JAMES O’Donovan is through to the semi-final of the men’s senior championship after surviving an epic battle with Tommy O’Sullivan at Shannonvale.

Playing for no stake, O’Sullivan made a blistering start and was out to the quarry bend in four huge bowls where he had a full bowl of odds. Reaching Buttimer’s in two more, he led by a bowl and 30 metres. O’Donovan missed Desmond’s but put himself up far enough for a loft.

O’Sullivan went for the kill up the left track in the hopes of rising two bowls, but instead it got caught left and was a long way behind O’Donovan’s tip. The latter lofted his seventh and now O’Sullivan was only throwing his odds over 50 metres.

Bandon man O’Donovan got a great eighth up onto the flat on the road, and followed up with another super bowl to the end of Kingston’s wall that gave him his first lead of the score. O’Sullivan, in contrast, was too tight right and caught the high grass.

After two more each to the back of Tobin’s, O’Donovan had ten metres of odds. O’Sullivan missed sight for Campbell’s and O’Donovan missed the tip. O’Donovan recovered the lead with a great bowl to Campbell’s lane but O’Sullivan was back in front again after the next shots towards the home straight.

O’Donovan had two attempts at his next and gained ten metres, while O’Sullivan missed the tip by 15 metres. But we weren’t quite done yet. O’Sullivan had a super 16th that fell 40 metres short of the finish line and O’Donovan missed this tip by 30 metres. O’Donovan did the impossible and opened the last bend past the layby and O’Sullivan missed this by 100 metres.

O’Donovan awaits the winner from the Aidan Murphy v Brian Wilmot score in the semi-final.

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Another stake-less affair was played at Templemichael where Gary Daly beat Martin Coppinger in a first-round score.

Daly was in control after three shots, but a super loft from Coppinger kept the deficit to under the bowl. It was up and tuck, as both were out to the cross in nine each where Daly led by 40 metres. Coppinger’s tenth was an excellent shot but Daly followed and beat it by ten metres.

At the forest in 11 each, Coppinger had eight metres of odds. Daly had an average 12th that Coppinger put nothing on. At the lollipops in 14 each, Daly led by ten metres and extended that to 80 after the next shots. Coppinger kept himself in it after a big 16th effort that Daly only beat by three metres. Next, a big loft from Coppinger that Daly beat by ten metres. A poor throw then from Coppinger saw Daly push well ahead. Coppinger lined a big last shot but Daly responded and beat the tip by three metres.

Also, Arthur McDonagh had a close call at Carrignavar in the senior championship when he won by the last shot against Patrick Flood.

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In an intermediate semi-final at Firmount where Paddy Stokes, the favourite, got the better of Michael Murphy.

Also, Brian O’Driscoll’s unbeaten run in the championship, stretching to 2023, came to an end at Kilcorney where he was beaten by Gaeltacht man Cathal Creedon by one bowl. They played for no stake. Creedon then played Darragh Dempsey in the premier junior A final at Ballygurteen.

In the premier junior A final at Ballygurteen, Dempsey carried the favourites tag. There was no stake. Creedon had the early advantage, but Dempsey lined a huge seventh to the back of O’Mahony’s avenue that Creedon beat by 25 metres in two.

Dempsey took his second lead with his eighth shot as Creedon was very left and could not pull it back. He was very left again with his next and Dempsey was now in control. But Dempsey dropped huge odds with his ninth and tenth shots when they were both very right. At the layby only three metres separated them. After two more, Dempsey’s lead was only ten metres.

Creedon got another great bowl back of Burke’s entrance but his next was left and only made Burke’s wicket gate. Dempsey punished this shot when he made Granure cross, Creedon missed the line and Dempsey had nothing to beat.

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Also, Edmund Sexton progressed to the semi-final of the Paddy Murray Mem Cup at the expense of Noel O’Regan at Ballygurteen; they played for €4,500 a-side.

Tom McCarthy, from Skibbereen, bowed out of the U18 county championship when he was beaten by Willie Stokes of the city region at Terelton, playing for a stake of €1,500 a-side. Stokes will meet the  winner of Culann Bourke v Rory Twohig in the semi-final.

Eileen McCarthy, mother of Tom, also lost her junior ladies preliminary road to Aisling O’Callaghan, representing the East/Waterford region, when they played at Castletown.