SHANNONVALE Bowling Club and Margaret Daly held their annual fundraising weekend in aid of the Bowel Cancer Research Unit at Cork University Hospital.
Because all benefit weekends were curtailed by Ból Chumann from May 1st to September to ensure championships were completed on schedule, this was the first fundraiser since Easter.
The Shannonvale event has been an annual fixture since 2015 (with the exception of Covid years), and Margaret Daly herself, who availed of the CUH unit’s services in 2014, has worked tirelessly to give back. Over the past decade, she has raised more than €61,000 for the cause.
The weekend saw top-class scores played out, beginning on Thursday. Wayne Parkes finished strongly from Desmond’s Cross, where he was a bowl down, to beat Michael Bohane by the last shot in a contest that carried a stake of €2,800 a-side. John Cahalane and Jim Coffey produced a fine tussle to Sam’s Lane. Cahalane was ‘called’ here, but he upped his game, opened the bend at Campbell’s, and went on to win by a bowl.
Another high-profile clash saw Tim Young and Paul Buckley play for €8,400 a-side. It was level at two each to the Rock, where Buckley held a one-metre advantage. After three more shots to the Quarry Bend, Young moved 40 metres in front, then increased this to a bowl at Desmond’s Cross after eight and nine throws. Buckley reduced the odds to under a bowl at Sam’s Wall, but after missing sight at Campbell’s with his 14th shot, Young capitalised by making full sight and sealed victory.
Gavin Twohig snatched a dramatic last-shot win over Jimmy O’Driscoll in their €1,800 a-side encounter. O’Driscoll had been in complete control, raising a bowl around the Quarry Bend and doubling his odds at Desmond’s Cross. Twohig pulled it back to a bowl at Sam’s Wall and then unleashed a massive effort to the Palms that knocked the bowl of odds. Another huge shot to Campbell’s put him right back in contention. Two poor efforts from O’Driscoll saw the margin reduced to four metres. Both men missed the finish line, but Twohig landed another incredible shot beyond the junior line. O’Driscoll missed, handing Twohig the only lead of the score – and with it, victory.
On the return route, Johnny O’Driscoll (cousin of Jimmy) played Noel O’Regan for €7,500 a-side. This was a trap-to-line victory for O’Regan. The pair were level at five each to Sam’s Wall, where O’Regan held eighty metres of odds. He increased this to almost a bowl at Desmond’s Cross, then raised the bowl fully at the Quarry Bend and maintained that advantage to the finish.
A doubles contest followed, with Donal Riordan and Darragh Dempsey overcoming Johnny and Jimmy O’Driscoll for €11,000 a-side. It was tit-for-tat up to Buttimer’s Pillars. Dempsey’s ninth shot was ‘called,’ but he missed Desmond’s Cross and again with his second attempt. Johnny O’Driscoll’s tenth shot was also “called” after making full sight at Desmond’s, but his second attempt caught the left dyke. Suddenly, the O’Driscolls were a bowl in arrears. Riordan and Dempsey held this lead to Sam’s Wall and weren’t to be denied, winning by a bowl of odds.
The bumper score of the weekend came between Patrick ‘Popeye’ O’Brien and David Hegarty, who played for an enormous €15,250 a-side. O’Brien opened with two of the longest shots ever thrown on this road, leaving Hegarty almost a bowl down. After four more each towards Desmond’s Cross, the odds were down to ten metres, but Hegarty erred when he missed sight, and O’Brien went full sight. At Buttimer’s Pillars, Hegarty seized his first lead as O’Brien faltered with two poor bowls. But that was as good as it got for Hegarty. O’Brien then unleashed a never-before-seen effort onto the straight after the Quarry Bend. Hegarty missed this in two, falling a bowl behind. O’Brien held that advantage to the finish with superb bowling.
Support scores added further entertainment. Gearóid Lucey beat Eoin Hurley (K) for €3,500 a-side, Eoin McCarthy overcame Kieran O’Driscoll for €3,100, Jack O’Driscoll defeated Adrian Cronin for €2,000, Timmie O’Sullivan beat Ryan Buckley for €3,500, Shane Crowley saw off Cillian Kelleher for €3,040, Patrick O’Brien beat Ger Connolly for €4,000, and Jimmy O’Connor got the better of Thomas Maloney for €5,700.
