Bowling Report - Week ending 30th March

MUNSTER DOMINATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Munster enjoyed a clean sweep of honours against their Ulster counterparts in the fourth hosting of the boys and girls U/14 & U/12 Team All-Irelands on the Lyons road in Newcastle Co. Dublin. This was the fourth consecutive year of these All-Ireland championships and they continue to go from strength to strength. The first pairing off were the boys U/14 Fionan Twohig and Eoghan Hickey, followed by Tadgh Hickey and Jack Allen, they recorded a total of 2679.7 mt, to Ulster’s Johnny Campbell, Keilan Fullerton, Jack O’Reilly and Cahir Casey 2530.4mt.

Next up we had the girls U/14 Chloe Hubbard, Lauren McCarthy, Nicola Hurley and Layla Fleming with 2172.1mt from Ulster’s Anna Toal, Connie Mallon, Lucy Lennon and Aoife Cahill at 1889.1.

The Munster Girls U/12 did not have much to spare over Ulster, Robyn O’Brien, Lily McDonagh, Aoife McCarthy and Cait Young carded 1698.2mt from Ulster’s Eva Mallon, Róise Kiernan, Trudie O’Rourke and Chloe Garvey with 1647.9.

The the last group up were the boy’s U/12 Tommy Coppinger, Jayden Crowley, Kieran and Sean Hickey with a score of 2172.1 and they won from Ulster’s Daithi Cahill, Aaron Mackle, Conan Casey and Keelan Fullerton coming in at 2009.9.

Chole Hubbard from Rylane has been on all teams since its inception in 2022 a wonderful achievement.

The chairman Willie Murphy thanked all who made the day another wonderful success, he thanked all the Youth officers from both North and South, the Ladies committee, the sponsors Deane and Young and the Dynes brothers, the caterers and the GAA pavilion for facilitating our presentation.

The junior A championship is now in full swing, on Saturday in Ballinacurra there was an all mid cork clash between Noel O’Donovan and David O’Mahony, playing for a total stake of €1,300. O’Mahony took his first lead at Brinny cross, at Foley’s O’Donovan was back in front. A huge sixth from O’Donovan raised almost a bowl of odds at the gasline and raised it fully with another good bowl to Perriots avenue. Two more each to the GAA entrance and two more to the Silvery gate and there was no catching O'Donovan after his fourteenth where he had a full two bowls.

Conna hosted another junior a championship score when Cian Boyle from the city played Eamonn Bowen from Carrignavar for a total stake of €2,000. There was nothing between them after five each to Coleman’s corner, a poor bowl here from Boyle gave Bowen his first lead at Cullinane’s cottage. After two more to the Bridge, Bowen held a slender lead of ten meters but he extended this with a huge bowl to Meade’s new house, Boyle wasn’t giving up he played a fantastic tenth to the end of the paling that won him back the lead and held this lead to Mullins wall. Bowen showed some Intermediate class with his next bowl to the top of the gasline hill restoring his lead, but Boyle played a great sixteenth passed the Novice line, Bowen beat the line and Boyle dribbled over to win by ten meters.

At the Clubhouse another junior A championship was held, Rossmore’s Gavin Twohig played Darragh Dempsey from Skibbereen for €800 a-side. Three good bowls to the chips from Twohig yielded him a bowl of odds. Three more to Clonakilty cross where Twohig extended his lead to fifty meters with the bowl. Dempsey got a good bowl from here but Twohig was on top form and went out sight at the pillars and took his bowl of odds down to O’Riordan’s. Dempsey had it under the bowl at the end of the garage but it was not enough as Twohig finished strong and won out in the end by a big bowl of odds.

There was a ladies intermediate clash at Newcestown, here former Cork Footballer Juliete Murphy had a convincing win over Lisa Hegarty, at O’Briens cross Murphy led by ten meters, she powered up the hill to Kingston’s where she rose two bowls of odds. Murphy did exceptional bowling from here to the finish to win well.

At Castletown in a junior B championship score John A. Murphy played Denis Murphy, there was no stake. Three great bowls each past Spillane’s, Denis just ahead, four more up past round tower cross John A just forged ahead by one meter. After two more to Pynes corner Denis ahead again by two meters. Two good bowls from here to sight for the netting for John A where he had valuable odds, but Denis cut the right hand corner with his twelfth out past the netting a super bowl that won him back the lead by twenty meters. Enough to secure him victory when he beat the line with his last.