THERE was no joy for Bandon bowler James O’Donovan who lost his Dan Riordan Cup semi-final against Gary Daly at Bantry.

Paying for a total stake of €17,600, O’Donovan had one of those off-days where nothing ran right for him. At McSweeney’s farm in four shots Daly had almost a bowl of odds. After three more through Casey’s Cross, Daly held a 70-metre advantage. A poor effort from O’Donovan meant he missed Cronin’s bend with his eighth. 

Daly still held the advantage, though O’Donovan did have a chance if he played his ninth but he was too tight left. He made a good effort for the crush but it just fell short by 30 metres. Daly had a comfortable lead here and had a huge opportunity to go out sight at Connolly’s wall, which he duly accepted. 

O’Donovan, pulling left on the day, got a big rub with his 13th to keep it under the bowl by 40 metres at Connolly’s wall. Daly, though, was very lucky with his 13th effort – it looked very right but he was also pulling left on the day and this saved it. He went full sight and beat the line in two more to set up a final against either reigning holder Arthur McDonagh or Aidan Murphy.  

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Waterloo was the venue for the annual William Wolf tournament. In the first semi-final Stephen Spillane beat Jimmy Connors and Donnacha O’Donovan, playing for €1,600 a-side. 

Donovan was a bowl down early in this score and the battle was between Spillane and O’Connor. After eight shots Spillane was throwing his odds over 40 metres on O’Connor, and had almost two bowls on Donnellan. At the no-play line Spillane had a bowl on O’Connor and two bowls on Donnellan and held out to the end. 

In the second semi-final Tony Dunlea beat Michael O’Driscoll and John Donnellan. They played for €600 a-side, with a further €1,000 a-side between O’Driscoll and Dunlea. At the half-way line Donnellan was a bowl down and the score was between O’Driscoll and Dunlea – they battled it out and Donnellan fell further behind, Dunlea finished the stronger and booked his place in Sunday’s final.  

In Sunday’s final youth got the better of Tony Dunlea. Spillane was a trap-to-line winner, and was a bowl up after two shots. Dunlea got it back to 50 metres at the long wall but Spillane raised the bowl again and powered on to a three bowls of odds win, there was a stake of €1,500 a-side. 

In supporting scores to this tournament Myles Connors and Tom Cronin beat Michael Gould and Padraigh Scanlon for €2,500 a-side. Shane Crowley beat Anthony Crowley, by the last shot, for €3,300 a-side. Michael A Cronin beat Paul Butler, last shot, €1,350 a-side. Ciara Buckley and Declan O’Leary beat Cellie Spillane and Hannah Cronin, by the last shot, for €1,200 a-side, James O’Sullivan beat Mark Bourke, last shot, €1,600 a-side. 

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Ballygurteen held another Paddy Murray Memorial Cup score between David Hegarty, Lyre, and Cathal Creedon, Ballyvourney, playing for a total stake of €7,000. 

Hegarty was on the back foot in this score from the word go, as Creedon opened the first bend in two incredible bowls – he had an early bowl of odds. Hegarty had it well under the bowl at the women’s lane in five and six shots each, but that was as good as it got for him.

Creedon powered on to O’Mahony’s avenue in two more and restored the bowl of odds. He raised a second bowl between here and the Coffee dock, and it was just under the two bowls at O’Donovan’s bend. He held these odds to John Burkes and progressed on to the next round. Cathal Creedon also won the return score against David Hegarty, by the last shot, for €2,250 a-side.

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Margaret Daly and the Shannonvale club presented the proceeds of their recent fundraiser for the Cancer Research Unit of the CUH. Present on the night to accept the cheque for €10,430 were Morgan McCourt, head consultant, along with Joanne McCarthy, Anne Murphy and Elaine O’Mahony. 

Also, the Ladies Committee had a nice turnout for their first session of the season at Castletown where they did Moors and Lofting. The team of Rebecca O’Mahony, Alison Kelleher and Anne Young won the Moors event, and Jean Walsh, Alicia Hurley and Clodagh Wilmot were victorious in the Lofting event.