LYRE hosted two finals recently, a pre-Covid Junior B decider and a Novice D contest.
The junior B was contested between Johnny O’Driscoll, Clonakilty, and Micheál O’Sullivan, Rosscarbery, playing for a stake of €620 a-side. After three each past the forest entrance, O’Driscoll had 30 metres of odds. O’Sullivan’s form dipped from here, so much so that O’Driscoll had two bowls of odds at the tunnel. O’Driscoll held the odds to Crowley’s bend, but O’Sullivan unleashed a huge bowl to sight at McCarthy’s bend. O’Driscoll followed this but the two bowls were down. O'Driscoll made another big bowl to the big tree that O’Sullivan missed and conceded.
In the novice D final, Damien Daly from Caheragh defeated Shane Healy of Newcestown for €1,350 a-side. The pair were level through four each to the Mason’s steps before a blunder from Healy on his fifth allowed Daly to go full sight at the bottom of the hill. Healy fought back with two bowls under the road to O’Donovan’s pillars, but Daly produced two big bowls to the School, nearly two bowls ahead. At the nook, they were even, but Daly ultimately delivered a superb tenth bowl at the back of Ballinascarthy cross to claim victory.
The first score of the new Mother Hegarty senior tournament at Lyre featured Brian Wilmot against Wayne Parkes, playing for €1,250 a-side. Wilmot opened with a big first shot, only narrowly beaten by Parkes’ massive third. Over the tunnel, Wilmot regained the lead, but Parkes’s sixth shot put him 15 metres ahead at Crowley entrance. Wilmot responded with a huge bowl up sight at Crowley’s bend as Parkes missed, gaining a 50-metre advantage at McCarthy’s bend. Wilmot held this lead and secured a huge 11th shot that raised the bowl, advancing to the next round.
As Ballincurrig prepares for a huge weekend celebrating their 40th anniversary of the King of the Roads, two scores were played over the newly resurfaced road. Anthony Crowley of the City faced Cillian Kelleher of Kilnamartyra for €1,500 a-side. The re-surfaced road made conditions tricky, with well-placed bowls often being slashed off. Crowley led from start to finish, holding a bowl of odds from the long straight to the serpent, and eventually winning by a bowl as Kelleher struggled to make inroads.
The Mid-North-Gaeltacht Vintage B final at Beal na mBláth featured Tom O’Donovan against Batty Foley, with no stake involved. Foley led early, but O’Donovan pulled ahead by 40 metres at the Bulls Gate, maintaining his advantage through Dan Joe’s lane and Bradfield’s Cross. He extended to almost a bowl at Murphy’s Palms, holding this to the finish.
The West Cork region also progressed its junior A tournament, with Noel O’Regan beating Donal Riordan by the last shot at the Clubhouse (€2,200 a-side) and Liam Hurley defeating Denis O’Driscoll in Bantry (€800 a-side). Meanwhile, the Junior Ladies championship was completed, with Niamh O’Connell narrowly beating her sister Emer at the Clubhouse.
