O’Meara keeps composure to secure Munster crown at Donoughmore
He set the foundation for victory with a big opening shot to light. Ryan’s opener was 50m shy of light and he could only make the gates with his second. O’Meara got a great second past the return finish line to extend his lead. He scorched to the bounds in two more where he was within 20m of a bowl of odds. He made the lollipops past Ring’s corners with his fifth to go a bowl and 30m clear.
His next three to the long wall were not as impressive. Ryan didn’t make huge gains though, but he had he lead under a bowl at the start of the straight. O’Meara then got a brilliant bowl past the novice line to raise a bowl again. Ryan knocked the bowl in the shots to the end of the straight. O’Meara then missed light. Ryan had a chance to level, but just beat O’Meara’s tip.
O’Meara pulled his next bowl around the second last bend and Ryan’s lofted reply missed the tip by two metres. Ryan knocked the bowl again with a great shot to light at the last bend. O’Meara released a sensational 15th shot past the line from the bottom of the hill, which Ryan missed to forfeit the bowl of odds.
Also at Donoughmore, Catriona O’Farrell-Kidney regained the Munster senior title when she beat defending champion Carmel Ryan by almost a bowl in a Carrigtwohill derby.
Ryan won the first tip by 40m. Kidney got a super second bowl to light. Ryan was too far left with her second and her lead was cut to five metres. Kidney’s third caught the right and Ryan pushed her lead out to 30m. Kidney got a great fourth towards the nooks to take her first lead. Ryan’s next caught the right dyke and Kidney extended her odds to 30m.
Ryan missed light at the bounds. Kidney’s reply rubbed the right and went out. Ryan beat that tip by 20m to fall almost a bowl behind. Kidney held that lead to Ring’s corners. Ryan rallied with two great bowls to the halfway line to cut the odds to 40m.
She lost most of her gains by hitting a pillar with her next shot and Kidney extended her lead to 80m. Ryan beat that tip by just 40m with her next. Kidney drove home her advantage with three massive shots to just short of the line to win by almost a bowl.
That meant four of Ireland’s five European gold medallists failed in their provincial championships — Ryan and David Murphy had both relinquished their senior titles and Aidan Murphy and Cian Shorten fell short at senior and U18 respectively. The hoodoo looked set to continue till an extraordinary last shot rescued Meghan Collins against Ciara Buckley in the U18 final, also played at Donoughmore.
Kelly Mallon retained her Ulster senior title beating Dervla Toal-Mallon in the last shot on the Markethill Road. Toal had it well under a bowl at the creamery lane. Mallon got two massive bowls to light at McGeown’s. Toal came back with two equally good bowls to Powell’s lane to regain the lead after Mallon misplayed her bowl at the flaxhole. Mallon regained a 15m lead after two more to McCann’s. She went 30m clear after her next rubbed the kerb past the garage. Toal’s last bowl fell left to hand Mallon victory.
In a double-header at Enniskeane, Patrick O’Donoghue won the Munster U14 final and Michael Nyhan the U12. O’Donoghue raised a bowl on Mark Shannon at the Mill and increased that to two before the line.
In the U12 final, Nyhan levelled to the Mill and won in the last shot.
At senior, Gary Daly beat John Creedon by a bowl in the Mick Barry Cup at Ballincurrig. In the Paddy Barry Cup at Rosscarbery, Éamon Bowen Jnr beat Paddy O’Donoghue in the last shot. Thomas Mackle edged Paul Rafferty in the last shot in the Bill Hillock Cup at Knappagh.
David Hubbard beat William O’Driscoll by almost two bowls in the semi-final at Whitechurch. John O’Donoghue beat Mick Hurley in the John Cronin Cup semi-final at Cobh. In the Seán Scanlon Cup at Donoughmore, Vincent Kiely beat Aidan Hurley in the last shot.
