ALL WEST-CORK SHOWDOWN SET FOR JUNIOR A COUNTY FINAL

West Cork dominates the Junior A county final line-up, with Darragh Dempsey (Skibbereen) set to face Johnny O'Driscoll (Clonakilty) in Ballinagree after both claimed hard-fought semi-final victories.

Elsewhere, Eugene Kiernan captured the Junior C title with victory over Christopher Murphy, while several underage championships produced thrilling contests as Culann Bourke, Chloe Hubbard and Dylan O'Shea all advanced with impressive wins.

Regional championship action also saw Eoin O'Riordan, Colm Crowley, Andrew O'Leary and Timmy McDonagh secure important victories as players continue their bid for county and All-Ireland honours.

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IT'S AN ALL WEST CORK PAIRING IN THE JUNIOR A DECIDER

Darragh Dempsey Skibbereen and Johnny O’Driscoll Clonakilty will contest the 2026 Junior A county final at Ballinagree on Sunday next. Dempsey beat Danny Stokes from the City by a bowl of odds at Castletown playing for no stake. After three shots to Hennessy’s Dempsey had thirty meters of odds, he extednded this to a hundred meters with a big fourth shot. Stokes got two super bowls back of the novice finish but Dempsey was keeping his nose in front. Stokes failed to make sight at Pynes corner and Dempsey went up and around. Stokes made O’Leary’s wall with his ninth. Dempsey failed to make sight for the netting that opened the door for Stokes and he got a massive bowl out full sight, now Dempsey only throwing his odds beat the tip by forty five meters. Stokes got no great rub off the netting and Dempsey beat this tip by twenty meters. Both were left with their next and it looked like they were going to go out level to Forshin’s Cross, however Stokes missed out in two more and Dempsey went to Forshin’s Cross in two where he was now throwing his odds over forty meters after Stokes lofted. Dempsey was on top of the line in two more great finishing shots where he won by a bowl of odds.

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O'DRISCOLL BACK IN ANOTHER JUNIOR A FINAL

In the other semi- final at Derrinasaffa, Johnny O’Driscoll made hard work of his last shot victory over Sean Murphy, Brinny. They played for €3,000 a-side. Murphy made the better start in this score leading by forty five meters after two shots. O’Driscoll’s third was very left to Collin’s entrance but Murphy didn’t take advantage as he was also very left and made the crush entrance fifteen meters fore bowl. O’Driscoll got a massive fourth to the bridge that gave him his first lead, but Murphy was back in front again after an unreal seventh out and around full sight at Natties bend. O’Driscoll missed sight and suddenly the score had swung in Murphy’s favour again. Murphy got two bowls of the shortest order and O’Driscoll was back in command above Cotter cross, from here he was throwing his odds over eight meters and got another huge bowl up and around the Darkwood turn, that raised the bowl of odds for him, and Murphy only beat the tip again with his thirteenth. After two more each to Walshe’s lane Murphy had it just under the two bowls. Murphy had it under the bowl of odds at Hon Grady’s by one meter, Driscoll looked to be tiring. Murphy piled on the pressure with a good eighteenth, O’Driscoll now throwing over eighty meters had a chance of the line but his bowl fell right and missed the line by twenty meters. Murphy still had a chance to snatch victory but he was way left and missed the finish line also and O’Driscoll too the honours.

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EUGENE KIERNAN TOO GOOD FOR CHRISTOPHER MURPHY IN JUNIOR C FINAL

Mid Cork held the final of their Junior C championship at Ballinacurra where Eugene Kiernan played Christopher Murphy, playing for a stake of €550 a-side. They both went through Brinny cross in four shots with Kiernan twenty meters fore bowl. Murphy’s fifth cracked off the road and at Foley’s Kiernan had a bowl of odds. A huge sixth from Kiernan to the Muddy gap had the rising of two bowls of odds. Murphy kept it under the two bowls with a big ninth to the end of the sheds. Kiernan made back of the GAA entrance and Murphy got caught right, where there was almost two bowls of odds in it again. Kiernan got a perfect ninth shot to the bridge that Murphy just beat. Kiernan’s tenth got caught before the double gates and Murphy went in same place and conceded.

