The first of a two-part review of an action-packed 2023 reflects on some of the highs and lows of past 12 months
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FOR Ból Chumann na hEireann, 2023 was a year of sadness as the loss of several prominent members impacted. It also was a year of upheaval at officer level with the unexpected departure of its chairman. Ultimately for the organisation in its main area of activity, the running of championships and supervision of tournament and fundraising events, it has proved an exceptionally successful and progressive 12 months.
The All-Ireland final stagings at Ballincurrig, Eglish and Killea were the highpoints. Ballincurrig in July was resplendent in the summer sun but there was disappointment when David Murphy’s injury prevented him from completing his All-Ireland senior final challenge to Thomas Mackle, who retained his crown and is now a three-time champion.
There was more joy for the northern camp when Aoife Trainor produced a big display to take the intermediate title from Ciara Buckley and Jake Cullen was equally impressive in winning a cracking junior B All-Ireland from Noel O’Regan. Armagh started on a high, too, when Jack O’Reilly won the opening decider, the U12 play-off from Cork’s Eoghan Hickey. Cork’s winners on the weekend came in the form of Phillip O’Donovan, who was peerless in the veteran grade and won by two from Johnny Kelly, while Emma Hurley thrilled her big Drinagh support when winning the U16 final from Megan O’Reilly. In the same age sector John O’Donoghue took the boys’ championship by virtue of a big victory from Ulster’s Oisin Gribben.
Three weeks later, on the August bank holiday weekend, Eglish in Tyrone were hosts for All-Ireland’s series 2. Danny McParland had defeated Mick Barry on a road nearby to win the 1971 senior championship, but this was very much a Cork weekend. Here, too, a major final was injury afflicted as Ethan Rafferty, Ulster’s splendid intermediate champion, suffered a horrific leg injury a week previous to his clash with Brian Wilmot and was unable to compete. The Bandon man is the All-Ireland champion but not in the way he would have wanted.
Kelly Mallon was majestic in winning Ulster’s sole victory of the weekend when defeating a game Geraldine Daly in the women’s senior final. Denis O’Sullivan won a thrilling junior A final from Eugene McVeigh and Tommy O’Sullivan won U18 from Ulster’s dual champion, Oisin Gribben. Ellen Sexton was a real star at Eglish winning ladies’ U18 from a very good Ulster champion Michaela Greene. Tommy O’Donoghue made it a clean sweep in underage at the Tyrone venue when accounting for Dan Sweeney in U14.
Adjacent to Dunmore East in Waterford, Killea hosted the junior C and novice finals in early September. A superbly-organised event saw thrills and spills on a grand scale. A rare novice double was achieved by Cork’s well-tested champions. Brian O’Driscoll was brave and focused in delivering two top-class displays in the face of adversity. He captured the novice 1 title from a hard-trying Alan Long of Leinster, a victory that was extremely poignant in the light of later events. Michael O’Driscoll, the Cork novice 2 champion, had come through a few tight scrapes in winning his county tile and brought his survival instincts to Killea where, to the delight of his large following, he escaped from the jaws of defeat to deny a gallant London champion Danny O’Shea in an absorbing decider. The titles stayed in the strongholds with Ulster’s Barry O’Reilly taking the junior C championship thanks to meticulous preparation and consistent delivery. London’s Padraigh Nugent was a game runner-up.
2022 West Cork Sports Star Hall of Fame award winner Gretta Cormican with special guest Brian Cody. (Photo: George Maguire)
Highlights too, of course, were the premier non-championship events at Ballincurrig and Keady-Tassagh, hosts for the King and Queen of the Roads and Ból Fada festivals. Rainy days mattered not a whit to bowlers and punters who came in droves for the 38th hosting of the famed King and Queen festival. From Friday morning’s opening to the crowning of the new King and Queen late on Sunday evening, it was a weekend filled with exceptional scores, tight finishes and brilliant shots.
