THE North Cork club of Beal Na Marbh was the venue for a double header of vintage finals on Saturday last.

In the Vintage A, Jerry Murphy from Templemartin played Chris O’Donovan from Ballineen, competing for a stake of €200 a-side.

There was nothing between them after four each to the cottage. Murphy had nice odds at the top of the hill but O’Donovan got a super seventh shot to the double gates that won back the lead for him. Murphy got a smashing eight shot past the rock that O’Donovan missed well, his next wasn’t great either and Murphy had a chance to put the score beyond O’Donovan’s reach but he dropped his ninth bowl very low and only beat the tip by 10 meters.

O’Donovan made the start of the lawn and Murphy extended his odds again and raised a bowl of odds in two more at the forest entrance bend. O’Donovan had it under the bowl after the double bends, but Murphy restored it to a bowl again when he opened the last bend and held it in two more to the finish.

Vintage A finalists at Beal na Marbh. From left: Chris O'Donovan, Willie Murphy, chair Bol Chumann, and winner Jerry Murphy.

On the return route, the Vintage B final took place between Paul Butler, Cobh, playing John Murphy, Togher, Dunmanway, playing David Walsh, Togher, Cork. There was a stake of €1,420 a-side between Walsh and Butler. Only 30 meters separated them after three each to the forest entrance bend, with Butler holding the fore bowl. At the hedging in two more nothing separated them, with Butler still slightly fore bowl.

Poor bowls from both Murphy and Walsh gave Butler the opportunity to rise big odds and he got a huge sixth shot that raised a bowl on Murphy. Walsh lined a superb seventh up past Hubbard’s Cottage and Butler only beat this by five meters. Both had a bowl on Murphy here.

Murphy caught the Rock with his seventh, Walsh got a good bowl and Butler still held the lead on Walsh. Things got no better for Murphy and after another shot he was almost two bowls down. Walsh only got an average bowl from here and Butler lined two absolute trains that just fell short of sight for the last bend, which both Murphy and Walsh took two shots to beat, and the contest was well and truly over at this juncture.

Vintage B finalists at Beal na Marbh. From left: David Walsh, Paul Butler (winner) and John Murphy.

At the other end of the age bracket, the girls U12 final took place at Castletown. Here we had Lily O’Sullivan from Dunmanway playing Lily McDonagh from Clondrohid, and this was a ding-dong battle from both girls from start to finish.

Nothing separated them after five shots each, McDonagh leading by five meters. The first blip came from O’Sullivan with her sixth shot that she drove on hard with little direction. McDonagh raised big odds on this tip, but O’Sullivan recovered with a smashing bowl past the Hollies that reduced McDonagh’s odds to 10 meters. O’Sullivan brought her eighth bowl too far and it fell left on her, and again McDonagh raised big odds on the tip.

O’Sullivan was right with her ninth and suddenly she was almost a bowl down, but things were to take another twist from the cross to the finish. O’Sullivan got an incredible 11th shot that knocked the odds back to 30 meters. McDonagh held this odds with two shots to go. O’Sullivan got a super last shot, McDonagh had a tricky bowl to beat but did so by three meters with the aid of a rub.

Lyre Bowling Club held a semi-final of their Junior A tournament between Lyre clubman David Hegarty and Johnny O’Driscoll, going for €2,500 a-side. A huge opening bowl from O’Driscoll that Hegarty only beat by 30 meters in two, but a good third shot from Hegarty well past the Forest entrance gave him a lead that he held to the finish.

Following two more for Hegarty over the tunnel, where he had 40 meters of odds, he raised the bowl with a massive sixth shot past Crowley’s wall. O’Driscoll missed up to Crowley’s bend in two more from here and he was now two bowls in arrears.

Both went sight at McCarthy’s, O’Driscoll got a big bowl from here past the big tree that knocked the two bowls briefly, and matters were terminated after another shot. Hegarty now awaits Noel O’Regan or Cillian Kelleher from the other semi-final.

There was also a junior score played at Derrinasaffa between John A. Murphy from Templemartin and Liam Hurley, Togher, playing for €1,600 a-side. Murphy took the first three shots of this score to the rock, while Hurley got a great fourth past Daly’s gate that gave him his first lead.

There was nothing between them after two more to Foxes' lane, with Murphy back in front. Hurley got an unbelievable seventh shot out Natties bend that Murphy followed but just fell short of sight. Murphy went through Cotters cross in two more, where Hurley held a 20-metre advantage. Murphy got a super bowl to the Darkwood turn that won him back the lead by three meters, and he extended that to 20 metres at Walsh’s lane.

At Hon Grady’s, Hurley was fore bowl again by one meter. At O’Neill’s lane, Murphy was in front again by 25 meters for the last shots. Hurley missed the line and Murphy beat it easy.