Bowen the master in Herlihy Cup final
Murphy opened with a brilliant bowl to the Glasha. Bowen was well short of that, but he played a sensational second bowl past the Glasha to the top of the rise and cut the lead to 25m. They both got good bowls past the cross with Murphy still holding his 25m lead.
Bowen then got a good bowl past Lynch’s farm and took his first lead by ten metres. He had 20m odds at the corner of the lawn and had 30m at Mehigan’s. Murphy completely misplayed his next shot and missed Bowen’s tip to concede a bowl. Bowen beat a good bowl from Murphy to just short of the senior bend to hold his lead.
After two more Murphy had the lead under a bowl. They made Dan Herlihy’s corner in another two with the lead still just under a bowl. Bowen got a great bowl past Herlihy’s, but Murphy beat it. Bowen just edged the shots to Murphy’s farm to regain his bowl of odds. He increased his lead in each of the next two shots towards the line.
Eamon Bowen Jnr beat Christy Mullins by two bowls in the Kelleher-Hurley Cup semi-final at Drimoleague.
Mullins got two short opening shots, which left him a bowl down. It was still almost a bowl at Caheragh cross. Bowen went halfway down the hill with his next. Mullins beat that tip, but his bowl hit a pillar when it looked to have more run left. Bowen made light with his fourth and raised the bowl.
Mullins knocked the bowl in the next exchange, but Bowen got a massive bowl to Sam’s cross and pushed his lead close to two bowls. He raised the second bowl after two more. He then got another miler to the wide road, comprehensively beating a big bowl from Mullins and extending his lead to well over two bowls.
Mullins hit back with two great bowls on the wide road to cut the lead to a bowl at the farmhouse. Bowen rallied again though and pushed his lead back up to two bowls.
Thomas Mackle beat Raymond Ryan in the last shot in a Mother Hegarty Cup tie at Lyre.
He won the opening shots by 20m and followed with a massive bowl to the forestry entrance to hold a 25m lead. Ryan cut the odds to ten metres with a brilliant third shot. He lost ground with his fourth, but he got a good fifth over the hump to take his first lead. They reached Crowley’s bend in two more with Mackle back in front. He was still just fore after three more to McCarthy’s.
Ryan didn’t reach the end of the long wall with his next and Mackle increased his lead to 40m. Neither player got a good bowl from there, but Mackle had 70m with two to go. He had 50m after his next, which proved more than enough despite Ryan’s big last shot.
At Ballinacurra, DJ Holland took advantage of a poor start from Mick Hurley to go almost a bowl in front after three to Brinny cross. Hurley missed light at Foley’s to fall a bowl behind. Two big shots from there had Holland at Perrott’s in six and well over two bowls clear. He gave Hurley no chance to close the gap after that.
Seamus Sexton finished with four record bowls to beat John Shorten by a bowl in the William Harrington Commemoration at Terelton. They reached the garage in three. Sexton raised a bowl with a massive shot from there and beat the line in three more.
Trevor O’Meara beat David Hubbard in the Hughie Desmond semi-final at Curraheen. He won the opening shot by 50m after Hubbard’s bowl broke left. Hubbard shaded the second exchange. O’Meara got a good third to the hall cross to go almost a bowl in front. He had a full bowl after six to the bridge. Hubbard raised his challenge in the next six shots to Richard’s lane, but O’Meara held his lead. He increased his odds in the last two throws.
William O’Driscoll beat Denis O’Driscoll by two bowls at Béal na mBláth. He took advantage of a slow start by Denis to go a bowl clear after three to the water. He increased his odds to two bowls at the big corner.
Oliver Searles beat John Conneely and Paul Butler by a bowl in the Ballincurrig novice semi-final. In Cobh, Stephen Quinlan beat Willie O’Donoghue in the last shot of the Christy Coleman Cup (A Section) final.
Four exceptional last shots saw James Cooney and Denise Murphy run away from siblings John O’Rourke and Catriona Hubbard in the Tadhg O’Driscoll Cup at Drimoleague. Donal Riordan and Patsy O’Sullivan were equally emphatic in their win over Liam O’Sullivan and Noel Dempsey in the Marsh Road doubles.
Johnny Kelly won the Moy Road Grade 1 final where he easily beat Joe Shortt. In the Grade 3 final Ryan Quigley surprised John Gribben. At the Cathedral Road Darren Donnelly beat Shea Mullen; Barry Duffy beat Michael Quigley and Joe O’Neill beat Kevin Daly in the Northern Builders cup.
Martin O’Donovan easily beat his nephew Darren O’Donovan in the Jagoes Mills novice final. In Grange, Ian Callanan had a double, beating Dan O’Halloran and Brendan O’Neill, both by a bowl.
Former top bowler Tedna Buckley passed away last week. As a vintage player he took on the likes of Mick Barry and Denis O’Donovan. He was the father of ex-senior champions James and Michael Buckley.
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