BANTRY bowler Martin Coppinger took the top prize on offer in the Eamonn Bowen Memorial Weekend, held for the fourth year in the north-east venue of Bottlehill.

Coppinger claimed his second title, getting the better of Aidan Murphy and Gary Daly, playing for a total stake of €31,500.

The West Cork man got the better start in this final, leading his opponents by 100 metres after three shots. Coppinger dropped a lot of odds with a poor fourth but gained ground again heading for the bridge where he had two bowls on Daly and was throwing his odds over Murphy.

Two top-class shots from Murphy to the Well won him his first lead over Coppinger, and they both had big odds with the bowl on Daly.

Murphy raised big odds at the first double bends on Coppinger, and Daly was still trailing by a bowl. Coppinger had the odds back to 30 metres at the railings and won back the lead that he wouldn’t relinquish when he finished with three great bowls to win by the last shot over Murphy and a bowl on Daly.

Three semi-finals were played on Saturday, with the final taking place on Sunday. The first semi-final was a three hander between Gary Daly playing Eugene McVeigh and Brian Wilmot. It was three x €1,020 a-side and €800 between Daly/McVeigh. Wilmot started well, going to the palms in two shots. Daly got a good third that gave him his first lead as Wilmot got caught on the right. McVeigh enjoyed a good fourth but just fell short of full sight at Dan’s bend.

Daly went full sight at Dan’s bend, and Wilmot missed this to go a bowl down. McVeigh was keeping it under the bowl on Daly with a great bowl past Dan’s farmhouse and Wilmot was almost a bowl down here. Both Wilmot and McVeigh got a great eight to the Bridge and an uncharacteristic error in right by Daly gave McVeigh his first lead in the score by one metre. Daly upped his game from here, and after two more to the Well he had almost a bowl on both his opponents. After two more to the Dogs bend he raised the bowl fully on both. After two more past the railing, Daly had two bowls on Wilmot and a bowl on McVeigh.

Back in the road, we had a semi-final between Aidan Murphy and title holder of the Eamonn Bowen Cup, Arthur McDonagh, playing for a total stake of €10,000.  Two poor opening shots from both players both fell right. After two more from Murphy to the railings he had almost a bowl of odds on McDonagh. Murphy fifth was dreadfully unlucky, got a pick in left, McDonagh got an enormous sixth bowl that fell around right with the road, Murphy missed this to give the lead back to McDonagh by ten meters. At the Well, McDonagh extended his odds to 50 metres, Murphy got a beautiful shot to the Bridge that reduced the odds to three metres. Murphy was back in front after the next exchange and would not be led again. Murphy raised the bowl with his tenth to Dan’s farm. Out around Dan’s bend in two more, Murphy held a bowl and ten metres of odds. McDonagh’s 13th broke badly left and he now fell two bowls down.

The third and last semi-final between Martin Coppinger and Thomas Mackle – playing in his first real competitive score since his Achilles injury 12 months ago  – carried a stake of €2,050 a-side. This was a trap-to-line victory for Coppinger playing with accuracy, fluency and speed.

After a huge second to the start of the palms he had almost a bowl of odds. Coppinger raised the bowl fully with another incredible shot to just short of sight at Dan’s bend. Mackle did well to keep it under the two bowls at this juncture.

After two more past Dan’s farm it was still a bowl in Coppinger’s favour. After two more to the Bridge ,Mackle had it back to an even bowl as Coppinger was very left with his eighth shot. Mackle knocked the bowl briefly with his tenth shot, but at the Well Coppinger restored it again and held it out and around the Dog’s bend. At the second set of double bends Coppinger doubled his odds to almost two bowls.

In supporting scores at Bottlehill, in aid of the Irish Cancer Society, Eoin McCarthy beat Jimmy O’Brien by one bowl for €4,000 a-side; Micháel Desmond and Ciara Buckley beat Edmund Sexton and  Veronica O’Mahony, by the last shot, for €4,000 a-side; and Timmy McDonagh beat Pete Carr, by the last shot, for €7,000 a-side.

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As Lyre finished off a junior A tournament, local club man David Hegarty came up short against Cillian Kelleher from Kilnamartyra, for a stake of €2,150 a-side. A sluggish start from Hegarty left him well back of the forest entrance in two bowls trailing by 100 metres. Hegarty did briefly take the lead, but Kelleher’s perfect ninth shot put him back in front. Hegarty kept it under the bowl at McCarthy’s bend and got a great 12th to the Rose bed. Kelleher past the big tree. Hegarty lined an absolute train of a next bowl that could well have taken the lead but Kelleher beat it by 30 metres for the last shots. Hegarty’s last was left and missed the finish line, and Kelleher beat this easily.

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The inaugural running of the Charlie O’Donovan Memorial Cup was played at Kilcrohane in honour of a man who was a founding member and a dedicated club man. This final was played between James McNulty (Union Hall), Denis Murphy, (Skibbereen) and Mark Shannon (Brahalish) – they played for a total stake of €2,400. The first half of the score was very competitive with each player leading at different times. A few wayward shots from both Murphy and Shannon near Farnamanagh cross gave McNulty the opportunity to raise big odds on both and he powered on to win by two bowls of odds on both.