Bantry bowler Courtney crowned West Cork U14 champion

KEVIN Courtney is West Cork U14 champion for 2023.

The Bantry boy scored semi-final and final wins on successive evenings on the Inch road, Dunmanway and will now carry the regional banner to the county rounds.

Kevin got the better of U12 county winner, Eoghan Hickey, in the penultimate round and then overcame Tadg O’Farrell in an exciting finale.

Drinagh’s Emma Hurley is a dual West Cork champion too having won U18 after a cracking score at Drimoleague with Emer O’Connell. In a competitive girls U14 contest at The Clubhouse Katie Coakley won from Ciara Lennon. In the novice A semi-final at Kealkil, Chris Cronin defeated Ciaran Nyhan.

In novice B, a cracker at Bantry saw Sean O’Leary of Whiddy end the good run of Kevin Murphy. They played for a total of €1,400. At The Clubhouse in another quarter-final on Saturday evening, David O’Brien overcame Michael A Cronin for €1,440.

In a big novice C shoot-out at Drimoleague on Thursday, Mark Deane defeated Brian Horgan by two bowls. With €2,000 at issue the U18 champion rose a shot of odds after four and increased his lead by the no-play lines. He will play either Brian Murray or James Russell in the decider. In a novice D semi-final at Drinagh, Johnny Kelly won from Kieran O’Driscoll.

Owen McCarthy won the Sonny Daly Cup on offer for the South West novice B championship at Grange on Saturday evening. Playing a formidable rival in former Carbery man, Enda Connelly, McCarthy started in a blaze lining four big shots on the outward route. He held a bowl lead down by ‘Hodnett’s’ and held off Connelly’s best thereafter. In novice D semi-finals at Fisher’s Cross, Matthew O’Driscoll defeated Paudie Footman and Jack O’Driscoll defeated Richie Lawton. In a South-West novice C semi-final at Lyre on Monday, Ethan De Burca won from Diarmuid Murphy.

Newcestown hosted the Mid Cork novice A final on Tuesday and a €10,000 total was played for between Belgooly’s Eoin O’Donovan and Castletownkenneigh’s Jack O’Callaghan. In a score of mixed bowling a big second last won it for O’Donovan who was presented with the Jackie Hickey Cup by Michael Hickey. O’Donovan will contest again for county honours having been successful in novice 1 in 2020.

The Mid Cork novice C final was on in Templemartin mid-week, and the winner here was Kilbrittain’s David Desmond. For a €3,800 total, local contender, Barry Coughlan, led for the first six but came hind of Desmond’s big cast to the ‘nooks’. The Kilbrittain man rose a bowl of odds in the bowling to the ‘school house cross’ and it was decisive. At Dunderrow in a big money novice D semi-final, Donnacha O’Donovan defeated Fionn Dwyer by two bowls for €7,200. Also, in Mid Cork Anna Deane was crowned U14 champion having edged out a gallant Ava O’Sullivan at Ballinacurra, Upton, on Tuesday.

Gaeltacht’s novice A semi-final was a belter on the Coolea Road on Wednesday. Youthful exponents Cillian Kelleher and Colm McLoughlin fought a magnificent shot for shot battle that Kelleher won at the death. He plays Noel Murphy in the final at Inchigeelagh. Also, at Ballyvourney in novice D, Mickey O’Callaghan defeated Darren O’Leary in the last shot and in a challenge score, Denis Paul Bradley defeated Shane Cahill for a €1,440 total.