Thomas Mackle crowned a magnificent year with the King prize, Silke Tulk won Queen for the seventh time, Brian Wilmot won the Jim O’Driscoll Cup and Tommy O’Sullivan and Ellen Sexton combined to win the Proto Mark Technologies Youths International Triple Crown. Ból Fada at Keady Tassagh on Easter weekend also had its share of excitement, but it was a chastening weekend for the travelling Cork contingent who won just two of the nine scores played. Thomas Mackle again dominated, winning the prestigious Joe McVeigh Cup. Michael Bohane, and the youthful combination of Daniel O’Sullivan and Laura Sexton in a doubles event, were Cork’s only winners.
The creamery road in Bantry hosted the return of the Unlimited Cork championships in late August, and multitudes of scores ensued with Michael Collins, Christopher Walsh, Kelly Newman and Patrick Batterberry all excelling in bringing home the spoils.
Bowling and Ból Chumann were accorded a singular honour when its leading lady Gretta Cormican was inducted into West Cork Sports Stars Hall of Fame at a gala dinner at the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery. At the association’s own presentation night at The Parkway Hotel in Dunmanway in November, David Murphy received Ból Chumann’s Hall of Fame, while Brian Wilmot and Ciara Buckley received Player of the Year Awards.
In July, James Luke Hayes launched his road bowling artwork, The Score, to much acclaim at Macroom Town Hall. Ból Chumann’s Child Safeguarding statement by Hon Secretary Michael O’Ceallachain and Child Welfare Officer Caroline Smith was adopted in May. Constitutional amendments were also implemented as per Sport Ireland requirements. Conversely, Michael Brennan’s unexpected resignation from his position as chairman of Ból Chumann in September was a source of shock. Vice-chair Willie Murphy has acted as interim chair.
The 17th European Championships, hosted by FKV Association at Neuharlingersiel in north Germany, was the focus of much of the later months of 2023 with ongoing trials in German Loft, Dutch Moors and road bowling taking place over several weekends at Castletownkenneigh. The Mid Cork club was also nominated as hosts for the 2024 Cork series of All-Ireland finals.
The passing of Liam O’Keefe in late March was keenly felt within the association. One of bowling’s iconic figures, Liam was Ból Chumann President at the time of his departure. He was the game’s first senior champion and in an administrative capacity served as City Honorary Secretary for many decades and attended executive meetings past his 90th birthday. In the same month, Connie O’Callaghan of Coolavokig, Macroom and Boston went to his reward. Connie was the heartbeat of Boston bowling and his death leaves a huge void.
The death of James Nagle in the lead up to Easter shocked the bowling world. The Rosscarbery man was a popular player and an advocate for the sport of bowling at every opportunity. Glanworth native Billy McAuliffe was another towering figure within the game. Well-known and respected Billy left his mark as a player and administrator, and his passing in July was mourned by all. Teddy O’Driscoll’s untimely death in September left the bowling world in grief once again. Coming just a few days after his son Brian won the All-Ireland novice 1 championship in Waterford, it was an especially poignant time for family and community.
The affiliation and grading of players had been expedited by mid-December 2022, enabling registrar Billy McAuliffe to issue the association’s register for 2023 by early January and soon regions were active in commencing championships in the lower novice grades. In tournament action in the January-February period there were wins at Carrignavar for the doubles team of Billy Connolly and Billy Cahill and in the John O’Mahony Cup team event for Brian Quinlan, Bernard O’Donovan and Niall Maloney. Gaeltacht won the Johnny O’Driscoll Shield from Carbery at Clondrohid; West Cork boys (Daniel O’Sullivan, Tadg O’Farrell, Brian Murphy) and North Cork Girls (Rihanna Collins, Jena Healy, Chloe Hubbard) won the youths inter-regional team finals at The Phale Road; Ból Chumann Ard Mhaca hosted a Youths Development fund-raising series at Eglish which included a significant participation from Cork bowlers; a ladies’ open day was held on The Froe Road, Rosscarbery; Denis O’Sullivan won the Ballinacurra Winter tournament and Brian Wilmot won the Paddy Barry Cup at Rosscarbery. In delayed 2022 championship finals, Margaret Sexton won ladies junior and Martin Connolly won vintage from sectional winners, Donal Harnedy and Pat Scanlon.
