ALMOST 150 secondary school students congregated at Shannonvale on November 5th last for the annual schools day event.

Maria Immaculate, Dunmanway, took the senior boys title with 2030 mt from Eoghan Hurley, Adrian Deane and Ethan Hurley, who had 350 mt to spare over Skibbereen Community College's 1680 mt from the team of Tom McCarthy, Stephen O’Neill and Fionn McCarthy.

In the junior boys event, Maria Immaculate were also the victors here with 1529 mt from the team of Rory Hurley, Tadgh Farrell and Jason Deane, who came in ahead of Colaiste Ghobnatan, Baile Bhurine, who recorded 1379 mt thanks to Ben Kelleher, Sean Lehane and Keelan Creedon.

The senior girls event was won by Colaiste Ghobnatan, Baile Bhurine, with 1259 mt. Darcy O’Brien, Orla Murphy and Nicole Buttimer were the team members who accounted for Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, who recorded 1146 mt thanks to the team of Laura Sexton, Emer Whelton and Louise Coleman.

The junior girls title went to Mount Saint Michael, Rosscarbery, with 967 mt from Meave Cuinnea, Casey O’Sullivan and Roisin O’Sullivan. Maria Immaculate, Dunmanway, recorded 922 mt thanks to Shauna O’Driscoll, Caoimhe Hurley and Saoirse Duggan.

The overall Charlo Daly Shield went to the school of Maria Immaculate, Dunmanway.

Elsewhere, a Tim Foley Cup tournament score was played at Templemartin between Noel O’Donovan, Crossbarry, and David Hegarty, Lyre, playing for a total stake of €5,200.

Hegarty had the better start in this score but O’Donovan took his first lead with a big fourth to the new house. Hegarty recaptured the lead with a well-played bowl out Slyne’s corner and extended it past O’Riordan’s and on for Collins' wall, from where he went out the school house cross in two more where he had almost a bowl of odds. They both covered the whole road down to the stonefield corner, an important bowl for O’Donovan to follow.

From here Hegarty’s bowling took a downward spiral trend and O’Donovan upped his game. At the monument in 15 each, Hegarty’s odds were down to five meters. O’Donovan was back in front by three meters at the pub cross. Two more to the finish line was not enough for Hegarty and O’Donovan won by a big last shot.

A Ferghal Beamish Cup semi-final was played at The Pike where Conor Creedon had a trap to line win over David Hubbard. At White’s cross, Creedon had a bowl of odds and he increased this to three bowls at Draper’s. One more shot from here and Hubbard conceded. They played for a total stake of €1,400. Creedon now plays John A. Murphy in the final and it’s in the fixtures for Sunday, November 23rd.

A junior a tournament score was played at Ballinacurra between Donal Riordan, Bantry, and Andrew O’Callaghan, Mallow, playing for €2,000 a side. Four bowls to Brinny cross for Riordan and O’Callaghan was at the church wall. Riordan missed this tip to go a bowl down. Riordan had it under the bowl at Perriot’s but past the Crush O’Callaghan got a great bowl to restore his bowl advantage.

After a poor bowl from O’Callaghan, his odds at the hurling alley were down to 60 metres. O’Callaghan got a super bowl to the bridge and raised the bowl of odds again. He followed up with another super bowl through Innishannon cross that raised a second bowl for him.

A late rally from Riordan had it under the bowl at the start of the straight and had it down to 60 mt with a shot to go, but O’Callaghan finished well to take the honours.

Grenagh also held a junior a score between Edmund Sexton and Timmy Murphy, playing for €2,650 a side. Having won the North East Junior A Championship score at this same venue last week, things did not go as good for Timmy Murphy on this occasion.

Sexton raised a bowl of odds after four shots past the lollipops. Playing very well on this occasion, he raised a further bowl at the farm, and when Murphy missed out Boula bend, matters were ceased, with Sexton victorious.

Meanwhile, at the November Executive meeting, grading was the order of business.

Thirteen seniors will contest the 2026 championship: Michael Bohane, Martin Coppinger, Gary Daly, Patrick Flood, Arthur McDonagh, Aidan Murphy, David Murphy, James O’Donovan, Denis O’Sullivan, Tommy O’Sullivan, Seamus Sexton, Brian Wilmot and Páidín Stokes.

At intermediate, 10 players will be contesting this grade: Paul Buckley, Michael Harrington, Timmy McDonagh, Michael Murphy, Phillip O’Donovan, John O’Rourke, Paddy Stokes, Killian Kingston, Wayne Parkes and Tim Young.

The Junior A will be run off on the same format as 2025, with a Premier Junior A grade that will have Gen-Z players Shane Crowley, Anthony Crowley, Darragh Dempsey, John O’Donoghue, Liam Murphy, Cathal Creedon, Brian O’Driscoll and Cillian Kelleher. There will be two semi-finals and a final for county honours.

Meanwhile, the Parkway Hotel, Dunmanway, was a hive of activity on Saturday night last where all the county winners and runners-up were honoured for their road bowling achievements during the year by Bol Chumann na hEireann.

All players were presented with a framed collage of photos. Special awards went to Arthur McDonagh for Male Player of the Year, Hannah Cronin for Female Player of the Year and Shane Crowley for Young Player of the Year. The Personality of the Year award went to P.J. O’Mahony for his sterling work in organising the All-Irelands at Castletown for the past two years and in his procurement of An Taoiseach Micháel Martin to open the 2025 All-Irelands.

The Hall of Fame award went to Lyre man Ted Hegarty.

His citation reads as follows: 'Our Hall of Fame recipient tonight joins a pantheon of great bowlers and great bowling people into the Hall of Fame. His place in the pantheon has been earned primarily for his ground-breaking work in establishing an academy of young bowlers, which he has run every year since it was founded in 2009 on the Letter Road, north of Clonakilty, where it was played for three years. It then moved to its current home on the Phale Road, Ballineen.

'To date, well over 2000 boys and girls have been part of that nursery that has borne phenomenal fruit in terms of turning out stars of the future, but whether or not they achieve greatness in sport, every one of them will have been given the gift of a great sport that they can continue to play for the rest of their lives.

‘This man wasn’t given any special commission. He didn’t receive any government grants. He just had a desire to do something constructive. To promote a game that is part of his DNA. To pass the torch to another generation. He informally spread the word in 2009 that he was going to run an event for children. He got a promising response that quickly took hold on the strength of a job being well done to fuel the enthusiasm of youth.

'Many good ideas never get acted upon. Many people wait to be invited to do things. This man not only turned his good ideas into something real, but has kept that fire burning for the past 17 consecutive years. The sport of bowling will benefit from that selfless investment and volunteer spirit for decades ahead.

‘So tonight, Ted Hegarty, we are honoured that you are our Hall of Fame recipient for 2025.'