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TWOHIG COMES UP SHORT

The last of the boy’s U-18 quarter finals was played at Curraheen between last year’s U-16 county winner Culann Bourke and South West player and Cork minor goalkeeper Rory Twohig. Bourke raised a bowl of odds with his first shot that Twohig fought hard to knock, but rallied well with his fourth shot out sight at the cross and where he had the odds back to forty meters. Bourke played a fast fifth shot that raised the bowl again for him as Twohig’s bowls were weak and fell right. Bourke undid his good work when he lofted his bowl too far and it fell left and heading for the bridge his odds was back to five meters. Both hit the bridge in ten shots with Bourke two meters fore bowl. Heading now up the tough rising road Twohig played two super bowls that gave him his first lead in the score by ten meters, but scattered his next and Bourke was back in front again, and would be led no more as he powered on to win by a bowl of odds. We wish Rory and his teammates every good luck in the All-Ireland minor football final.

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SEXTON BOWS OUT OF UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIP

It was back to Curraheen for the Girl’s U-18 quarter final where Laura Sexton, the youngest of the sexton sisters from Timoleague played Chloe Hubbard from Rylane. Both were out looking at the cross in three shots each, Hubbard got a smashing fourth bowl past the cross that Sexton missed in two shots to fall a bowl in arrears. Hubbard carried this bowl down to the bridge in three more very well played bowls, Sexton had poor sight at this juncture. Sexton very off the sops on this occasion missed the bridge with her ninth shot and Hubbard extended her lead to a bowl and eighty meters. Up this tough rising rough road under the trees in ten and eleven shots Hubbard held a bowl advantage. At the double avenues Sexton try as she might could not reel in the deficit and Hubbard’s odds remained at a bowl, which she took to the finish.

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KELLY GIVES A GOOD ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF

Eoghan Kelly last year’s U-14 County and All-Ireland winner gave Dylan O’Shea a good run for the Gaelteach U-16 title when they played at Macroom. Three shots each out to Bantry old cross where O’Shea had ten meters of odds. Kelly took his first lead with a great fourth to the start of the railings. But O’Shea drove on his fifth past the flyover and Kelly was hind again by thirty meters. Two shots more up past Mulcahy’s and on for the lollipops O’Shea held the same odds. O’Shea extended his lead to fifty meters after two more to the knob and he had ninety meters after two more to the start of Denny Paul’s, Kelly got a super eleventh but O’Shea gave no let up and beat tip by eighty meters. Kelly made the layby in thirteen and O’Shea went on top of the line to win by a big last shot.

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SCANNELL IS THE NAME IN UNDER 16 FINAL

In the return U-16 final it was cousins Lilly and Naoimi Scannell. At Poundy’s lane Naoimi had thirty meters but Lily was in front down the straight, Naoimi found her rhythm and raised almost a bowl at Mulcahy’s, under the flyover Lilly had the odds back to eighty meters. Lilly got a super bowl down to the end of the wall and at Bantry old cross only five meters separated them Naoimi fore bowl that she held to the third last shot when Lilly took the lead by two feet. Lilly increased this to fifteen meters for the last shot and beat a big bowl from Naoimi.

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ONE THAT GOT AWAY FROM ALLEN

On a horrible foggy and wet Thursday evening at Templemichael the boy’s U-18 county semi-final was played between Gerald McDonagh from Fermoy and Jack Allen from Newcestown. This was a score of the highest order, they were both playing huge bowls, McDonagh opened with a huge shot that Allen just missed by two feet. Allen lined super third and fourth shots and McDonagh beat both to hold a twenty meter lead. Heading for the cross in nine each Allen took his first lead by a big margin, but McDonagh had it back to twenty meters after their next through the cross. Miler after miler these boys played with three shots to go Allen had a marginal lead of only ten meters. McDonagh got a poor second last shot but Allen took wrong play and put no odds on the tip for the last shot. McDonagh put down a screamer over the line and Allen missed it well.

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VICTORY FOR COONEY IN JUNIOR C

North Cork held a Junior C quarter final score between Olan Noonan and Derry Cooney, playing for a stake of €1,630 as. Noonan took the first two shots and Cooney the third when they both went out sight in three. Two poor bowls from Noonan and he found himself almost a bowl in arrears. Cooney raised the bowl with his sixth shot, at the novice d line Noonan had it under the bowl of odds, but Cooney went full sight at the bridge and Noonan missed out to fall a bowl down again. At Mac’s house and on for the novice a line Cooney held his bowl advantage. Noonan could make no inroads into this lead and Cooney won out in the end by a bowl of odds.

