AIDAN Murphy’s hopes of a fourth Munster senior men’s title were dashed by Arthur McDonagh.

The big score of last weekend didn’t live up to expectation as McDonagh, aiming for his third Munster title, was in control from the start.

It was a trap-to-line win at Baile Bhuirne that sends him into Sunday’s All-Ireland senior men’s bowling final against Colm Rafferty at Keady-Tassagh in Armagh.

Murphy lined a huge first shot that McDonagh beat by 12 metres. Murphy's next two were not of senior standard, and McDonagh lined a phenomenal third that beat Murphy‘s tip by a 100 metres.

After two super bowls from McDonagh to the island, he had a full bowl of odds. Murphy's right-hand pull was playing havoc with him – he was hitting sops but spinning bowls off the road to the right.

Two more to the council yard and Murphy was keeping it to the bowl of odds. Murphy played a smashing ninth shot to the back of the novice finish that looked like knocking the bowl of odds and would have if McDonagh‘s bowl went in where it was played but it turned out right and beat the tip by 40 metres with the bowl of odds.

An uncharacteristic error from McDonagh with his tenth opened the door slightly for Murphy, but the winner was back in the grove soon after, extending his lead to two bowls. There was no catching him.

Meabh Cuinnea has added the U16 county to her previously won U18 county title. (Photo: Gretta Cormican)

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From Baile Bhurine to Clondrohid for a double bill of boys’ and girls’ U16 county finals.

First up, the boys’ U16 decider where Culann Bourke, who was also a finalist in the U18 grade, played Jack Allen from Newcestown.

Allen’s first three bowls were all left, but got incredible rubs, so much so that he had a bowl of odds just short of Tier Beg Cross. He increased this after two more big bowls towards the Black House, while Bourke made a bad blunder with his sixth shot from O’Leary’s pillars in right.

After two more each to the Bell Inn, Allen’s odds were a bowl and 50 metres. Bourke knocked the bowl with a super ninth to the grotto and knocked further odds over Kelly’s hump. Allen was too tight right at Kelly’s hump and only made the cottage. This gave Bourke a huge opportunity to open the bend before Kelleher’s farm in two – he got a super 11th shot to the end of the wall but his 12th veered off right and no sight.

Allen had big odds here with two shots to go. Bourke played his last bowl very well but it came out of the right track and across left. Allen lined his last bowl well to win by big odds and now plays Johnny Campbell in the All-Ireland final this weekend.

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In the return route, the girls’ U16 final was played between the U18 winner Meabh Cuinnea and Anna Deane for Coppeen.

Cuinnea took the first two shots to the end of Kelleher’s Farm. Deane got a huge third shot out and around the Well Bend and straight road, Cuinnea followed this but fell short by six metres.

Cuinnea threw a short fourth and Deane put nice odds on this. At Kelly’s Hump on a very false and rough surface, Deane got an extraordinary bowl – it went all over the road but made the Bell Inn a huge shot. Cuinnea beat this tip by two metres in two shots to fall almost a bowl down.

Two more each back of the Black House where Deane was throwing her odds with her tenth shot. She got another incredible bowl that raised the bowl fully for her as Cuinnea was too tight right.

Cuinnea made Tier Beg cross and Deane put 40 metres on this with the bowl. Three poor bowls in succession from Deane and a huge 13th from Cuinnea knocked the bowl of odds by 50 metres. After another from Deane, the odds were down to only two metres. Another rocket of a shot from Cuinnea towards the line won her back the lead by 3-0metres.

Deane missed the line and Cuinnea added the U16 county to her previously won U18 county – a feat achieved only once before by Hannah Sexton in 2018.

John Cahalane, Carbery Junior C winner, with supporters at Caheragh. (Photo: Dan McCarthy)

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Ailbhie O’Shea from Coachford put in a flawless display at Ballinacarriga when she won the ladies intermediate county final from Ellen Sexton at Ballinacarriga.

Ellen is a seasoned county campaigner, having won U12 in 2018, U14 and U16 in 2020, U18 in 2023 and 2024, and was an intermediate runner-up in 2024 also.

Ailbhie was not fazed by this, having won a junior ladies county title herself in 2023. They played for a stake of €3,200 a-side, and this was a trap-to-line victory for O’Shea.

Sexton got off to the worst possible start, both of her first bowls pulled right well back of Granure cross, where O’Shea was throwing her odds over 30 metres. After two more past McSweeney’s yard, O’Shea raised a bowl of odds and extended this to a bowl and 20 metres at the GAA cross.

Sexton missed out Lynch’s Bend in two more and O’Shea extended her odds to almost two bowls in seven excellent shots.

There was no let-up from O’Shea when she opened the Creamery cross in two more and made the middle of the wall with her tenth shot and booked her place in the All-Ireland final on the August bank holiday Saturday against Lily O'Rourke.

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Jimmy Collins (Union Hall) had a wonderful veteran championship season, but playing Eoin O’Riordan from Macroom, 24 years his junior and two grades higher, in the overall veteran final was a task too much for him at The Clubhouse. They played for a stake of €1,250 a-side.

Collins took the first shot, his one and only fore bowl. Four and five shots each to the chip cross, O’Riordan had a bowl of odds. The latter buried his fifth in right and gave Collins a chance to get back into this score but he was left of play and only beat the tip by 30 metres.

A misplaced seventh from O'Riordan gave Collins another chance but his bowl fell right and only beat the tip by 40 metres. O’Riordan got a huge next through the rough surface at Clonakilty cross and Collins' bowl slashed off right to fall a bowl down again.

Collins got a good tenth shot to the hump and this knocked the bowl of odds again as O’Riordan misplaced his ninth in right but again he recovered with a well-played tenth well past Murray’s pillars that raised the bowl of odds again. He raised further odds with a smashing 11th well past O’Riordan’s Cottage that he held to the end of the railings.

Collins made back of the school cross and again O’Riordan misplaced his bowl and it was only the bare bowl of odds there. Collins got a good bowl past the School, but on this occasion it was not enough and O’Riordan won out in the end by a bowl of odds. He now plays Johnny Kelly in the All-Ireland veteran final on bank holiday Sunday in Armagh.

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The South West region completed their novice B championship at Timoleague between Jason Harrington, Kilbrittain, and Timmie O’Sullivan, Shannonvale, playing for a stake of €1,220 a-side. The honours went to O’Sullivan.

Also, Evan Kelleher beat Patrick Moynahan in the Gaeltacht Novice C final at Ballingeary. John Cahalane won the Carbery Junior C against Denis O’Sullivan at Caheragh, playing for €3,000 a-side.

Brendan Dudley beat Davin Ross in the West Cork novice D final at Togher Cross with no stake in this one. Niall Crowley beat Chris Cronin in the West Cork junior C final at Drimoleague. Conor Cotter beat Conor Kelleher in the Gaeltacht novice D final at Baile Bhuirne, playing for €1,150 a-side.

Conor Desmond won the Mid Cork novice D from Barry Murphy at Dunderrow, playing for €1,550 a-side. PJ O’Driscoll won the South West novice C from Conor Sheehy at Grange, playing for €450 a-side.