Murphy and Mullins the big winners on benefit weekend

David Murphy and Christy Mullins were the big winners at the Murphy Fund benefit weekend at Shannonvale.

Murphy had a comprehensive win over Martin Coppinger on Sunday and Mullins made a late rally to beat James O’Donovan on Saturday.

On Sunday Murphy got the better of two good opening shots. Coppinger played his second too far right and got a very short shot. Murphy made Desmond’s line in six, while Coppinger just missed in seven. Murphy scorched past Campbell’s lane in five more where he had over three bowls of odds.

James O’Donovan made a promising start against Christy Mullins. He was at the quarry in four where he led by a bowl and 50m. He was just short of Desmond’s line in two more, where he lofted to keep his lead over a bowl. After two more to Sam’s lane he was still a bowl in front.

O’Donovan held the bowl to Campbell’s lane after five below par shots. Mullins then got a massive bowl. O’Donovan replied with two poor shots to just hold the lead. Mullins won his first lead at the next tip. O’Donovan closed with another poor shot and Mullins beat the line.

Kieran Murphy gave a powerful performance in the return score in which he totally dominated Jerry Gibbons to win by three bowls.

Wayne Callanan finished strongly to beat Donal Riordan and Gavin Twohig in the Ballinacurra Christmas tournament final on Saturday.

Twohig got a big first shot to the opening to lead by 40m. Both Callanan and Riordan got poor second shots. Twohig cut his bowl too tight and it hit the kerb and crossed the road just fore bowl. Riordan got a massive third shot to the far end of Brinny cross.

Both Callanan and Twohig made the main road about 20m hind and could only make the church with their next throws. Riordan was just shy of Foley’s with his fourth to push his lead to almost a bowl. He lofted well to make the gas line and raise a full bowl on Twohig and keep almost a bowl on Callanan.

Riordan controlled the score to Innishannon cross, which he reached in nine shots. He still had close to a bowl on Callanan and a full bowl on Twohig. Callanan turned the score with three great bowls from the bend before the Junior C line. Riordan made a mistake with his bowl towards Cronin’s avenue, which gave Callanan the opening he needed.

He played a brilliant bowl from the avenue that went to clear sight facing the line. Riordan was well short of that and failed to make the line with his last. Callanan beat the line well to win by close to a bowl on Riordan and two bowls on Twohig.

Brian Wilmot led all the way in his bowl of odds win over John Creedon in the O’Connell-Dullea Cup at Ballygurteen.

He opened with a good bowl. He didn’t reach sight with his second, but went well past the bend with his third to take a big lead. He kept good odds in the next few shots. He then played a huge bowl past the women’s lane that ran towards the avenue and put him a bowl in front.

He held that lead to O’Donovan’s by matching Creedon’s good bowling on the straight. They made the bridge in four each from there. Creedon conceded at that point as he had poor sight, while Wilmot was onto the finishing straight.

Michael Bohane reached the Tim Foley Cup final at Templemartin by beating John Shorten by over a bowl in incessant snowfall.

He opened with a good bowl past the cross. Shorten drove his first to the left and just beat Bohane’s tip with his second. Bohane followed with a good bowl to Desmond’s lane, which Shorten missed to concede a bowl of odds. He made light at Slyne’s corner in two more, while Shorten was just short of the bend in five.

Shorten had his best period from there, starting with a good bowl to Herlihy’s. Bohane got too poor shots to the nooks to leave just 40m between them. There was little change to the schoolhouse cross. Shorten then got a short bowl and Bohane hit back with two good shots to the stonefield bend to go well over a bowl clear again. He held that lead to the finish.

Davey Fitzgerald had a double at Grenagh. He beat David Hubbard in the last shot in the first and Seamus Sexton by a bowl in the second. Hubbard had a good odds till his third bowl got an unlucky break and he lost the lead. Fitzgerald raised a bowl at the halfway line and held it to Boula lane.

Hubbard cut the lead to just 30m with two good shots to the last bend, but then missed the line. Fitzgerald beat the line. In the second score he raised a bowl on Seamus Sexton with a big first shot and led to the line.

Carraig na bhFear will host a major two-day festival of bowling next weekend.