THE junior A county championship got into full swing with five scores down for decision this past weekend.

On Saturday at Clondrohid, Gaeltacht opponents Michael Desmond and Conor Creedon had a savage tussle. There was no stake in this one.

At the mulch yard in two each, Desmond held a slight lead, but extended this to 70 metres with his third effort up past Riordan’s gate. Creedon reached the back of Tier Beg Cross in four where Desmond had 60 metres of odds. Two super bowls from Creedon then reduced Desmond’s lead to 20 metres. Reaching the Bell Inn in another, Creedon was coming very close to taking his first lead.

Both bowlers went over Kelly’s hump in two more great bowls on a tricky surface, as Desmond still held the lead by 30 metres. A poor bowl by Creedon seemed to have handed the initiative to Desmond. But Creedon lined a perfect bowl that went full sight for the farm and also gave him his first lead by a foot, which he held past the farm with their next shots.

Desmond only made the novice line with his next, Creedon got a lucky rub to the lollipops, Desmond missed this tip to concede a bowl of odds with the finish approaching. Creedon held out to win by a bowl of odds.

In two more junior A scores, at Templemartin Bryan O’Halloran beat Tom O’Donovan by two bowls for a stake of €570 a-side while at Templemichael Danny Stokes took the honours from Cian Boyle by the last shot, for €2,225 a-side.

At Rosscarbery, Donal Riordan took the honours from Jimmy O’Driscoll in a junior A championship score, playing for a stake of €800 a-side. After three poor opening shots from both players, Riordan had 30 metres of odds above the avenue.

Two more to the Priest’s house, Riordan put a bit of daylight between them but this was short-lived as O’Driscoll got a big rub with his sixth to the lollipops to give him his first lead. At Barry’s Boreen in two more, only a metre separated them. O’Driscoll got a huge bowl from here past the B&B, but Riordan beat it well and followed up with two more incredible bowls out Cahermore cross – he was now throwing his odds with a bowl over O’Driscoll. The latter got a great bowl to Froe cross that Riordan beat by 30 metres in two.

After the next exchange there was only the bare bowl in it. But Riordan put down another one of his special ones at the back of the big pillars, and matters were terminated here.

Also, Cillian Kelleher made the long trip to Ballyhooley to play Micheal O’Donoghue in the premier junior A championship. There was no stake in this encounter that O’Donoghue won.

Players and their supporters at the ladies morning held at Rosscarbery, organised by the ladies committee of Ból Chumann.

***

Liam Murphy will have nightmares about the way he lost his tournament score at Ballinacurra to Sean Murphy. They played for €1,500 a-side. After crossing the main road in four each, Liam led by five metres. He raised 40 metres with his next two shots to the nooks, but undid his good work with a poor seventh that gave Sean back the lead by 20 metres.

Liam was back in front again at the hurling alley by 40 metres. Up past the silvery gates in two more for Liam where he was throwing his odds over 15 metres. Liam raised the bowl of odds with his next shot out onto the straight – he held big odds at the laurels. Sean played his 15th shot well but missed out sight for the finish line, while Liam made the yellow wall – there was still a bowl in it with only two shots to go. Sean went full sight for the finish line and Liam missed this tip by 30 metres and only beat the tip again by 15 metres. Sean lined a huge last effort up past the farm entrance and Liam missed this.

Also, Ger O’Driscoll booked his place in the Mid Cork junior B championship final with a victory over John Butler at Newcestown.

***

Lyre finished off their mixed doubles tournament, as the pair of Eoin Hurley (Kilronan) and Emma Hurley (Drinagh) showed why they were favourites when they were convincing winners by two bowls of odds over PJ O’Driscoll (Lyre) and Grace Ahern (Ballineen). They played for a stake of €700 a-side.

PJ and Grace had one lead in this score and that was their second shot. They missed sight at the mason’s bend in four. Emma threw a huge fourth shot to the top of the hill – this was the defining shot of the score as they were throwing their odds over 30 metres from here. Eoin raised the bowl of odds at the bottom of the Mason’s hill, and they raised further odds between this and the double gates.

At the school, Emma and Eoin had two bowls of odds that they held past the Creamery. It was under the two bowls at Ballinascarthy Cross but on top of the line.

Also, Beál na Marbh held the semi-final of their Hancy Hubbard Cup, as Ger Connolly (Shannonvale) booked his place in the final when he beat local clubman Conor Lucey for a stake of €1,500 a-side.

Conor Creedon won his junior A score.

***

The ladies committee of Ból Chumann held a ladies morning at Rosscarbery, where the Carbery girls of Lauren and Aoife McCarthy and Jessica Baker came first in the team event. Abbie O’Callaghan, Megan Collins and Rebeca O’Callaghan were runners-up, with Eileen McCarthy, Amy McCarthy and Aimee McCarthy taking third spot.

In the long shot competition, Lauren McCarthy threw a huge shot of 89.1m to take the U13 category. Her mom Eileen won the over-age category with a shot of 73.3m. Rosie O’Sullivan won the U9 category with a shot of 69.9m. Caroline O’Leary, chairperson of the ladies committee, thanked all who took part, thanked the parents for bringing their children and the Rosscarbery club for hosting.

It was also ladies' weekend at the Phale Road where Ted Hegarty wrapped up some of his girls' underage tournaments. Meave Cuinnea beat Cliona O’Brien in the U16 final, Aoife McCarthy put in an awesome finish to deny Cait Young and Ava Hurley in the U12 final, and Sheila Bradley beat Farrah Healy in the girls’ U10.

***

The Ból Chumann Novice Team event that qualified teams for the All-Ireland finals in Westport in September was wrapped up on Sunday. Two teams of three players from each region led to 54 players taking to the road in a three-hour contest.

Berrings and The Marsh Road led the competition for three quarters of the day but in the third-last group, we had strong players from Kilcorney and Ballinacurra who dislodged the placings.

The Ballinacurra club of Chris Hayes, Brian Galvin and Martin Cronin finished in first place with a distance of 1205.9m and took the Sliabh Ban Trophy. In second place were Kilcorney (Martin McSweeney, Evan Murphy and Kevin Healy) with 1168.3m. In third place were Grenagh (Aaron McDonnell, Darragh O’Donovan and Joe Walsh) with 1143.6m ahead of fourth-place Berrings (Jim Martin, Mark O’Flynn and Kieran Buckley) with 1138.6m.