Paul Buckley claimed the Liam Daly Cup at Shannonvale with a dominant performance.

The weekend also featured  finals and fundraising scores from Rosscarbery and Ballinagree.

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The final of the intermediate tournament for the Liam Daly Cup was played between Tim Young, David Shannon and Paul Buckley for a total stake of €8,000. Buckley opened with a superb first shot to the back of Cleary’s and extended his odds with another great bowl to McSweeney’s, where he raised a bowl on Young and was throwing big odds on Shannon. After a series of calls, Shannon had Buckley’s odds back to five metres.

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At the quarry, in two more shots each, Young had the gap reduced to under a bowl, while Buckley held 50 metres on Shannon. The latter produced a huge bowl back of Buttimer’s, which Buckley beat by 40 metres. Young was a bowl down at this juncture.

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Young’s eighth shot was slashed off badly and he missed sight at Desmond’s Bend, while Shannon made full sight in eight, before an incredible seventh shot from Buckley. There was no let-up from Buckley from here on as he was getting extra attempts, now holding one bowl on Shannon and two bowls on Young. Things did not improve for Young as he suffered a dead bowl from this point.

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Shannon continued to press for a lead on Buckley with a series of well-played bowls past Kingston’s Wall, but Buckley gave no ground, following and beating these tips to hold a bowl advantage on Shannon and big odds with two bowls on Young.

Buckley was getting plenty of shots in this score, with a series of calls between Kingstons and Campbells, but he held his odds to Campbell’s Lane, where he had almost two bowls on Shannon and three bowls on Young. After another past the Novice line, it was a star performance from Buckley, who took home the Liam Daly Cup.

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Another final at Rosscarbery saw Darren Harrington take on Paudie Murphy, with the pair playing for €1,850 a side. It was a hard-fought contest from start to finish, with both men having opportunities to raise big odds at various stages, but failing to do so. Both went up the hill in three shots, where Harrington held 80 metres of odds, and in three more to the end of the Priest’s Wall, where Murphy produced a superb bowl to level the score. A costly mistake by Harrington with his tenth shot from Barry Boreen saw him drop big odds, and at the B&B Murphy had a lead of 30 metres. Murphy landed a huge bowl from there and won out by a bowl of odds.

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Ballinagree in North Cork will host the first All-Ireland series in early July. To help defray the costs involved, the club and region held a fundraising weekend. Jimmy O’Brien and Eoin McCarthy got proceedings underway, playing for €4,300 a side, with O’Brien emerging victorious. Wayne Parkes, recently moved from senior to intermediate, defeated Timmy McDonagh in the return score for €3,000 a side.

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John Cahalane and Jim Coffey, long-time fundraising stalwarts, played for €6,400 a side, with Cahalane winning by three bowls. On the return route, Jimmy O’Brien lost to local man Stephen Murphy for €5,500 a side.

On Sunday in Ballinagree, PJ O’Driscoll was defeated by Martin McSweeney for €3,500 a side. David Hegarty then overcame Cathal Creedon in the return score for €5,000 a side. In other scores at Ballinagree, Michael Desmond and Ciara Buckley continued their fine form by defeating Conor Lucey and Denise Murphy by almost two bowls for €4,100 a side, while David O’Neill beat Eoin McCarthy by one bowl for €2,000 a side.