SKIBBEREEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE TAKE THE HONOURS @ SCHOOLS DAY EVENT
Shannonvale was the venue on Tuesday October 22nd in glorious autumn sunshine where over 130 students from eight secondary schools around the county descended. Some seasoned players in this young bunch and others there to improve their skills. And dare we say more there just to get the morning off school. Not an easy task to get all these students up and away but under the efficient management of the officers of Bol Chumann, all were done and dusted and back to base in a three hour spell. Skibbereen Community College were the overall winners of the O’Riordan Insurance Shield, winning the senior boy’s and coming second in the junior boy’s was enough to secure top points.
The senior boys of Skibbereen Community College Shane McCarthy, Cian Young and Michael O’Leary set a very high target of 2186mt for their eighteen shots, coming in second we had a school that had never taken part before but was captained by a very experienced and international player Daniel Wilmot along with Cillian Harrington and Brian Galvin they recorded a total of 1712mt for Hamilton High School, Bandon and in third place we had Clonakilty Community College captained by the 2020 u-14 county and all-Ireland winner Killian Twohig along with Eoin Fitzpatrick & Peter O’Sullivan they recorded a total of 1622mt.
In the junior boys cycle Colaiste Pobail, Bheanntrai, with boys of great bowling experience Kevin Courtney, Kevin Hourihane and 2023 U-12 county winner Eoghan Hickey recorded a total of 1585mt, in second place the boys of Skibbereen Community College Tom McCarthy, Patrick McCarthy and Darragh Coakley recorded a total of 1527mt, Clonakilty Community College Adam O’Driscoll and Cathal O’Donovan under the guidance of 2024 county and all-Ireland U-12 winner Rory Twohig came in at 1263mt.
A total of six teams participated in both the senior and junior ladies competition. In the senior ladies Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty with the very experienced Laura Sexton who has a few County and all-Irelands under her belt was partnered with Niamh O’Sullivan and Marie O’Donovan and the carded a distance of 1059mt, in second place were new comers to the competition Presentation Convent, Bandon with Roisin Allen, Ciara Fulham and Yvonne Carlton recorded a score of 1003mt and in third place Saint Brogans College Bandon with all cousins Sophie Murphy, Sinead Hickey and Leila Foley scored 964mt.
In the junior cycle Presentation Convent Bandon with Rose O’Mahony, Josephine Kelleher and Anna Deane got a score of 992mt, in second place Mount Saint Michael’s, Rosscarbery lead out by u-16 county winner Meabh Cuinnea along with Casey O’Sullivan and Roisin O’Sullivan with a score of 891mt and coming in third place we had Saint Brogans College, Bandon with Eleanor Crowley, Isabella Buchan and Amy O’Keane with a score of 882mt.
James O’Driscoll, Treasure Bol Chumann thanked all the Students who took part, their Schools, PE teachers and parents, he thanked all for their help in running off the event safely and efficiently.
O'DONOVAN PROGRESSES IN MOTHER HEGARTY CUP
Newly promoted senior player Tommy O’Sullivan took on an inform player at the moment in James O’Donovan in a Mother Hegarty Cup quarter final score at Lyre for a total stake of €7,000. Great opening bowls from both players, O’Donovan just fore, O’Sullivan a great second bowl to the forest entrance, O’Donovan got the sweetest touch at the forest entrance with his second that gave him a bowl of odds. He took this bowl of odds to Crowley’s bend, they both crossed over and it was from here that the score took a twist. O’Donovan caught the right dyke and missed McCarthy’s Bend and O’Sullivan went up full sight and around, O’Donovan missed this tip again and suddenly O’Sullivan had his first lead of the score. O’Donovan took back the lead with a tremendous bowl to the big tree. Both back of the line in 3 more, with O’Sullivan unlucky to miss the line by thirty meters and O’Donovan by ten meters. O’Sullivan lined a huge last to just back of the forge cross, O’Donovan had to do everything right to beat this and he played his bowl perfect and it just beat the mark by three meters. Next up for O’Donovan in this tournament is a semi-final joust against Seamus Sexton, Naad. In a return score here Jordan O’Sullivan and Luke Connors beat Darren Harrington and Jim Coffey for a stake of €4,100.
Earlier in the day also at Lyre, a vintage c score between Tom O’Donovan, Crossbarry and Brendan O’Sullivan, Barryroe was played for a total stake of €1,800. Both out to the Masons Bend in three each, O’Sullivan missed down the hill and O’Donovan down sight, two more for O’Sullivan to O’Donovan’s pillars and down to the double gates where it was just under the bowl. O’Sullivan got two great bowls down to the School Gates, O’Donovan was very left, then right with his next and only made the start of the footpath, his next fell left into the nook, O’Sullivan levelled things up at the Creamery but O’Donovan still had a marginal lead. O’Donovan upped his game again and made the hump and O’Sullivan got three poor bowls in a row to Ballinascarthy Cross where O’Donovan had almost a bowl of odds again and held this to the finish.
