Bowling’s fixture list for the Christmas-New Year period spans eleven days and contains a wide-ranging and extensive programme of scores at venues scattered around the county. After the blank of twelve months ago all the hardy annuals return as Grange, Castletownbere, Lyre, Bauravilla and Ballinacurra host high profile tournaments and fund-raisers, but most clubs particularly in the regions to the west of the county have scores aplenty to whet the appetite. The heavy hitters descend on Grange on St. Stephen’s Day when the annual challenge sees James O’Donovan and Martin Coppinger go head-to head. Coppinger is gung-ho after a run of victories since bowling’s return that included a Noel Phair Cup success at Shannonvale but won’t faze county finalist, O’Donovan, who has a better record than most from his engagements with the Bantry powerhouse all of which should ensure a spikey contest between the game’s top men.
Reenascreena have a traditional Christmas Day score dating back over two decades and hope to resume again after last year’s Covid interrupted interlude. Lisbealad’s Sean O’Riordan has been a serial winner here in recent years but has a real test this time in Peter Nagle who has been on the up and up having got the better of some experienced Carbery campaigners on his way go the regional Jun C/Novice A final. The Castletownbere two-day event is on December 28/29 and is now a Christmas special. R.N.L.I. and Bol Chumann are the beneficiaries from monies raised over the two-days. Big clashes include Christy Mullins v Aidan Desmond and Anthony Gould v Kenneth Murphy and James O’Donovan is heading west too for a contest with Aidan Murphy. Wednesday has a cracking shoot-out between northern hot-shot, Eugene McVeigh and Fermoy’s Patrick Flood. Moving to the New Year, Bauravilla have the Mikie Hourihane Cup on Sunday Jan 2. Already through here are Noel O’Regan and Michael Crowley. Lyre have good treble on Christmas Eve involving David Hegarty, Darragh Dempsey and John O’Driscoll and also a novice tournament final on Monday 27 when Timmie O’Sullivan, Ross, and Corneilus O’Mahony Schull take issue. Ballinacurra host a three-man junior A Christmas tournament ongoing on 24/26/27 December. Togher Cross have a list of scores on Christmas Eve while Schull have a fine line-up on New Year’s Eve. Carrignavar host their annual Christmas tournament and Gaeltacht have a large selection of scores that include novice C and novice veteran finals at Cill na Martra on St. Stephen’s Day. These are but a sample of what is available to bowling followers over the festive season. In his last submission, retiring Fixtures Secretary has detailed all scores in his usual efficient manner and these can be viewed on Bol Chumann’s website www.irishroadbowling.com. Followers can check Bol Chumann’s Facebook page for any late alterations. On this outlet, Gretta Cormican does invaluable work providing a daily listing of scores and it has now become the default source of Advertising for much of most bowling activity.
Ból Chumann extends it’s good wishes for a safe and prosperous festive season to all.