JUNIOR C & NOVICE 1 & 2 COUNTY SCORES UNDER WAY.
Of more urgency are the county round scores in the junior C and novice grades and, ahead of a busy schedule put in place by fixtures Secretary, Richie Fitzgerald for next week, three went ahead on Saturday. At Ballinagree Mid Cork’s Trevor O’Sullivan and Gaeltacht’s Cillian Kelleher clashed in a junior C quarterfinal. For a stake of €400 O’Sullivan emerged the winner here and will play the East/West Cork quarterfinal winner in the semi-final. At Beal na mBlath in novice A, City’s Anthony Crowley showed why he could take some beating in his category by eking out a narrow last shot win from North East’s Jimmy Hogan. This was a stakeless contest. At the same venue, North East’s Jamie McDonagh defeated City’s John Donnellan in a novice C quarterfinal played for €1,100 stake. McDonagh was a two-bowl winner.
O'BRIEN ADDS THE U-16 TO HIS U-18 TITLE.
The deferred county U16 final was played at Newcestown on Monday and followed a similar pattern to the U14 decider. Ross O’Brien and Culann Bourke again produced an interesting contest that stayed in the melting pot to the end. Both started with big opening shots before O’Brien took command with massive second that Bourke only just matched in two. The U14 Gaeltacht All-Ireland winner was in total control rising a bowl in the next exchange and was on the cusp of doubling his advantage with another big brace to ‘Kingston’s’. Bourke was not finished and three massive shots to ‘O’Callaghan’s’ cut the O’Brien’s big lead to a throw out. With still three to go, O’Brien needed a big third last to stave off Bourke’s rally and when he produced, the Timmie Delaney Cup was his as well as the unique place in the records as U14 and U16 county champion in the same year. City’s Peter Nagle is, as far as can be ascertained is the only previous under-age exponent to achieve this feat which involves the use of different weighted bowls.
MCCARTHY TAKES REGIONAL TITLE.
Regional action abounded. It was a week of finals in the South West division. The novice A decider at Fisher’s Cross on Tuesday drew a big gathering to the seaside venue. The result marked another rise through the ranks for Ballineen’s Eoin McCarthy who scored a big last shot win over John Connolly. It was a disappointing outcome for the Shannonvale man, Connolly, who, having gone a bowl down in the early shots, rallied to lead with three to go. His finish did not do justice to a fine comeback and McCarthy, closed it out. They played for a €4,000 total.
HARRINGTON TAKES TITLE IN LAST GRASP SHOT.
On Monday at The Pike the novice C final was fought out between Jason Harrington and Diarmuid Murphy. For a €1,960 total, Harrington’s opening shot diverted off a manhole cover which left him in big arrears and Murphy went on to rise a bowl of odds over the next two. Harrington made a swift recovery here and had it level by ‘White’s cross’ and he did better in the exchanges to ‘Draper’s’ by which juncture he had forged ahead by almost a bowl. Murphy came strongly over the closing stretch, but his Kilbrittain rival had enough in hand to win the championship.
In the West Cork the big day was Saturday at Ahakista to where a large crowd descended for a five-score festival programme. Big stake events some were and among the winners on the Sheep’s Head peninsula were, Kenneth Murphy who got the better of Ger Connolly for a €22,000 total; Noel O’Donovan who defeated Johnny O’Driscoll for €13,000, O’Driscoll rebounded with a win over Shane Shannon for €8,000 and there were doubles success for Finbarr Coughlan/Joseph O’Mahony and the Leap pairing of David Minihane and Darren Whooley.
HORGAN TAKES WIEST CORK "B" TITLE.
The novice B final was played at Ballinacarriga on Bank Holiday Monday. Brian Horgan came from arrears to win this from Jmmy O’Leary by a bowl of odds for €3,100. Played in, O’Leary made a great start rising commanding odds by ‘Finn’s corner’ but a slip and good play by Horgan approaching the ‘creamery cross’ caused a turnaround. Dunmanway man, Horgan, went ahead at ‘Lynch’s’ and increased odds from there to the finish.
