In-form Daly digs out double at weekend

GARY DALY had two important wins in three days when he beat Christy Mullins in the feature score of the West and Mid Festival at Ballinacurra on Sunday, hot on the heels of his last-shot win over Eamon Bowen Snr in the Mick Barry Cup at Ballincurrig on Thursday.

Christy Mullins opened with two exceptional bowls to the main road in the Ballinacurra score where he had a big lead. He continued to dominate to Perrott’s. Daly took his first lead with a huge bowl towards the bridge, but Mullins regained the lead and was well clear again at the Junior C line.

Daly bowled well up the straight, while Mullins played three poor shots and was 25m behind for the last shot. He beat the line with a well played last bowl but it fell right. Daly easily beat that tip with his reply.

Daly made a sensational start at Ballincurrig, reaching the creamery in three shots to go well over a bowl in front of Eamon Bowen. Those gains began to unravel when he missed the no-play line in two more, but he still had a bowl of odds.

A mistake at the O’Riordan’s cost him most of his lead and Bowen was level at the big corner. Daly got a poor shot at the sycamores and Bowen beat it well. Daly then missed light at the last bend. Bowen’s bowl was racing to light, but it hit a pothole and just made the bend. Daly made light with his next. Bowen played a perfect last bowl past the line, but it was called. He made a mistake with his second attempt and just beat Daly’s tip. Daly then played a brilliant bowl past the line, which Bowen missed.

John Creedon positioned himself well for the Mick Barry Cup too when he easily beat Edmund Sexton at Kilcorney. They started well to make Coleman’s bridge in five where Creedon just had the edge. He was 30m fore after three more to Cullinane’s. Sexton got a great bowl on the long straight, but Creedon increased his odds. He raised almost a bowl with his next and held that to Healy’s.

The lineup for the semi-finals of the John Lowney Munster Senior women’s championship is complete. Former champions Geraldine Daly and Maria Noonan clash at Baile Mhuirne and ex-world youth champ Denise Murphy faces defending champion Carmel Ryan at the Bog Road.

Daly beat Cork football star Julie Murphy at Clondrohid in her quarter-final. Four exceptional bowls in a row to O’Leary’s pillars put her two bowls clear. She held that lead in four more to the Bell Inn and was past the line in another four impeccable throws.

Denise Murphy was two bowls clear of Emma Fitzpatrick at the wall in their quarter-final at Enniskeane. She took five more to make the bridge where her lead was back to 40m. Fitzpatrick missed a chance to close the gap with her next. It still went to a last shot, which Murphy won by 30m.

A massive last shot gave Maria Noonan her only lead against Louise Daly at Killumney. Daly twice raised a bowl. Noonan played two big shots to the forestry to level the score and her final throw was too much for Daly.

Thomas Mackle edged ahead of Fergal Donnelly and Paul Rafferty in the Ulster intermediate championship by taking a second win at Knappagh. He slipped delivering his first bowl from Hughes’s line in driving rain, but bounced back to lead at Brannigan’s. Donnelly took the lead at the big tree and bowled well to Grimley’s to go a shot in front of Mackle and closer to two on Rafferty.

Mackle wiped out that lead and raised a bowl with three great bowls to the Condy corner. Donnelly stormed back to lead at Farley’s corner. Mackle found another gear to the Planting corner, where he was a bowl in front of Donnelly, with Rafferty two behind and he held that lead.

Three great closing bowls put Paul O’Reilly into the Ulster Junior A final at the expense of Malachy Lappin at Blackwatertown.

The Munster U12 and U14 Boys semi-finals will be played over the next week. At U14 Evan Murphy plays Daniel O’Sullivan at Clondrohid and Darren Santry plays Michael Faulkner at Enniskeane. In U12 Timmy McDonagh and Michael Nyhan meet at Clondrohid, while Tim O’Donovan and Dillon O’Driscoll meet in the other at Ballinacarriga.

Ted Hegarty secured a Munster Veteran (over-50) semi-final place at the expense of Pat O’Donovan at the Clubhouse.

James O’Donovan beat Eamon Bowen Jnr in the opening score of the West and Mid Festival at Ballinacurra. Other winners were Donal Riordan against Anthony Gould, Raymond Ryan over Dan O’Halloran, Jerry Gibbons over Denis Wilmot and Brian Wilmot over Brian Donovan.

Former champion Dervla Toal-Mallon is unlikely to contest the Ulster senior championship following the birth of her daughter at the weekend. This means that Kelly Mallon is almost certain to retain her title.