The Unlimited senior men's final; from left, Michael Collins (winner), Christopher Walsh (runner-up) and Tom Conway (Bantry Bowling Club).
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Attention now turns to the third and final series of All-Irelands at Drogheda this weekend. In Clondrohid, the Novice 1 final was played between Padraigh Scanlon (Carrignavar) and Michael A. Cronin (Togher) for a stake of €4,000. Scanlon exploded from the traps, raising an early bowl with a massive third shot. By the Black House, he had doubled his odds. Cronin briefly knocked the margin to one bowl with a fine eighth over the rise towards the Bell Inn, but Scanlon restored his two-bowl cushion up Kelly’s Hill and into Geoff’s Lane. He maintained that advantage to the Lime Kiln and then threw a massive shot past Kelleher’s Farm to win by two bowls.
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The Novice 2 final was held at Béal na Bláth between Billy Healy (Kanturk) and Cathal O’Sullivan (Caheragh), with no stake. Healy won trap to line despite a spirited effort from O’Sullivan, who came within seven metres of leading. They were level after five each to Murphy’s Palms. The turning point came at Bradfield’s Cross, where O’Sullivan played poorly and Healy responded with a huge shot to Lynch’s Lane. O’Sullivan fought back with a fine eighth, but Healy reached the Bull’s Gate in ten massive efforts, raising a bowl of odds as O’Sullivan was caught left. Healy carried this advantage to the line to win by a bowl.
The Unlimited senior ladies final; from left Eileen Hurley (runner-up), Collette O'Leary (winner) and Andrea O'Grady (runner-up).
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Meanwhile, the annual West Cork Unlimited Road Bowling Finals took place in Bantry, featuring athletes from across the region. Training since April, all participants were guided by Ból Chumann na hÉireann, with Horizon Cope emerging as the most successful club, securing four winners: Darren Lawless, Leo Buckley, Eamonn Donnelly, and Maura O’Driscoll.
Full results were as follows:
Senior Men: Michael Collins (Co-Action Bantry) bt Chris Walsh (Co-Action Bantry)
Intermediate A Men: Darren Lawless (Cope Clonakilty) bt Paul Colgan (Co-Action Dunmanway)
Intermediate B Men: Patrick Batterberry (Co-Action Clonakilty) bt Jerry McCarthy (Co-Action Bantry)
Junior Men: Cian O’Mahony (Co-Action Skibbereen) bt Abdullah Waseem (Co-Action Dunmanway)
Novice A Men: Leo Buckley (Cope Clonakilty) bt Paul O’Driscoll (Cope Clonakilty)
Novice B Men: Eamonn Donnelly (Cope Clonakilty) bt Alan Coakley (Co-Action Clonakilty)
Novice C Men: Kieran Molloy (Co-Action Ballydehob) bt Richard Nolan (Cope Clonakilty)
Senior Ladies: Colette O’Leary (Co-Action Castletownbere) bt Andrea O’Grady (Co-Action Skibbereen)
Intermediate Ladies: Kelly Newman (Co-Action Ballydehob) bt Joy Robinson (Independent)
Junior Ladies: Ellie Connolly (Co-Action Clonakilty) bt Laura Robinson (Co-Action Skibbereen)
Novice A Ladies: Claire O’Regan (Co-Action Drimoleague) bt Laura Hourihane (Co-Action Bantry)
Novice B Ladies: Breeda Maloney (Co-Action Bantry) bt Abi Lombard (Co-Action Clonakilty)
Novice C Ladies: Kathy Lehane (Co-Action Bantry) bt Diane Dwyer (Cope Macroom)
Wheelchair Men: John Paul O’Donoghue (Co-Action Bantry) bt Mark Harrington (Co-Action Castletownbere)
Wheelchair Ladies: Maura O’Driscoll (Cope Clonakilty) bt Carol Harrington (Co-Action Clonakilty).
