INNISHANNON bowler Mick Murphy battled hard to win the vintage C final against Michael O’Leary of Fermoy and Skibbereen’s Dee Dee Carroll at Lyre.

There was a stake of €1,000 between O’Leary and Carroll.

There was an early bowl of odds on Carroll when he missed the first bend in three shots. Murphy took his first lead from O’Leary after three shots at the Mason’s bend. They reached the layby in five each for Murphy and O’Leary, while Carroll was already a big bowl of odds down.

Carroll got a good seventh shot to the back of O’Donovan’s pillars, Murphy was too tight and right, while O’Leary made here holding his bowl advantage on Carroll and 45 metres on Murphy.

All three got caught left in the drain at the back of the double gates. After nine shots for Murphy and O’Leary to the School and ten shots for Carroll, O’Leary was back in front of Murphy again by 20 metres and a bowl on Carroll. Two more shots to the end of the creamery, Murphy was just ahead of O’Leary.

O’Leary’s 12th shot went right, leaving an opening for Carroll but he was also right and missed going over the hump. Murphy now had a chance of sealing this score, but he played his bowl right also.

With the line approaching, it was now a score between O’Leary and Murphy. All three missed the finish line in two more but Murphy got a valuable ten-metre rub with his last shot and O’Leary missed this by 15 metres. Carroll saved the bowl of odds.

Winner Mick Murphy thanked Ból Chumann for running off this championship and the Lyre club for hosting. He said at 83 he could not see himself winning any more silverware so this was a good day for him and probably his last. He will contest the overall final against Noel Gould and David Walsh on November 14th at Beál na Marbh. Murphy previously won this championship in 2015 and 2016 when he was the vintage A winner.

Bridie Holland presents the Dan Joe Holland Memorial Cup to winner Noel O'Donovan, along with his children Hughie and Cait.

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As Mid Cork and the Ballinacurra club finished up the Dan Joe Holland Memorial Cup tournament, Noel O’Donovan and Sean Murphy met in the final.

Murphy got off to a bad start in this score, finding himself almost a bowl down after two shots, but he rallied to Brinny Cross where he had the odds back to 15 metres.

Murphy threw a big fifth shot to Foley’s but O’Donovan reached the waterworks. Another great bowl to the Muddy Gap from Murphy, but there was no let-up from O’Donovan as he made Perrot’s Pillars, now 70 metres ahead. When Murphy misplaced his next, he fell a bowl of odds down.

Next, Murphy knocked the bowl of odds at the hurling alley, but it was only brief as O’Donovan got a huge bowl at the bridge that restored his bowl of odds advantage. Both got huge bowls past the Silvery Gates. At the junior C line in 11 and 12 shots, O’Donovan held his bowl advantage.

At the avenue Murphy had the gap down to under the bowl of odds again, and he followed up with a huge bowl for the finish line that O’Donovan only beat by 20 metres for the last shots. Murphy made a great effort for the line but it just fell short. O’Donovan beat the line to accept the Dan Joe Holland Memorial Cup from Dan Joe’s wife Bridie.

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Macroom held the semi-final of the Gaeltacht junior A tournament where Cillian Kelleher beat Liam Murphy and Conor Creedon by the last shot. They played for a stake of 3 x €1,350 a-side.

Kelleher took the first two shots of this score out of sight for the bridge. But Murphy, tight left with his third shot, took his first lead from Kelleher by five metres, with Creedon a further ten metres behind.

After four shots, Creedon slipped into second position ahead of Kelleher with Murphy five metres ahead. At Mulcahy’s entrance in two more each, Kelleher was back in front again, just ahead of both his opponents, with Creedon yet to lead in this score.

After two more, Murphy overtook Kelleher again, by one metre, with Creedon losing ground and trailing by 25 metres. Kelleher was back in front again after two more past Poundy’s Lane, but only 20 metres separated all three.

Creedon got a super 12th shot to the end of Denny Paul’s railings, Murphy missed this tip as his bowl fell right, and Kelleher beat the tip by 20 metres. It took Murphy and Creedon two more to make Mickey Tom’s cross, and Kelleher made a huge effort with his 13th but it just fell short of full sight.

Off the cross, Kelleher had nice odds on both his opponents. With the line approaching, Creedon’s shot off the cross went left. Murphy got a super bowl to the start of the plantation and Kelleher beat this tip by only ten metres.

Creedon just beat the line, Murphy was crazy right, hit a pole and crossed left to just beat Creedon’s tip and there was no need for Kelleher to throw. He now awaits the winner of the other semi-final between Michéal Desmond and Cathal Creedon.