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In a junior veteran pool b score at Terelton, Mark Bourke took victory from Jerry Murphy when they played for €1,600 a-side. Both went out full sight at the new houses in two each with Bourke forty meters fore bowl, he doubled his odds in two more back of O’Sullivan’s Cottage. Murphy fought back with a super bowl to sight for the Garage that gave him his first lead by fifteen meters. Through the Garage forecourt in two more Murphy led by thirty meters. They both played super bowls up to Lehane’s lane where Murphy held a slender lead. Bourke was back in front again after two more, as Murphy’s bowl broke off the play. At the Novice line Bourke had a forty meter advantage and held out to win when he beat a big last shot from Murphy.

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CROWLEY ADVANCES TO QUARTER FINAL

All regions are finishing up their championships for the second series of counties for the Armagh All-Ireland on the August Bank Holiday weekend. On Thursday in Newcestown in a junior b preliminary score Colm Crowley from Bauravilla beat Mickey Hurley from Conna by a bowl of odds for €550 as. Both made Mac’s cross in three each with Hurley seven meters fore bowl. Crowley raised big odds with his next two shots up and around Allen’s lane and after three more his odds was almost a bowl all to three meters. Crowley went out Desmond’s lane in two more where he had fifty meters of odds, from here Hurley lined four huge bowls to the railings past Collin’s farm that gave him his first and only lead in the score, Crowley made the forge cross with his fourteenth and Hurley missed out bowl went left and caught a pillar. Hurley still had a chance off the line when Crowley’s bowl went right and into the drain, Hurley had to make sight but he was crazy left and missed the tip, bowl up again. Crowley went out sight for the finish line in two more to win by a big bowl of odds.

O'RIORDAN TAKES THE JUNIOR B HONOURS AT TERELTON

The Gaeltacht region held the final of their Junior B championship at Terelton where Eoin O’Riordan had a last shot win over Denis Cooney, playing for a stake of €700 as. Cooney took his first lead after three each to Buckley’s lane. O’Riordan was in control after three more to Lehane’s lane where he led by fifty meters and extended this to almost a bowl of odds after nine shots each through the Creamery. The road smoothens out from here and Cooney lined a big bowl to the railings and had the odds back to fifteen meters and at O’Sullivan’s Cottage only three meters separated them. Cooney got a big fifteenth to the new houses and won back the lead again, there was twenty meters between them for the last shot with Cooney fore bowl. O’Riordan lined a massive bowl to the end of the carpark and Cooney’s bowl got too much of the yard and missed the tip by thirty meters. Eoin now plays Ger O’Driscoll at Beal Na Marbh in the county quarter final.

THE LONG TRIP PAID OF FOR O'LEARY AT SAMS CROSS

Sams Cross held a Ferghal Beamish Cup score where Andrew O’Leary made it worth his while to travel the long journey from Fermoy when he beat Peter Murray by the last shot for €700 a-side. Both made out Santry’s bend in two where Murray just shaded the lead. After two more only half a meter was in it. Up to Dooley’s in four more shots Murray was fore bowl by three meters. O’Leary took his first lead over the rise to Sheehy’s farm. They both went out Woodfield cross in two more and O’Leary had odds of twenty five meters. Murray missed sight for Cullinane’s cottage and O’Leary went peeping sight valuable odds. Murray went out and around the last bend in two more and O’Leary made the big tree forty meters fore bowl. Murray laid down two huge bowls from here that O’Leary followed and beat by twenty meters to take victory.

MCDONAGH BACK IN ANOTHER FINAL

In the second Intermediate semi-final played at Templemichael, Timmy McDonagh last year’s runner up booked his place in another final where he will play his cousin Paddy Stokes. On this occasion he beat Killian Kingston from Leamlara, where they played for €2,000 a-side. McDonagh was down past the farm in two good bowls and out sight with his third where he had an early bowl of odds. McDonagh raised further odds to almost two bowls with only six shots remaining. Kingston had it back to a bowl and fifty meters but made a dreadful mistake when his bowl kicked in right and McDonagh had a full two bowls of odds again that he held up past the lollipops out sight and on for the finish.

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Richard O’Driscoll from the City had victory over Dylan Hughes from Mayo in the boy’s U-16 preliminary round score at Carrignavar. Hughes led all the way and was a bowl and fifty yards fore after five shots, but two wayward shots from him dropped a lot of odds. From the creamery cross and just short of the finish line Hughes still led but O’Driscoll put down a big last shot to take the victory.