THE Marsh Road in Skibbereen attracted the crowds this past weekend for their annual Dowcha Boy Festival fundraiser that this year will go to the Andrew Brennan Fund.

Eight scores were down for decision, the first of these a senior contest between Michael Bohane and Martin Coppinger, playing for a stake of €8,050 a-side. There was nothing between them after two shots each to the distillery entrance, Bohane marginally ahead.

After two more to the end of the council yard, Bohane extended his lead to 50 metres. Coppinger’s sixth only reached the quarry gate, but from here he unleashed a huge bowl towards the silvery gate and reduced Bohane’s odds down to 15 metres. This was as good as it got for Coppinger. Bohane made the steps in nine shots and Coppinger 11, to slip almost two bowls behind. Two more big bowls from Bohane to Thornhill Cross raised the second bowl for him. There was no lead for Coppinger in this one.

On the return route, local Skibb man David Shannon played another Bantry man, Donal Riordan, for a stake of €8,550 a-side. This was another trap-to-line score, with Shannon opening the first bend with his first shot and Riordan beating this tip by 52 metres in two.

Soon, Shannon’s lead was almost a bowl of odds, though Riordan stayed in touch. A mistake from Shannon with his 11th shot gave Riordan an opportunity, but he did not take advantage – his next throw was very left. Shannon lined two massive last bowls to win by almost two bowls of odds.

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In a doubles score, Darragh Dempsey and James O’Sullivan teamed up to beat Liam Murphy and Willie O’Donnell by a bowl of odds for €3,100 a-side. While  Dempsey and O’Sullivan lead early on, Murphy and O’Donnell rallied to take the lead, and stretched the advantage to 45 metres at one stage. But the leaders got three poor bowls in succession to hand the lead back to Dempsey and O’Sullivan. Dempsey lined a huge last shot that beat the line and they won by a bowl of odds.

In the last score of the day, Naad man Edmund Sexton had a victory over Colm Crowley from Bauravilla, playing for a stake of €2,050 with the Carbery man favourite.

At the presentation of the cheque of €7,715 to Andrew Brennan were, from left, Christy O'Donovan, Noel Shanahan, William O'Brien (Marsh Road Bowling Club Secretary), Andrew Brennan, Denis Murphy and Dan Caverly. (Photo: Denis Murphy)

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Onto Sunday at the Marsh Road. First up was a battle of the premier junior As, Brian O’Driscoll playing Shane Crowley for a stake of €12,100 a-side, with Crowley taking the favourites tag.

After three each to the end of the footpath, Crowley had 30 metres of odds. Huge fourth and fifth shots from O’Driscoll followed to the quarry gate, but Crowley was covering and beating all tips; he held a nice advantage of 40 metres.

O’Driscoll followed up with a hugely important shot that went sight for the silvery gates for him, a huge bowl that Crowley missed by 30 metres to give O’Driscoll his first lead. After two more shots, Crowley got an unbelievable rub off the right brow and O’Driscoll’s odds now were back to half a foot.

The next shots were decisive. Crowley missed sight at the steps and O’Driscoll went sight with his ninth shot. O’Driscoll reached the back of Thornhill cross in two more, and still only threw his odds. O’Driscoll went looking for the finish and Crowley only just beat this tip. O’Driscoll missed the line, Crowley just beat it and O’Driscoll didn’t need to throw anymore.

In the return score Andrew O’Callaghan was a trap-to-line winner over Jimmy O’Driscoll, playing for a stake of €10,100 a-side. O’Callaghan, off first, was very left and this gave O’Driscoll a huge opportunity to raise a bowl of odds in the first shot – but he was way right and missed the tip. O’Callaghan went out the steps in five and was throwing his odds over 15 metres. After three more to the silvery gates O’Driscoll had the odds back to 50 metres with a huge eighth shot, but that was as close as he got. O’Callaghan threw an incredible tenth shot past the quarry gates to surge a bowl up. O’Driscoll knocked the bowl past the bus entrance but O’Callaghan raised it again instantly. There was no way back for O’Driscoll.

In the last and final score of this very successful weekend, Gary Daly came out on top against James O’Donovan and Aidan Murphy. O’Donovan’s first was of the shortest order across left, Daly got a huge bowl to the first distillery entrance, Murphy caught a manhole cover but got a good bowl 25 metres behind Daly. O’Donovan missed Daly’s tip with his second to fall a bowl of odds down early in the score.

Murphy got a big third shot to the bus entrance that O’Donovan missed to fall a bowl down on Murphy also, and take the lead on Daly as his bowl hopped the kerb. O’Donovan got an absolute miler of a fifth shot, which must have been 300 metres long, to knock huge odds.

The next exchange was vital for all. Murphy went for the silvery gates. Daly followed it but missed the tip by seven meters but had sight. O’Donovan just beat both tips to keep it under the bowl.

Daly got a big rub off the left brow with his seventh shot to take the lead back from Murphy by 50 metres. O’Donovan played another super bowl and beat Daly’s tip by 50 metres. Daly went sight at the steps in two more great bowls, O’Donovan fell short by 30 metres and Murphy went a bowl down. All missed Thornhill cross.

Murphy went for Ballyhilty cross with his 13th, Daly missed this tip as he was very right but was still throwing his odds over Murphy. O’Donovan got a beauty that cut the corner half way to Ballyhilty cross that won him back the lead as Daly went into the field and missed tip by 20 metres. Murphy made Ballyhilty cross with his next, Daly made the middle of the railings and a bad blunder from O’Donovan missed Daly’s tip to give him back the lead again. All were still in the score at this stage.

Murphy’s next only made the avenue gate, O’Donovan’s bowl was always going left and Daly was  lucky to get a huge rub out of the right dyke to beat O’Donovan’s tip by 40 metres. Murphy fell out at this stage as he was a bowl down.

O’Donovan’s second last went up right as did Daly’s, and there was only ten metres between them for the last shots. O’Donovan opted for the left track but played it out too far – it turned in left and missed the finish line, Daly lined his up the middle and beat it easily.