Daly gives outstanding display to take senior men’s title
Gary Daly won the senior men’s title in Skibbereen. He gave an outstanding display on Sunday to beat Dutch player Jos Bert Aalbers by 41m. European champion David Murphy won bronze 37m ahead of his brother Aidan. David Murphy was the overnight leader by a few centimetres, but Daly beat his last shot on Sunday to leapfrog into gold.
Dutch players Jochen Wennink and Melle Analbers took the top two spots at u18. Munster champion Kieran Sexton won bronze. Wennink would have been in the top six in the senior section.
Dutch star Silke Tulk beat her compatriot Lindsay Leussink by 120m to take the senior women’s title. She also finished second on day one. Catriona Murphy secured the bronze for Ireland. Dutch girl Britt Blokhuis edged Katie Sexton by less than two metres to win the u18 title. Lisa Jonkers was third for the Netherlands.
James Cooney gave a star display in the John Cronin Cup final at Conna where he beat Billy McAuliffe in the last shot. McAuliffe won the first three shots. Cooney led with a great fourth into the school corner. McAuliffe’s fifth drifted right and hit O’Keeffe’s wall. Cooney replied with a big bowl towards the forge bend. He got a great brush with his next to go almost a bowl in front at the forge.
He followed with three massive shots to go almost two clear. He made Burns’ with the first and was facing O’Connor’s corner in two more for a record tally of nine shots. McAuliffe wiped most of that lead out with a brilliant bowl to sight. Cooney regained momentum and a 90m lead with a super second last shot. McAuliffe closed with a big bowl, but Cooney beat it comfortably.
James Buckley reached the King of the Roads semi-final when he beat Thomas Mackle by half a metre in a dramatic finish in the Mick Barry Cup at Ballincurrig.
Mackle opened with possibly the longest first shot ever at Ballincurrig onto Moore’s straight. Buckley was well short of that, but got a good second to Moore’s gate. Mackle barely beat that with a poor shot and they each got poor third throws. Buckley then got the better of two brilliant bowls towards the creamery. They beat the no-play line in two more each.
Buckley won the next two tips onto the long straight. Mackle regained the lead with a great bowl to the top of the straight. They opened the big corner in two more with Mackle just fore. Buckley followed with a great shot to sight at the top of the short straight. Mackle’s reply was too tight and missed up to leave almost a bowl between them.
Buckley’s next broke left and just made the muddy gap. He still held a good lead, but Mackle opened it all up again with a brilliant shot past the elbow to sight at the last bend. Buckley beat that comfortably. Mackle’s last bowl was very tight on the right, but it rubbed kindly and went well into the green. Buckley played a perfect reply that just sneaked past it.
Gary Daly’s golden weekend ended when Martin Coppinger eliminated him from King of the Roads. Coppinger edged the opening shots and led in each of the next four past the creamery. Daly then missed the no-play line and Coppinger took a big lead which he carried to O’Riordan’s. Daly cut the lead to ten metres with an extraordinary bowl from behind O’Riordan’s to the top of the long straight.
They were level after ten to Leahy’s and Daly won his first lead with his next past the elbow. Coppinger nosed ahead again after two more to the top of the short straight. Daly’s next veered left at the muddy gap. Coppinger punished him by going to clear sight at the last bend in three more. Daly was peeping and on a dry day might have made the line. Rainwater lodged at the bend captured his bowl short of Coppinger’s tip.
Francis Oliver beat Teddy Conway by a bowl in the Ulster Novice II final at Tassagh. He broke the early deadlock with a great sixth, but Conway reeled him in with a big bowl to the crab tree. Oliver raised a bowl in the shots to the river. Conway missed a few chances to close the gap and Oliver pulled clear with two good last shots.
Next weekend’s focus moves to Westport for the Junior C, Novice I and Novice II All-Ireland finals involving representatives of each of the four Irish provinces, North America and London. It will be a poignant return of the championships to the bowling village of Aughagower a few months after the demise of Mayo’s greatest bowler Willie Carroll.
