WITH the first All-Ireland series finished, Ból Chumann is now concentrating on the second series of counties – it includes boys and girls’ U16, veteran, junior B, intermediate ladies and senior men.

The senior men’s semi-final between Aidan Murphy and James O’Donovan took place at the Marsh Road for a stake of €21,100 a-side. Murphy raised huge odds with his second shot, O’Donovan got a great third before Murphy pulled his right and dropped a lot of odds.

Two more each to the last council yard gate with Murphy 35 metres in front. O’Donovan was opting for the middle of the road with his sixth but his decision was swayed to the left track – he played his bowl on a ridge and it broke badly right and missed sight for the silvery gate.

Murphy also went down the left track but worked his right-hand pull and went out full sight. Murphy went out the steps in three more where it was just under the bowl of odds. O’Donovan was given an opportunity when Murphy got a poor bowl from the steps but he only beat the tip by ten metres.

Two more each past Thornhill Cross and out sight for Ballyhilty where it was still under the bowl of odds. Murphy’s 13th shot was very left with no great right-hand pull, so O’Donovan was given another opportunity – this one he took with a perfect bowl up the middle, 30 metres past the avenue.

Murphy replied with a tight right shot that beat this tip by 60 metres, a superb bowl. After two more past the junior finish, only eight metres separated them. After their next around the bridge, the odds were down to three metres. O’Donovan got a big rub with his 18th that Murphy missed by 12 metres to give him his first lead. Murphy got an average 19th and O’Donovan had the opportunity to raise odds for the last shots but he missed the tip by ten metres.

O'Donovan’s last was left, Murphy’s was right but got a rub and beat O’Donovan’s mark by ten metres to book his place in the senior final against Arthur McDonagh on Sunday at Baile Bhurine.

James O'Driscoll, Ból Chumann Treasurer, presents the Moxley Cup to Junior B county winner Ger Connolly. (Photo: Gretta Cormican)

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Ger Connolly, from Shannonvale, is junior B county champion after his bowl-of-odds win over Colm Crowley from Bauravilla. They played for a stake of €6,500 a-side.

Drinagh was the host club of this final and they did an excellent job, road well-manicured, plenty of parking and lots of officials.

After three each to the novice start line, Crowley led by 12 metres. Next, an incredible fourth from Connolly past the Waterfall. Crowley played well but it picked badly left and missed the tip by 100 metres. Connolly made the back of the Blacksticks in two more and Crowley got a big rub off the right dyke that took him sight for Shandrum cross. Connolly made sight at Shandrum Cross in two more where he was throwing his odds over 30 metres. Eight and nine shots to this juncture.

Connolly’s shot off the cross was very right and got a small tail – this opened the door for Crowley to make sight at the rectory gate but he was very right and no rub.  Also, Connolly missed full sight at the rectory with his tenth and Crowley's bowl was perfect and very unlucky to get caught in a pillar. Connolly lined a gem of an 11th past the church full sight that Crowley just beat to keep it under the bowl.

Connolly gave Crowley another chance to get back into this score when his 12th bowl veered off left to the end of the railings. But Crowley’s bowl went right and beat the tip by nothing. The winner finished with two perfect shots past the barking dogs and on for Hurley’s avenue where he raised the bowl and booked his place in the All-Ireland final on the August bank holiday weekend.

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In Macroom, at a novice-veteran county semi-final, Liam Linehan (Berrings) had a last-shot win over Michael Carroll (Kilmichael). They played for a stake of €1,450 a-side. Linehan will play Jimmy Collins in the final at Inch, after the latter, from Union Hall beat Michael Carroll (Kilmichael) at Newcestown.

Jack Allen booked his place in the U16 county final when he beat Dean O’Leary at Templemichael.

Anna Power made the long journey from Fenor in Waterford to play Bella Barry Twohig in the U16 preliminary round at Carrignavar and had a two bowls of odds victory. Anna played again on Saturday against U18 All-Ireland champion Meabh Cuinnea at Terelton, which Meabh won.

The Sexton sisters, Ellen and Laura, contested the ladies intermediate semi-final at Shannonvale with Ellen coming out victorious by the last shot. Ailbhie O'Shea won the second intermediate semi-final at Drinagh when she beat Emma Fitzpatrick convincingly.

Abbie McDonnell North East beat Lilly Scannell Gaeltacht in the girls’ U16 quarter-final at Bweeng. At Grange, Anna Deane (Mid) beat Nicola Hurley (West) in the girls’ U16 quarter-final and Cait Young (West) beat Elsie O’Flynn (Mid) in the girls U12 quarter-final.

Alisha Relihan (East Cork) beat Kayleigh O’Driscoll (City) in the girls’ U14 preliminary round at Carrignavar. Also at Carrignavar, Abbie Walsh (City) beat Aine O’Farrell (East) in the girls’ U12 preliminary round. Anthony Lynch won the Gaelteacht Junior C from Jimmy O’Brien at Clondrohid, playing for €1,000 a-side.

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The junior veteran final between Eoin O’Riordan (Gaeltacht), Trevor O’Meara (City) and John Cahalane (Carbery) was played out in Ballinacurra. It was played for a stake of €2,300 a-side.

Cahalane never got going in this final, so much so that at Foley’s it turned into a two-horse race between O’Riordan and O’Meara. By the end, it was O’Riordan who came out on top.

Also, Mark O’Flynn won the North Cork novice C final from Michael Horgan at Firmount, playing for a stake of €1,720 a-side.

Stephen O’Connell and Shane Nugent, both Shannonvale Club members, played out their Novice A final for a stake of €1,450 a-side at Shannonvale. It was O’Connell who won, as Nugent's last bowl was too far right and missed the tip by seven metres.

The South West Novice D final, played at Ballygurteen, was between local man Eoin Connolly and Ritchie Lawton from Timoleague. They played for a stake of €2,460 a-side. Lawton made a blistering start going half way to Dullea’s new house in three huge bowls where he had almost two bowls of odds, but Connolly thundered back to win.

Conor O’Donovan from Belgooly won the Mid Cork novice B final from Kevin Coughlan Gloun at Dunderrow, playing for a stake of €3,240 a-side.