Murphy powers to Munster U18 title
He equalled the senior record with his first five throws to ‘Peg’s cross’, by which time he was two bowls of odds clear and the title was virtually out of Callanan’s reach.
He was just shy of light with his brilliant opening bowl. Callanan made the end of the wall with his first, but it left him well short of Murphy’s tip and he was playing second best for the rest of the score.
He made light with his second. Murphy delivered another searing bowl, but he couldn’t do a lot from his tip.
Callanan played his third shot too far left and just beat Murphy’s tip by a metre. Murphy went for the jugular with another exceptional bowl towards O’Donoghue’s.
Callanan’s reply was well short of that tip and he just beat it by 10 metres with his following shot to leave almost two bowls between them. Murphy’s fourth shot made light at O’Donoghue’s. Callanan missed that to concede a second bowl of odds.
Callanan was just short of ‘Peg’s cross’ with his eighth shot. Murphy beat the cross with his fifth to increase his lead and equal the senior record to that point.
From there on it was a matter of damage limitation for Callanan, a task he more than achieved with a brave performance.
He cut the odds to a bare two bowls with a good bowl to the foot of the hill and he had the lead under two at the top of the hill. Murphy didn’t make light at the slippery rock in eight and Callanan had the lead back to just over a bowl.
He kept driving on and knocked the bowl with a good shot over the brow towards Murphy’s wall.
Murphy remained focused during Callanan’s best period. He nudged the lead close to a bowl again with his shot to the end of the wall. He then played a super bowl from a difficult stand and went well towards the line. That restored his bowl of odds and he held it comfortably in the last shot.
Raymond Ryan, last year’s U18 champion, was an impressive winner of the Jerry Desmond Cup final at Kildee. He dominated the score from the off and eventually beat Vincent Kiely by over a bowl.
The Murphy dominance of Munster titles continued at Clondrohid where, John Murphy, uncle of Kieran and father of senior champion David, won the Veteran (O50) title against DJ Holland.
Holland started well and was leading by 70m after three shots past the mulch yard. Murphy cut the odds with a good bowl past the wicket gate.
Holland pushed clear again following a great bowl at Tirbeg cross, which set him up to go almost a bowl in front at Kelleher’s.
He made the Bell Inn in two more where he had a full bowl.
They both made light at Goff’s lane in four more. Murphy got a lucky break with his next shot to make light facing the novice line. Holland took poor play and missed light, he missed Murphy’s tip with his next to concede the lead for the first time.
Murphy increased his lead with a great bowl to the end of the straight, which put him almost a bowl in front.
He got a very lucky run on the grass margin with his next bowl and it made light facing the line. He was now within 10m of a bowl in front and sealed it by beating the line with his next throw.
Neil Crowley defeated reigning champion John O’Sullivan in the last shot of the Munster U16 final at Reenascreena. O’Sullivan gained a bowl of odds with his third throw. Crowley knocked it with a massive fourth shot. He led after two more to the cross and went almost a bowl clear at the bungalow. O’Sullivan hit back to lead with three to go. Crowley closed with two great bowls though and won comfortably in the last shot.
Ciara Buckley is Munster U16 champion. She beat Megan Collins by almost a bowl at Baile Mhuirne in the final.
Collins started brightly and was just short of light in two. She had a big lead after her third. Buckley won the lead with a brilliant fourth shot, but Collins regained the lead at O’Donoghue’s.
Buckley pulled away again up the hill and was almost a bowl in front at the slippery rock. She gave Collins a small chance by missing the line with her last shot, but Collins played her bowl to the right and hit a wall.
Billy McAuliffe had the first win of the 2011 Jim O’Driscoll Cup when he beat Killian Kingston by almost a bowl at Ballincurrig. Mike Kelleher beat Michael O’Callaghan by almost a bowl in the Gaeltacht Novice A final at Macroom.
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