ARTHUR McDonagh has become the first holder of the Johnny Creedon Memorial Cup.

The competition in memory of the late Johnny Creedon, who passed away in January 2025, was played for at Clondrohid, the village where he was born and reared.

In the two semi-finals on Saturday, Patrick Flood beat Martin Coppinger by the last shot for €500 a side, while Arthur McDonagh beat James O’Donovan by three bowls for a stake of €3,800 a-side.

In the final on Sunday, a stake-less affair, McDonagh lived up to his tag as favourite, though Flood launched one of the longest shots seen on the road for a while with his opening bowl up to the bark mulch entrance. But McDonagh soon took control, and by the end had two bowls at the junior line to became the first holder of the Johnny Creedon Memorial Cup.

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There were two exciting support scores held at Clondrohid, the first a mixed doubles between All-Ireland winners Ailbhie O’Shea and Eoin O’Riordan playing Mark Bourke and Lisa Hegarty, playing for a stake of €1,700 a side. Here, Bourke and Hegarty came out on top.

Another cracking score was held between local man Cathal Creedon and Daivd Hegarty, playing for a stake of €3,700 a side. This went right down to the end where Creedon missed the finish line by half a metre, while Hegarty’s last was an unbelievable shot that held the middle of the road until it ran out of steam.

Creedon’s last went right, mounted the bank, came off and dribbled over the tip by two feet.

Two supporting scores on Sunday saw Johnny O’Driscoll beat Conor Creedon by one bowl for €2,000 a side, and Sean Paul McDonagh beat Cillian Kelleher for €2,050 a side.

Seamus Ó Tuama presents the Mick Barry Cup to winner Aidan Murphy. (Photo: Gretta Cormican)

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Ballincurrig Bowling Club held a double-header, the Queen of the Road Qualifiers final that was won by Hannah Cronin from Denise Murphy, with Juliette Murphy back in third position. There was a stake of €900 between Cronin and Murphy.

The Mick Barry Cup was won by Aidan Murphy, from Thomas Mackle, with Eugene McVeigh back in third position. This carried a three-way stake of €1,500 and a stake of €3,200 between Mackle and Murphy.

In the Queen qualifier final, Denise Murphy started in a blaze. She was at the top of the short straight, but not full sight, in four huge bowls where she had a bowl of odds on Cronin and throwing her odds with a bowl on Juliette Murphy.

Juliette made the big corner in two more, Denise’s sixth shot got caught left and Hannah played a perfect bowl down full sight. Denise made the crab tree and her odds on Hannah was back to 35 metres. From here, they were both throwing their odds over Juliette.

Both Hannah and Denise got huge bowls to the top of the long straight and Juliette got caught at Leahy’s a big bowl of odds down. Hannah got two massive bowls down the long straight that raised two bowls on Juliette and big odds on Denise.

Next, Denise shaved the left dyke and went to the middle of the acre, and Hannah gave away the lead when she was too tight left and it broke behind the bowl of Denise by 30 metres and now getting caught back of all the winds on the road. Juliet got a good 14th to Heaphy’s, Hannah was right and Denise extended her lead when she made Hegarty’s.

A super effort from Hannah to make the pony gate fell right, Juliette got caught left and Denise was always right, but survived with the left pull back of the pony gate. Juliette conceded here.

Hannah made the Creamery in two more excellent shots, but Denise made a slip with her 15th down right and now only ten metres separated them with three shots to go. Denise had nice odds at Geary’s after their next, but Hannah delivered a huge 17th shot down towards the line that Denise missed by five metres.

Denise’s last shot got too much dyke on the left that killed it and Hannah beat this well to book her place in Friday’s Queen semi-final playing Kelly Mallon (Ulster) and Anke Klopper (Germany).

Back out from Smarts Bar, the Mick Barry Cup, 40 metres separated Murphy, Mackle and McVeigh after two each to Moor’s Gate with Mackle ahead. Murphy got two sensational shots to the end of the Creamery where he raised huge odds on both Mackle and McVeigh.

Mackle missed the no-play line with his fifth, McVeigh agonisingly missed the no-play line by half a foot, and Murphy had a huge advantage now – he beat the no-play line but missed the second line well.

Murphy had a bowl on Mackle and threw his odds on McVeigh. Up the long straight in three more each, they were all in contention, Murphy leading the pack with McVeigh in second and Mackle trailing.

Two more each to the bottom of the short straight and the order stayed the same.

Mackle got an incredible 12th shot up the short straight full sight. McVeigh was too tight right and made no sight and Murphy beat Mackles tip by five metres.

What an astonishing 13th shot from McVeigh – tight on the right it cut up and made Din Tough’s. Mackle missed this tip, even though he played his bowl well and Murphy brought his too far and it went up right, and he was now back in third position.

All three went out the last bend in two more with McVeigh fore bowl for the last shots and only ten metres between them all. Mackle’s last kept going right, never crossed the white line and into the green. Murphy beat this by 20 metres through the green and McVeigh was way right and missed both tips.

With two to qualify from this final, Aidan Murphy will now play Colm Rafferty (Ulster) and William Hobbelink (The Netherlands), while Thomas Mackle will play Fabian Schiffmann (Germany) and reigning King Arthur McDonagh, both in Saturday’s semi-finals.

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The Mid Cork region held a Dan Joe Holland Junior A championship score at Ballinacurra between Denis Wilmot and Kieran Murphy, playing for a total stake of €4,000. Honous went to Murphy who raised a second bowl with a huge shot to the avenue and progressed on to the next round.

A lot of vintage scores were played over the past week. At Ballinacurra, Tom O’Donovan beat Batty Foley. At Ballincurrig, John Donnellan beat Gene Hourihane and Michael O’Leary beat Noel Hoare. At Carrignavar, Michael O’Leary beat Tom Allen and Noel Hegarty. At Terelton, Denis Murphy beat John O’Callaghan and at Macroom Mick Murphy beat Dan O’Regan.