Legendary Jerry Sheehy left his mark on road bowling

A BOWLING great of yesteryear went to his reward recently.

Through the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, Jerry Sheehy commanded a huge following from the then strong bowling bastions of Castletownshend and Castlehaven.

He was a tough competitive battler who revelled in the tight exchanges of many a pressurised encounter, often times for high stakes. His scores with Corney Bohane; with Dooley O’Mahony from Ballincollig, a frequent campaigner on the roads of West Cork; with Eugie Daly whom he defeated in tournament final on the Hawthorn road, Drimoleague, in 1964; and with Joe O’Donovan, Ballydehob, Mick Cleary, Braid, and Jackie Kingston, Drinagh, among a host of others, remain in bowling folklore.

Jerry was a sportsman to his fingertips, respectful of opponents and rules, and a popular exponent wherever he travelled.

The formation of the West Cork Bowling Association in late 1964 heralded a new chapter in Jerry’s bowling career and, on the administrative side, he became its first chairman. On the various roads, many wins ensued. He formed productive partnerships with his late brother Jimmy and with his neighbour Jack O’Leary, winning several doubles tournaments that were popular at the time.

Fully immersed in his local community, Jerry played with and fervently followed the blue and white while in later years his great love of tractors and machinery shone through in his involvement in countless vintage tractor runs and old-time threshing events.

His instant recall of times past and his pleasant, positive demeanour ensured lifelong friendships among all strands of society. The esteem he was held in was evident in the large attendances at his funeral services. His coffin bore Ból Chumann and Castlehaven emblems, as Jerry made his final journey to Castlehaven New Cemetery. Ar dheis de go raibh a Anam.