. Nagle got a good bowl to the end of the Garage but it was not enough as Fitzpatrick went sight for the finish line and beat it with his 15th shot. He now goes on to play Mid Cork winner Clement Deane in the quarter-final at Togher Cross.
Inchageelagh hosted a junior B quarter-final county score, Alex O’Donovan from Shannonvale got the better of Patrick O’Brien from Doneraile; they played for €1,500 a-side.
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The youth also got up and running in the county rounds this week. At Carrignavar Chloe Hubbard (North Cork) beat Caoilinn Callanan (City) in the U16 quarter-final. At Inch in preliminary round scores, Darragh Ahern (South West), grandson of one of the founder members of Ból Chumann Tom Ahern, beat Eoin Crowley (Carbery) in U16, Meabh Cuinnea (Carbery) defeated Grace Ahern (South West) in U16, and Ed McCarthy (Carbery) beat Daniel Callanan (South West) in an U12 clash.
