CHAMP COP FACES O'SULLIVAN IN OPENER
Senior and Intermediate draws were the order of business at the February executive meeting. Fourteen players will battle it out for a place in the All-Ireland Final at Castletown on Sunday July 13th. All the youth avoided each other so there is a very different championship to proceeding years and back in the mix is Killian Kingston from East Cork. Tommy O’Sullivan v Michael Bohane @ Bantry, James O’Donovan v Killian Kingston @ Templemartin, Aidan Murphy v Wayne Parkes @ The Marsh Road, Patrick Flood v Brian Wilmot @ Beal Na Marbh, Martin Coppinger v Denis O’Sullivan @ Caheragh, Arthur McDonagh v Seamus Sexton @ Templemichael. The byes went to David Murphy and Gary Daly. The Intermediate grade with eleven players also drew some exciting scores in the first round newly promoted Michael Murphy will play Wayne Callanan @ Firmount, Paul Buckley v Tim Young @ Shannonvale, Michael Harrington v John O’Rourke @ Newcestown. Byes in this grade went to John Creedon, Timmy McDonagh, Patrick Stokes, David Shannon & London representative William O’Driscoll.
Inter-regional draws were also made, for the Junior B & Junior Veteran. (A) Outer Regions v East @ Ballyclough, (B) West v Carbery @ Ballygurteen. Quarter Finals rounds City v Mid @ Macroom, North East v South West @ Inchageelagh, North Cork v Gaelteacht @ Castletown and (A) V (B). For the Junior C, Novice A, B, C, & D, Junior Ladies and all under-age, two venues were chosen one for the adults and one for the under-age. (A) Outer Regions v Gaelteach @ Bweeng & Kilcorney for under-age. (B) Carbery v South West @ The Clubhouse and Inch for the under-age. Quarter final rounds East v West @ Jagoes and Dunderrow for the under-age, North v City @ Grenagh and Carrignavar for the under-age. (A) v North East @ Firmount and Beal Na Marbh for the under-age and (B) v Mid @ Togher and Ballinacarriga for the under-age.
FLOOD GETS PIPPED AT THE POST.
Wayne Parkes was back to winning ways in the first score of the new Willie Whelton mem cup at Grange playing for €12,420 a-side. Bowling was not of the highest order, both out the Stud Farm bend in four each Flood led by twenty five meters. Flood was out sight a De Barra’s in two more where he was throwing his odds over forty meters. It was half level at the green, Parkes at the start and Flood at the lower end and after a parley cue shot each seven meters separated the tips. After two more up the hill Flood had thirty five meters of odds, two great bowl from Parkes here and he was back in front again by a nice margin of fifty meters, Flood wasn’t giving up and played a super fourteenth to the White house that Parkes only beat by fifteen meters pulled his bowl in right. Flood came sight at James Barry’s back in front again and when Parkes caught Barry’s pillar it looked like victory for Flood, but two shots of the shortest order from him gifted victory to Parkes.
MCDONAGH TAKES SEMI-FINAL SPOT AT BALLINCAURRA
At Ballinacurra in a junior tournament semi-final Timmy McDonagh got the upper hand of Michael Murphy by the last shot. Three bowls each to the cross McDonagh thirty meters fore bowl. At Foleys McDonagh was throwing his odds over thirty meters. He rose the bowl of odds between here and the GAA pitch. He held this bowl to the start of the finishing straight however two good bowls from Murphy and the odds was down to fifty meters, he had it down to twenty five meters for the last shot but it was not enough as McDonagh played a good last bowl to take victory. The stake total here was €8,400.
In Rosscarbery in a Tim White Cup tournament score Gavin Twohig took the favourites tag over Kieran Murphy. After four shots to the Priests House he was throwing his odds over thirty meters. Up back of Barry’s Boreen Twohig rose a bowl of odds. At Cahermore cross Twohig still had a full bowl and held this to the finish.
