MIKIE HOURIHANE CUP JOY FOR O'SULLIVAN
It was an all Carbery affair in the Mikie Hourihane Cup final at Bauravilla, local man Colm Crowley played Leap man Kevin Minihane and Caheragh man Denis O’Sullivan. Stakes of 3 x €2,000 and €2,000 between O’Sullivan and Crowley. O’Sullivan held the early exchanges to the cross, at Decker’s in seven each Minihane had a slender lead on both O’Sullivan and Crowley. O’Sullivan was back in front again in two more good bowls to the rock with still nothing separating them. He increased his lead on Crowley with two more to the D line, where Minihane was level with him. O’Sullivan’s bowl to the Bridge sealed the deal for him as it rose a bowl of odds on both players, he increased his odds from here to the finish and lifted the Hourihane Cup. This was the seventeenth hosting of this 9-man tournament. The Hourihane Family put up this cup in memory of their father in 2006.
FLAWLESS DISPLAY BY CAHALANE WINS THE DAY.
Derrinasaffa held another of their junior tournament scores between John Cahalane and Diarmuid Hurley playing off for a total stake of €4,300, Cahalane bowled extremely well in this score so much so that he led from start to finish. He rose big odds with a well-played third shot, two more excellent shots to Foxes Lane where he rose a bowl of odds, Hurley bowling became very wayward from here to Natties bend all his bowls veering off right. From Natties bend Cahalane opened Cotters Cross and up to the Darkwood turn in two more where he had over two bowls of odds. Hurley made inroads into this lead, he knocked the two bowls at Dwyer’s house and the odds was down to a bowl and thirty meters above Walshes Lane, but that was a good as it got for Hurley as Cahalane rose the two bowls again at Hon Grady’s. In a return score back Thomas Maloney beat Barry O’Donovan by the last shot for €1,750 a-side.
LADIES BLESSED WITH GL0RI0US SUNSHINE
The Ladies Committee held another very successful ladies and under-age morning in the North Cork venue of Firmount, with all snow and frost now cleared we basked in glorious sunshine, over twenty participants turned out and results as follows, team event, first place Chloe Hubbard, Robyn O’Brien, Suzanne O’Brien and Sarah Murphy, in second place Emma Fitzpatrick, Aibhe and Kaela Corrigan and in third place Anna Deane, Lauren O’Rourke, Hannah Sexton and Eve Murphy, long shot event U-10, first Abi May Sexton, second Lily McDonagh and third Aibhe Corrigan, U-14. First Robyn O’Brien, second Sarah Murphy and third Anna Deane and in the adult section, first Emma Fitzpatrick, second Lauren O’Brien and third Ava Ronan.
MURPHY AND CROWLEY TAKE SPOILS AT BALLINACURRA
Two attractive scores were played at Ballinacurra, early on Sunday morning newly promoted Intermediate players Michael Murphy, Mallow played David Shannon, Skibbereen for a total stake of €4,200. At Brinny Cross Murphy had a twenty meter advantage, at Foley’s they were level, still Murphy marginally fore at the end of Perrot’s sheds, at the GAA entrance Murphy was throwing over fifteen meters, Shannon took the lead at the Novice line, but his performance up the narrow road cost him a lot of ground and Murphy rose a bowl and held this to the line. Ronan Hoey beat Deckie O’Mahony in a return score for €4,000. In the afternoon two up and coming young lads Anthony Crowley and Shane Crowley togged off for a total stake of €10,220. Both to Brinny Cross in four each where Anthony had a twenty five meter advantage, three seriously well played bowls from Anthony from back of the Cross and he now had a one bowl advantage below the gasworks. Shane knocked the bowl from here to the Sheds but Anthony delivered a rocket down to the Hurling Alley, Shane followed this to keep it under the bowl, at the bridge only five meters separated them, Anthony got another super bowl past the Silvery Gates that rose the bowl for him again, after two more up the straight Anthony had the makings of two bowls. In a return score back Flor Crowley beat Colm O’Regan by one bowl for €18,000.
O'SULLIVAN REACHES LYRE INTERMEDIATE TOURNAMENT FINAL
Lyre held the semi-final of their Intermediate tournament between Denis O’Sullivan and Wayne Parkes, for a total stake of €3,700. A blistering start from both players to the start of the Soccer railings, O’Sullivan got a super second shot above the forest entrance, Parkes was left and his third was right, O’Sullivan was back of the tunnel in two more but Parkes was keeping it under the bowl. Parkes got a good sixth to the start of Crowley’s wall and O’Sullivan misplaced his over right, it looked like they were going to Crowley’s bend level, Parkes unleashed a screamer of a seventh shot that looked like the lead but O’Sullivan with the aid of a big rub off the right dyke beat this tip by twenty meters. O’Sullivan held this advantage in three more to McCarthy’s bend. From here Parkes pulled his bowl in left to the back of the wall and O’Sullivan made the big tree, Parkes only bt this tip again by thirty five meters, but still O’Sullivan was not putting this score away he misplaced his thirteenth down right and still only fifty meters separated them for the last shots, unfortunately Parkes missed the line and O’Sullivan played his well and beat it easy, Parkes reversed the result in a return score for €2,860.
North Cork held the final of their Novice E championship at Bweeng, here Kevin Finnegan played Barry Meade for a stake of €2,100. They were level after four each to the tiny shed, Finnegan had a marginal lead after seven shots but extended his lead after three more to the start of the houses, he rose the bowl after two more and held this to the line.
Bantry held some club fund-raising scores here Darragh McCarthy beat Denis Murphy by the last shot for €600 a-side. Michael O’Leary beat Brendan Dudly by the last shot for €1,000 a-side, the Togher X pair of Liam Hurley and Chris Murray beat Murish Buttimer and Kieran Hourihane by one bowl for €1,130 a-side and Cornelius O’Mahony beat Darren Cronin by one bowl for €600 a-side