In novice E at Ballinacarriga, on Monday, Jerry Cahalane defeated Shane O’Donovan. In the second junior ladies semi at Drimoleague Emer O’Connell got the better of Grace Hickey and will play Marie Russell in the final. The novice E championship progressed with scores at Durrus. On Monday, here Jeremy Hurley won from Jamie Walsh for €640 and Darragh McCarthy won from Jack Murphy for €1,100. At Kealkil in E, Gavin McCarthy defeated Daniel King and Jack McCarthy defeated Jack Forbes.
MURPHY SON OF DAVID TAKES MID CORK NOVICE "C" TITLE.
Joshua Murphy is Mid Cork novice C winner after Sean Nyhan was forced to withdraw injured from Thursday’s final at Templemartin. Last year’s county runner-up, Siobhan Kelleher is out of the 2024 junior championship having gone down to Ciara Allen. On a good night for the Allen clan, u18 champion, Rosin defeated Emma Jordan also in junior.
NOONAN CAPTURES NORTH CORK JUNIOR "C" TITLE.
The North Cork junior C championship had it’s deciding score at Berrings on Wednesday. It marked another regional trophy for long-time campaigner, Olan Noonan, who edged out Kevin Manning for a €4,000 total. Noonan led for almost the entire score but never by a big margin. He scored the line in three from the start of the straight for a good last shot win. Back the road, Evan Buckley defeated Conor Lucey, last shot, for €2,600. On to Firmount on Friday where the novice D final went ahead. Liam McCarthy and John MacSullivan were the protagonists here and a cracking score unfolded for a €2,800 total. In a shot for shot duel to the finish McCarthy got the verdict by three metres. Back the road Will Harrington defeated Colm O’Regan for €1,800. In a junior ladies score, Rose McAuliffe defeated Rachel Lucey and in U14 Jena Healy won from Mia O’Donoghue.
13 YEAR OLD MEABH WILL BE BACK TO TAKE AN ALL-IRELAND ONE DAY.
Meabh Cuinnea’s brave bid to add the All-Ireland trophy to her stunning county U16 triumph came up just short at Eglish on Saturday forenoon. Against a very good Ulster champion, Megan O’Reilly, who had the experience of being finalist last year, Meabh more than held her own and led an absorbing contest for three-quarters of its duration. Cheered by a sizable Ross contingent who travelled northward for the weekend in support, Meabh, with a hundred metre lead after ten shots, was looking good but a storming finish by her opponent saw her lose the ascendancy with two to go. Those last crucial shots belonged to the Ulster champion, but Maebh lost no caste and, eligible for the grade until 2026, there is every chance the imposing Monsignor Raymond Horan Cup, on offer for the All-Ireland U16 girls’ championship will make its way to Castle Salem before that time elapses.
Carbery’s novice D championship concluded at Reeenascreena on Thursday with a finale befitting a competition that had engaged a whole swathe of the regions membership since it’s opening rounds in late March. Defeat had barely registered on the radar for Martin Collins or Cian Bowen, over a summer of almost continuous action so there was a lot to play for when the Leap and Schull camps clashed on the Tullig road. From the third shot Bowen held the lead and good play had him in front by forty in six to the four-crosses. Collins was staying close but a small chance to extend fell the Schull man’s way in the next exchanges. The Leap man countered with a big tenth to ‘O’Sullivan’s bungalow’ and the lead changed at this juncture. Both were at their best as they fought tooth and nail for supremacy. Still marginally in front, Martin Collins closed it out with a monstrous last shot from back on ‘Frankie’s hill’ that carried enough momentum to roll past the finish line by a mere three metres. For Bowen, it was an agonising defeat from a hugely entertaining contest, but he can take satisfaction from a sporting summer in which he has come out on the right side on most occasions and achieved success in several codes.
Martin Collins will carry Carbery’s hopes in the novice D county rounds and begins the next stage of his campaign with a preliminary round score with City’s champion, Johnny Byrnes, at Ballinacurra this week.
At Leap the women’s junior championship progressed. There were wins for Natalie Demspey, Shannon Ronan and defending champion, Triona Murphy.