BUSY WEEK OF BOWLING SEES STOKS SHINE, RIORDAN ADVANCE AND MURPHY IMPRESS  

Páidín Stokes stunned Martin Coppinger in Ballygurteen to claim his first senior score, leading throughout and sealing a dramatic finish.

Donal Riordan advanced to the Junior A semi-final with a solid win at Ballydehob, while Brendan O’Neill capitalised on a late error to snatch victory in Newcestown.

Denise Murphy impressed in the ladies championship at Macroom, and Cathal Creedon, along with others, secured notable wins across a busy weekend of bowling action

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STOKES STUNS COPPINGER TO WIN FIRST SENIOR SCORE

Ballygurteen held an O’Connell/Dullea senior cup score between Martin Coppinger and newly promoted, after winning the Intermediate county in 2025 Páidín Stokes. This was Páidín’s first senior score, and he gave a good account of himself when he never allowed Coppinger to lead. They both opened with poor first shots, Coppinger missed sight with his second and Stokes got an incredible bowl to go full sight that Coppinger only beat by ten meters with his third. Coppinger was back of the women’s lane in two more and Stokes was at the upper side fifty meters fore. Coppinger’s next three shots all went right, he had a wonderful opportunity of knocking big odds at O’Mahony’s avenue but left his bowl right again. Stokes got a huge eight up the middle that Coppinger missed to fall a bowl down. A bad effort from Stokes past the coffee dock and an opening for Coppinger, He made a gallant effort for O’Donovan’s bend but fell short of full sight but knocked the bowl of odds. Stokes got a great shake off the stone ditch and Coppinger beat this tip by twenty five meters, keeping it under the bowl. Stokes got a big rub to John Burke’s yard that Coppinger could and should have knocked big odds but his bowl fell left just fore. Stokes went three quarter way to the bridge in two more, Coppinger made a massive effort with his sixteenth up the left track that just fell short of full sight by ten meters. Stokes got a nice shake off the right dyke to straighten the road for the finish line. Coppinger lofted out his seventeenth shot perfectly, it settled in the middle and beat the finish line by twenty five meters but unfortunately it was “called” and his second effort was slightly right and missed the finish line and Stokes beat it to take his first senior victory. Setting him up nicely for his championship score against Michael Bohane in Timoleague.

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RIORDAN THROUGH TO POOL C SEMI-FINAL

Donal Riordan joins Johnny O’Driscoll in the semi-final of pool c of the Junior A championship, when he beat Colin O’Donovan who made the long trip from London by one bowl of odds at Ballydehob. O’Donovan opened with a huge shot out the first ben but Riordan followed and beat it by two meters. After three more out sight past the Eagle bungalow, Riordan’s margin was still only three meters. Riordan with his fifth stretched out his lead past Sammy’s lane to fifty meters and raised the bowl after two more that he held out to the cottage. O’Donovan got a good tenth shot to O’Sullivan’s lane that knocked the bowl, and had it well under the bowl after two more past the passage. He looked like he might claw his way back into this score but poor thirteenth and fourteenth shots undid his good work and Riordan won out in the end by a bowl of odds. In a return score at Ballydehob Cian Young beat Mark Shannon by two bowls for €1,000 a-side.

A GIFT FOR O'NEILL

In a pool b Junior A score at Newcestown Brendan O’Neill was gifted a victory from Bryan O’Halloran playing for a stake of €800 a-side. Both went out Mac cross in three each with O’Halloran twenty five meters fore bowl. Two more great shots each up the rising road to Allen’s lane and O’Halloran held odds of five meters. After four more to Desmond’s lane, O’Neill was peeping sight and O’Halloran had a valuable ten meters full sight looking down the hill. O’Neill got a perfect bowl down to the bottom of the hill that yielded him his first lead but it was short lived as O’Halloran was back in front again by a meter after two more to Collin’s lane. O’Halloran won back the lead with his next and both missed the line at O’Brien’s cross. Fifteen shots each to the cross and O’Halloran led by one meter. O’Neill missed down sight with his sixteenth and O’Halloran made the bungalow entrance full sight big advantage. O’Neill made the Pitch and Putt entrance and O’Halloran next broke badly right and only beat the tip by twenty five meters. O’Neill caught the piller of the new house with his next but was sight. O’Halloran misjudged his next and caught a tree that knocked his bowl inside and was “dead”, costing him the score as O’Neill beat the line with his last shot.

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MURPHY TAKES TOP POINTS AT MACROOM

The senior ladies championship got under way this past weekend in Macroom where Denise Murphy had a victory over Ciara Buckley playing for a stake of €150 a-side. Three and four each out to Bantry cross where Murphy was throwing her odds over forty meters. Murphy got a great bowl to the start of the railings that extended her lead to eighty meters. Murphy was almost a bowl up at the flyover and raised it at Mulcahy’s stable gate. After three more Murphy extended her odds to a bowl and forty meters. Buckley unleashed a super bowl to the Whitethorn bush that knocked the bowl of odds, but Murphy restored it again back of Poundy’s Lane. From here Buckley got another huge bowl to Denny Paul’s that again knocked the bowl. Murphy got a good bowl to the railings and Buckley’s bowl kicked badly left bowl up again. Two more well played bowls over the line from Murphy gives her top points in her first score.

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CREEDON TAKES THE HONOURS AT GRANGE

Brian O’Driscoll had to settle for only one lead in his Premier Junior A score against Cathal Creedon at Grange, no stake in this one. Both opened the stud farm bend in four each with Creedon taking all shots and lead by twenty meters. Creedon extended his lead with a big touch off Hollands Wall. O’Driscoll made De Barra’s in two and Creedon with a big sixth shot to De Barra’s had a bowl of odds. O’Driscoll made into the green in two more where Creedon was throwing his odds. O’Driscoll got a huge bowl to Mickey Sullivan’s that gave him his one and only lead in the score. Creedon was back in front again after his next past the big tree, O’Driscoll kept it under the bowl up the hill past Hegarty’s white house and on for Fiona’s. Creedon got an incredible bowl from here that went sight at Barry’s and down towards the pub, O’Driscoll missed this to fall a bowl down again, no back from there.

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NASH'S BOREEN EVENT

A Life Long Learning Bowling event was held on the famed Nash’s Boreen at Fairhill, on Sunday morning last. This road where Timmy Delaney, Denis Scully, The Buckley’s, The Sullivan’s and the Gould’s all started their bowling careers. Organised by the City Region in conjunction with UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation), a nice gathering of youth tried their hands at this unique sport. Small Mikey O’Driscoll, Gretta Cormican and Seamus O’Tuama were all on hand to give their advice on the best possible technique. Some emerging talent there no doubt. Ból Chumann secretary Seamus O’Tuama thanked all the children who took the time to participate and thanked their parents for encouraging them.