DEFENDING champion Hannah Sexton is back in the senior ladies final, as she chases her third title at this level.

Sexton and Veronica O’Mahony contested the first senior semi-final of the weekend at Newcestown. There was no stake in this one.

O’Mahony built an early lead, and at the cross had 20 metres of odds and extended this to 50 at Pedro's entrance. Sexton got a good bowl up past Kingstons but O’Mahony followed and beat it by the same margin.

But Sexton, with another good bowl up past the farms, hit the front for the first time to lead by ten metres. O’Mahony was back in front again at the flower pots, but didn’t take advantage of a poor bowl from Sexton at Canty’s. Nothing separated them with five shots to go.

From here, Sexton showed her class, and was back in front with nice odds at O’Callaghan’s fencing. She followed up with two more great bowls over the line to book her place in her fourth senior county final.

Denise Murphy will join Sexton in the senior ladies final at Ballinagree after she beat Hannah Cronin by one bowl of odds at Newcestown. They played for a stake of €700 a-side.

Cronin took the first three shots to the lollipops. Two more each up through O’Brien’s cross and Murphy took her first lead by a foot. Murphy extended her odds in the next two shots to Kingston’s and held it past the farm where she raised a bowl of odds. Cronin got a couple of good bowls that knocked the odds, but Murphy finished the better to win by almost a bowl of odds.

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Ballinacurra held the regional junior C semi-final between Christopher Murphy and Kevin Ó’Crualáoi. They played for a stake of €400 a-side. Murphy triumphed to set up a clash with Eugene Kiernan in the final.

The South West held the final of the girls’ U18 between junior ladies winner Grace Ahern and Laura Sexton. Ahern raised an early bowl of odds, but Sexton made inroads into the lead and at O’Donovan’s pillars took her first lead.

There was nothing between them at the bottom of the Mason’s hill with Sexton just ahead. Ahern did not make the top of the hill fully while Sexton was up all the way. Ahern was unlucky to catch the left dyke with her next and missed sight for the home straight. Sexton had full sight. After two poor bowls from Ahern, Sexton took full advantage to advance on to the county rounds.

Nicola Hurley is the West Cork girls’ U16 winner when she beat Alison McCarthy at Drinagh. Culann Bourke (Jnr) took the boys’ U16 North Cork title for a third year in a row when he beat Jayden Crowley at Berrings; Culann is also in the boys’ U18.

Emma Hurley, a dual player in both U18 and junior ladies, beat Roisin Allen (Mid) in the junior ladies on Friday and on Sunday beat Anna Deane (Mid) at Grange.    Gerald McDonagh, from that famous clan in Fermoy, took victory over Dylan O’Shea from the Gaeltacht at Bweeng in another of the U18 quarter-finals. Kay Kelly (North Cork) beat Grace Ahern (South West) at Curraheen.

Freddie Scannell won the Gaeltacht novice veteran when he beat Noel Murphy at Baile Bhuirne.

Also, Jack Allen from Newcestown, just short of 15 years of age, put in a great performance at Grange to beat Ethan Hurley of West Cork by the last shot.