THE LATE PAT MCCARTHY WAS FITTINGLY INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME
The great and the good of Road Bowling took centre stage at the annual Bol Chumann awards night on Saturday last and despite the very bad weather a fine crowd attended and seventy five percent of the players were there to receive their awards. The female player of the year award went to Geraldine Curtin on her back to back county wins of 2023 and 2024, but the all-Ireland title has eluded her and will have to wait for another year. The male player of the year went to James O’Donovan for his wonderful individual Gold medal Moors achievement in Neuharlingersiel, Germany in May, James has given his life to bowling since he won an u-12 all-Ireland at Lyre in 1999, with some GAA thrown in, he has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Brendan and father Declan, but that County senior title that he has come so near to winning on occasions, in 2010 and again in 2020, he has yet to get his hands on. The personality of the year went to Castletown bowling club president Jimmy Hennessy, Jimmy has given a lifetime to bowling and was a player of note in his day, Jimmy is also vice chairman of the Mid Cork region, he has passed the interest of road bowling on to his grandchildren Aoibhe, Anna, Leah, Grace, Rosie and Lily who have gone on to win county titles of which he is very proud and has even got his son in law involved, Jimmy’s son John passed away in 2005 and Jimmy put a memorial cup up in his honour for the Novice E championship, Jimmy’s other passion is drag hunting, he was a popular recipient on the night.
There was a joint presentation of The Hall of Fame from both Bol Chumann Ard Mhaca and Bol Chumann Cork, with the late Pat McCarthy, who passed away in September, honoured.
In its Citation Bol Chumann Cork, hailed Pat for his outstanding contribution to the sport over several decades. He served as PRO of Bol Chumann for close on two decades, during which time he transformed the role and also became one of the preeminent authorities on the sport and the association. No major decision was made in that time without his detailed and considered input. His annual reports are legendary for their level of detail and analysis and now form an essential part of the archive of the sport that needs to be carefully preserved. He was also the bowling correspondent for the Southern Star, His weekly columns were considered the ultimate account of happenings in the sport. He also contributed to a range of their publications on the sport. Apart from all of this he was a dedicated club man. He orchestrated everything in the Reenascreena Bowling Club up to the very end of his life. He was also an active competitor in the sport. Pat McCarthy, a native of Drinagh, was of bowling and for bowling throughout his adult life. He leaves a wake of virtue, a legacy of achievement and a void that will never be filled.
Meanwhile, the Bol chumann Northern Branch also announced that the Armagh construction Hall of Fame Award for 2024 goes to the late Pat McCarthy. In their citation, they said Pat was a tireless worker and a wonderful ambassador in all aspects of the sport of bowling. His contribution to the sport especially as PRO for over two decades cannot be overstated. In his role, he covered every major bowling event in the four corners of this island and indeed further afield. He was a man of utmost integrity who was highly respected on the roads of Armagh where his bowling coverage was always carried with complete impartiality. His sad passing has left a huge void in the association not only here in his native Cork but also in Armagh. The Northern Branch are truly honoured to induct the name of the late Pat McCarthy into the annuals of the Armagh Construction Hall of Fame.
Deirdre McCarthy, Pat’s daughter on accepting the award on behalf of her brother Brian and all the McCarthy Family thanked both organisations for their very thoughtful gesture, of her dad she said that he was a very humble man and would be totally embarrassed by this award, she said that bowling was his life, Sunday after Sunday week in week out, even their Christmas day dinner had to be organised around his Reenascreena scores. She said of his Southern Star reports that they were a two to three hour job on a Sunday night, Monday morning, precision was everything to him. He had wonderful friends made through bowling over the years. And he enjoyed immensely when travelling to the European countries or his trips to Armagh. We know you miss him dearly, but none more so than his family. Thank you so much for this award.
O'BRIEN PROGRESSES IN DESMOND CUP
A Jerry Desmond Cup quarter final score was played at Timoleague between Michael John O’Brien and Denis Wilmot, conditions were not great, three average bowls from both players, a poor fourth from Wilmot and O’Brien had sixty meters of odds, a great fifth from Wilmot but not enough to take him across to Batemans Wall, O’Brien well above Batemans in seven where he had a bowl of odds. Facing up the steep hill O’Brien held his bowl advantage, at the Cottage Wilmot got a reprieve as O’Brien’s bowl was very left, now only the bare bowl in it. At O’Leary’s entrance the bowl of odds was down, with five shots to go Wilmot found his grove and put down two great bowls to take the lead by twenty meters. Or maybe it was O’Brien’s three poor bowls, Wilmot found himself hind bowl for the last shot, he put down a perfect bowl but it was not enough as O’Brien beat this by forty meters to progress to the semi-final playing Gavin Twohig. Total stake in this score was €5,000.