LOCAL MAN COPPINGER IN LOCAL TOURNAMENT
Bantry held the second semi-final of their Dan Riordan Cup, here in opposition we had Gary Daly playing local Bantry man Martin Coppinger for a stake of €4,800. Three massive opening bowls from Coppinger to McSweeneys Farm where he had a bowl of odds. Daly produced a couple of milers of his own and at Casey’s Cross he had the score back to level tips, at the Crush only twenty or thirty meters separated them but a blunder here from Daly who failed to open Connolly’s Bend and Coppinger went out full sight to rise a bowl of odds again and hold it to the line. He now plays current holder of this cup Arthur McDonagh in the final.
KEARNEY TAKES COTTER CUP
Terelton held their annual Jerh Cotter Cup final, Niall Murphy, Clondrohid taking on Liam Kearney from, Incheegalagh, for a fine stake of €2,640. Kearney lead from start to finish in this one but only marginally in places. Kearney out to the end of the Graveyard in two bowls where he had forty meters odds, after three more the odds was down to a meter. Past the Garage Kearney rose big odds again, at the duck house Kearney rose a bowl of odds, and held this to the end.
YOUNG IN SHANNONVALE FINAL
At Shannonvale, Tim Young who is having a good run of late kept a clean sheet against Paul Buckley in an intermediate tournament semi-final score for a stake of €4,000. They were level at the Quarry bend, from here Buckley went out Desmonds in three bowls which is the go of it and Young missed out in three but had a good loft from here. Two great bowls each down to Kingston’s and three more down to Campbells lane where Buckley had a slight lead of forty meters, Young got a poor bowl from here up only to the Novice line and Buckley out sight for the Junior line. Young lined a perfect bowl that won him back the lead, Buckley got two poor bowls in succession and now Young was in control from here to the line to win by a big last shot. Young’s opponent in the final is Wayne Parkes pencilled in for Sunday next.
A POLISHED PERFORMANCE FROM HEGARTY
Templemartin held the first of a nine man junior b tournament score between Knocknaheeny’s Michael John O’Brien, Ballyvourneys Conor Creedon and Lyres David Hegarty, one fore bowl was all Hegarty gave away in this score, that being his second shot. Hegarty and Creedon went out Slynes Corner in five each with Hegarty having a forty meter advantage. O’Brien out in six keeping it just under the bowl. Hegarty fired five of the finest from here to the school cross. O’Briens eight was his best of the day making up just back of O’Riordans Cottage, where he knocked the bowl on Hegarty and took the lead on Creedon. From here to the School Cross Hegarty rose a bowl on both O’Brien and Creedon. It would be a huge bowl to open the Stonefield Bend from here. O’Brien buried his bowl in left, Creedon went right and Hegarty was rasher tight on the left but got away with it three-quarter way to the bend. O’Brien got a huge thirteenth down full sight, Creedon missed down two bowls on him now where he conceded, Hegarty put nice odds on O’Brien’s tip to hold his bowl advantage. O’Brien made Buttimers dwelling entrance, it was going to take a monumental blunder from Hegarty to lose this one, but he held out beating all of O’Brien’s tips to win by a bowl. In a return score here Jim Coffey beat Evan Buckley by the last shot for a €6,600 stake.
CROWLEY TAKES THE JERRY "BLOSSOM" O'SULLIVAN CUP
Finals have come hot and heavy in October, at Curraheen on Sunday a novice a tournament final was played between Anthony Crowley and Eoin McCarthy, Crowley being a hot favourite in this one so there was no stake. It was a shot for shot duel to the bridge where McCarthy took his one and only lead, Crowley powered up the hill from here to win by almost three bowls.
DEANE REACHES U-14 COUNTY FINAL
A girl’s under-14 county semi-final was played at Lyre and here Anna Deane from Coppeen took on Shauna O’Driscoll, Drimoleague. O’Driscoll lead the first two shots, an excellent third from Deane down the middle of the road won her a first lead. O’Driscoll from here failed to make the top of the Mason’s hill in two more. Deane was looking down the hill in two, after six and seven shots down the Masons hill Deane was almost a bowl of odds up. O’Driscoll got a great eight bowl half way to the double gates. Deane past the double gates big odds here, and when O’Driscoll was too tight left again the bowl of odds was up. O’Driscoll got a fantastic bowl covered the whole straight to the school, Deane followed this and beat it by twenty meters, this was as good as it got for O’Driscoll as after three more to the line for Deane she had almost a two bowls of odds win. Anna now plays Maebh Cuinnea in the County final.