ICY roads and late cancellations scuppered a few high-profile fixtures on the first weekend of the new year but a wide selection of scores at various venues kept followers entertained.
Gaeltacht’s Conor Creedon won twice at Ballinacurra, Upton, defeating Enniskeane’s Brendan O’Neill on both occasions. Their first encounter was close, Creedon winning by the last shot for a €4,000 stake while the wider margin of almost two bowls separated them in the second contest played for a €4,400 total.
Durrus and Ardcahan had club fundraising fixtures with four at each venue. At Ardcahan, Vincent Healy followed up his Clubhouse win over the youthful Brian Horgan with another victory over the Inchicurka exponent, this time by a bowl of odds for a €2,340 stake. In the feature at Durrus, Chris Murray, Togher Cross, scored a bowl of odds victory over Bantry's Kieran Hourihane for a combined €2,700. Two of the younger generation engaged at Curraheen – City’s Anthony Crowley came out on top against Gaeltacht’s Cathal Creedon in the last throw for €3,500.
At Shannonvale in a big-money shoot-out, Darren Harrington overcame Flor Crowley in the last shot of an exciting contest that carried a €16,000 total. Firmount in North Cork had a busy weekend. Kieran Buckley won the regional novice E final with a last-shot victory over Oisin Fogarty for a €1,420 stake. Also here, the partnership of Will Harrington and Jack Oldham defeated Barry Twomey/Kieran Buckley, for €680; Pat Joe Murphy defeated Trevor Ahern for €700 and James Collins defeated Paul Walsh for €1,100. At Jagoe’s Mills, Mark Coleman won from Gary O’Sullivan for €600 and Jim O’Neill defeated John Murphy for €600.