MARIE FINISHES STRONG TO CLINCH COUNTY TITLE
The Junior Ladies County Final took centre stage at Beal Na Blath between Marie Russell from Drimoleague and Kay Kelly, originally Kathleen Cooney from Kilcorney for a stake of €1,100. A super opening shot from Kay saw her with the bones of a bowl of odds, Kay’s next five shots were left of play and off target and here Marie now had almost a bowl advantage. Kay got a massive seventh and eight bowls past the Bulls Gate and sight for the Novice line but Marie followed and beat them to keep her bowl of odds advantage, three more bowls each out around O’Mahony’s bend where it was under the bowl, Kays bowl was very unlucky here it looked perfect but veered up right. Marie finished with two perfect bowls over the finish line to win by a bowl and take the junior county title.
NEWCESTOWN BOWLER PAUL TWOMEY TAKES LYRE TOURNAMENT
Lyre recently held the final of their Novice D tournament, Paul Twomey from Newcestown took on Tadhg O’Driscoll from Carrigtwohill, played for a total stake of €3,800. Both out the Masons bend in four each, Twomey made a bad blunder here could have had a bowl advantage. The next shots were the ones that decided the score, O’Driscoll made the steps and made a great effort to go down the hill again but it got caught left, Twomey down to the layby in two great bowls where he had almost a bowl. After three more to the double gates it was still under the bowl. A bad effort here from Twomey and the odds were suddenly down to forty meters. O’Driscoll though played two very poor bowls from here and Twomey was in control again by a bowl and sixty meters at the school. Back of the Creamery the two bowls was up. Two more well played bowls from Twomey over the hump where matters were terminated and he took the Paddy O’Donovan memorial cup.
CHRIS O'DONOVAN AWAITS KIERAN O'DRISCOLL IN VINTAGE A FINAL.
Jagoes held a vintage a semi-final score between Andrew O’Leary and Kieran O’Driscoll, O’Driscoll on this occasion reversed the result of their junior veteran final in Templemichael in July. O’Driscoll to the cross in two great bowls where he had a bowl of odds, after another two past the dump O’Driscoll had two bowls, a dip in form here for O’Driscoll and a super bowl from O’Leary and the odds was back to a bowl at the Kerbing. At the power station O’Driscoll still had a bowl and held this to the finish, his opponent in the Vintage a final is Chris O’Donovan from Ballineen.
A junior score was held at Whitechurch between Anthony Crowley and Conor Creedon for a total stake of €2,600. Two huge opening bowls to the concrete from Crowley yielded him a bowl of odds. Creedons opening three shots went left. A very well played fifth from Creedon but it kicked in right on him. Huge sixth and seventh from both players half way down the hill, Crowley still a bowl and forty meters up. Two more each back of Boula Cross where Creedon had it under the bowl. A great ninth to Boula Cross for Crowley and Creedon was too tight right and got caught bowl up here again. Up the rising road now past the lawns and on for the farm Crowley rose a further bowl and there was no way back for Creedon.
ANOTHER TOURNAMENT WIN FOR WAYNE PARKES.
Wayne Parkes retained the Tim Foley Cup at Templemartin when he took on Denis O’Sullivan for a total stake of €5,300. O’Sullivan opened with four great bowls to Slynes corner where he had a bowl and odds, Parkes was too tight with his sixth and now he faced almost two bowls of odds. Parkes played the perfect seventh and knocked a lot of odds with it, but undid all his good work with a poor eight, Parkes upped his game from here to the Stonefield bend where he lined four huge bowls and had the odds down to twelve meters, the margin was down to two meters at Buttimers and eventually with his fourteenth Parkes took his first lead, two more each to the layby where O’Sullivan was back in front for the home straight. Parkes missed the line in two from here and O’Sullivan missed a bad tip and a bad finish line, his last was not great and Parkes beat it easily.