At Derrinasaffa in their junior tournament Denis O’Sullivan Caheragh beat Cathal Creedon Ballyvourney by two bowls for €1,500 a-side. Creedon opened with three huge bowls to Eugies Gate where he still had only odds of forty meters. He misplaced his fifth and led no more after that. Seven and eight shots each to Natties bend where O’Sullivan was a bowl up. Creedon knocked the bowl heading for the Darkwood turn in three more, but after three more shots to Dwyers Wall O’Sullivan was a bowl up again. From here to Hon Grady’s O’Sullivan extended his lead to almost two bowls and won out in the end by a bowl. In a return score here Donal McCarthy beat Deckie O'Mahony by the last shot for €1,000 a-side. On Sunday afternoon in Derrinasaffa Cillian Kelleher from Kilnamartyra played Brian O’Driscoll from Drimoleague for a total stake of €8,800. Four shots each to the bridge O’Driscoll two meters fore bowl. Two incredible bowls from here to sight at Natties for Kelleher yielded him a bowl of odds. O’Driscoll got an incredible bowl up to Cotters cross that Kelleher beat by forty meters in two into the middle of the palms. O’Driscoll missed the Darkwood turn and Kelleher went full sight, Kelleher made Walsh’s lane in two more, and on to O’Neill’s lane in a further two holding odds with the bowl that he held to the finish.
Carbery held their Novice team event at Leap, with fourteen teams competing it was the team of Mark Shannon, Shane O’Mahony and Brian Regan who won out in the end.
O'DONOVAN'S LATE LATE SHOW BOOKS HIS SPOT IN CUP FINAL.
Ballinagree held their second semi-final of the Bold Thady Quill Cup between James O’Donovan and Martin Coppinger playing for a total stake of €20,000. The start wasn’t great but the finish was a cracker. Three each out and around the first bend O’Donovan had a ten meter advantage. O’Donovan took advantage of a poor fifth from Coppinger and rose eight meters. Up through An Capailin Ban Cross Coppinger got a super bowl and had the odds down to forty meters again, Coppinger followed on with two more great bowls to Horgans double gates, and after his next to the cattle crossing sign the odds that O’Donovan had was still only thirty meters. A poor bowl to the pink cottage looked to have Coppinger in trouble again as O’Donovan rose eighty meters on this. At the Post Office Coppinger had the odds back to ten meters, and out to the Quay Wall, O’Donovan still had only ten meters, and it was from here going to be a ding dong finish. With four shots to go Coppinger regained the lead by one meter, but O’Donovan had the lead back after the next to the white wall before the final bend, and for the last shot O’Donovan still had only ten meters. Coppinger let rip a serious last shot that made the Ploughman’s entrance, O’Donovan had to get everything to beat this, his bowl hopped the kerbing, ran the footpath and beat the tip by the narrowest of margins to set up a final encounter with Aidan Murphy. Preceding this score Denis Wilmot beat Edmund Sexton by the last shot for €2,400 a-side.
HEGARTY BACK TO WINNING WAYS AT LYRE.
At Lyre in a junior tournament score Conor Creedon and David Hegarty went to battle for €2,600 a-side. Creedon started in a blaze reaching the forest entrance in two great bowls, Hegarty got a poor third in right and Creedon was back of the tunnel in two more still only sixty meters fore bowl. Creedon got a big fifth to the start of Crowley’s Wall and Hegarty followed this to keep the odds well under the bowl. Hegarty got a good seventh was a bit unlucky not to rub cleaner, Creedon gave away an unexpected lead when he misplaced his bowl in right to give Hegarty his first lead. Up to Crowley’s bend and across Creedon was back in front again, Hegarty made McCarthy’s bend and Creedon missed up but got a massive rub off the right ditch with his twelfth shot to the start of McCarthy’s high wall, Hegarty was very right and missed this tip but recovered well with a good bowl up past the big tree that Creedon missed by twenty five meters. After two more heading for the line Hegarty had a forty meter advantage for the last shot and beat Creedons tip easy.
MICHÁEL DESMOND TAKES FIRST SCORE AT BALLYCLOUGH.
A new road in North East, Ballyclough got up and running with a score between Andrew O’Leary and Micháel Desmond for a stake of €550 a-side. After three shots Desmond had a fifty meter advantage, he held this lead after three more and rose the bowl after two more shots, O’Leary had it under the bowl with five shots to go but that was as good as it got for him as Desmond won out in the end by a bowl