Murphy sisters in sparkling form
Caitriona secured her place in the Queen of the Roads by winning the Gretta Cormican Cup on Saturday and Aileen won the Munster Junior final on Sunday.
Caitriona beat Nicola O’Sullivan by a bowl of odds in the Gretta Cormican Cup final at Castletownkenneigh to win her place in next month’s Queen of the Roads semi-final.
She put down a marker with a tremendous opening bowl from the triangle. O’Sullivan just beat that in two. Murphy raised a full bowl of odds with her next.
She kept up the pressure with two more good bowls to the hollies where she had a second bowl of odds. O’Sullivan rallied in the next two exchanges through the cross to bring the lead under two bowls. She continued to press and brought the lead back to just 60m over a bowl after two more. She cut the lead marginally in the next two to the junior line.
O’Sullivan brought the lead back to a bowl after two poor shots from Murphy. Murphy held firm though and beat the line with her next to hold her bowl of odds winning margin.
In the Queen of the Roads she will play European road bowling champion Carmel Ryan and European Dutch Moors champion Silke Tulk, both former Queens of the Roads, in the second semi-final. In the first semi-final All-Ireland champion Triona O’Farrell-Kidney will play defending champion Kelly Mallon and the young German champion Anke Klöpper.
In the King of the Roads semi-final All-Ireland champion Martin Coppinger plays last year’s King, David Murphy, and the exciting Dutch champion Arjan Hassink. In the second semi-final Aidan Murphy plays Ulster champion Conor McGuigan and German champion Robert Djuren.
PJ Cooney booked his place on the festival programme when he beat John Shorten in the semi-final of the Jim O’Driscoll Cup at Ballincurrig. He will play Munster champion Trevor O’Meara in the Cork final on the opening day of the festival, with the winner taking on Thomas Mackle in the overall final.
Cooney just edged the opening shots on Saturday and was still fore after two more past Moore’s gate. Shorten took his first lead with a great fourth shot to the end of the green. Cooney hit back immediately with a brilliant bowl to the top of the acre. Shorten was well hind of that but compensated with his next past the no-play line to level the score.
Cooney went clear again in the shots from the play line and was in a strong position at Leahy’s. They took two each to light at the big corner, where Cooney still had a good lead. Shorten didn’t make the top of the short straight with his next, leaving Cooney with a great chance to go for a bowl of odds. He misplayed his bowl into the right though and just beat Shorten’s tip. They were still level after two more to light at the sycamores.
Shorten regained the lead with a good bowl to the elbow, but Cooney went back in front with a massive second last bowl onto the finishing straight. Shorten played a perfect last bowl past the line, but it bounced off an uneven surface and hopped into the grass. Cooney had a nice shot to beat but handled it well and won comfortably.
Con O’Donovan won the Munster Vintage (over-60) C final against PJ Murphy at Killumney. He led by 50m after two shots, but Murphy had it back to just 15m after three more to the silver gate. Murphy got a great sixth shot to take his first lead by 30m. They both went past the lane in three more where O’Donovan was back in front. Murphy continued to press strongly and hit the front again facing Connie’s corner.
O’Donovan hit back with a great bowl to the corner. Murphy played his reply into the left, well short of that, and he only beat it by 30m with his next. O’Donovan looked to be in control now, but he misplayed his next bowl to the right and missed Murphy’s tip. He recovered immediately though with a brilliant bowl past the line, which Murphy missed.
O’Donovan now goes forward to the Munster Vintage final at Kildee on Sunday against ‘A’ winner John Murphy and ‘B’ winner Liam O’Driscoll.
Aileen Murphy gave a sensational performance in her Munster Junior final win over Emer Galvin at Enniskeane. She was out sight at the Mill in five where she was almost two bowls in front. After two more great bowls she had three bowls of odds. She held that lead in three more to the wall. She was at the bridge in two more and she beat the line in another two.
At Whitechurch, Raymond Ryan beat Thomas Mackle by a bowl. At Knappagh Paul O’Reilly beat Eddie Carr by almost a bowl in the Bill Hillock cup semi-final and plays Paul Rafferty in the final.
