James O’Donovan finds range to edge past Arthur McDonagh

By Seamus O Tuama

James O’Donovan had the slenderest of victories over Arthur McDonagh in the Willie Whelton Cup at Grange.

McDonagh opened with a big bowl, while O’Donovan was slow off the mark with two short shots. McDonagh followed with two more good throws to light at the stud farm, where he had a bowl of odds. He increased his lead with his next to Holland’s wall. O’Donovan missed de Barra’s in two more.

McDonagh missed two chances to increase his odds. Firstly by missing sight at de Barra’s and then when his bowl to the school cross unluckily hopped onto the bank. They battled over the bowl of odds in the shots past Hodnett’s farm, with both parties guilty of errors. McDonagh increased his odds to 30m over a bowl with a good shot to the bungalow.

O’Donovan then hit a purple patch with four exceptional bowls. The first toward White’s knocked the bowl. He made the start of the wall with his next, but McDonagh kept the lead by going to sight at Barry’s. O’Donovan’s next rubbed at the chalet and reached the car park. McDonagh beat it by five metres to keep the lead for the last shot.

O’Donovan played a sensational last bowl, which left McDonagh with a virtually impossible bowl to beat. He played a super reply, hushing the crowd as it raced towards the target only to miss the tip by a few centimetres.

Ted Hegarty proved too strong for Michael O’Callaghan and Teddy O’Neill in the overall Munster Vintage (over-60) final at Templemartin. Hegarty won the first shot and increased his odds with his second. O’Neill was already struggling to stay in touch. He got two big shots to Slyne’s corner where he had almost a bowl on O’Callaghan and two on O’Neill.

He increased his lead and a big shot to O’Riordan’s had him well over a bowl clear of O’Callaghan. He had three on O’Neill at Collins’ wall. There was no catching him from there. He beat O’Callaghan by two and O’Neill by three.

Laura O’Callaghan beat Rachel Whelton by a bowl in the Munster Junior Women’s final at Templemartin. She was a bowl in front at O’Riordan’s and kept that lead to Slyne’s corner. She increased her odds to the line.

Thomas Boyle beat Derry Cooney by almost a bowl in the Hancy Hubbard Cup at Béal na Marbh. Cooney won the first. Boyle went close to sight with his second and had 60m at the top of the hill. Cooney closed the gap towards the rock. Boyle hit back with a brilliant shot to the lane to raise a bowl, which he held into the straight.

Cooney then got a sensational bowl to the end of the straight to snatch a two metre lead. Boyle got back on track by making sight at the cottage in three more. He powered past the line in two more Tim Young beat David O’Mahony by over a bowl in the Bill Barrett Cup at Caheragh. He won the first tip by 50m. O’Mahony’s second hit a pothole at the church, which put him in trouble. Young extended his lead to almost a bowl past Lisangle cross and raised it with his fourth to the soccer pitch.

Young followed with three big shots to the lawn where he had well over a bowl. His next to the tunnel put him over two clear. O’Mahony rallied strongly, but failed to bring the lead under a bowl.

John Young beat John Cahalane by almost a bowl in the JJ Murphy Cup at Bauravilla. Cahalane led the first 10 shots past the rock. Young won the lead with a big shot from there and had a bowl of odds at the bridge. Cahalane cut the lead to 30m with a big shot to the paling, but Young pushed clear again with two good bowls past the line.

A big last shot secured the Danny McCarthy Cup for Eoin Murray at Durrus against Alan Keane and James O’Donovan. Murray and Keane raised a bowl on O’Donovan in five.

Murray got a brilliant seventh to sight to push clear of Keane. Keane got back into it with a brilliant bowl over the hill.

At the grid Murray led Keane by 40m with O’Donovan two bowls down. Keane won the lead with a brilliant bowl from there. Murray was back in front after a super one of Blair’s Cove. From there to the finish there was nothing in it. Murray played his winning bowl from hind tip.

Martin O’Donovan won the Donie O’Donovan Cup final at Jagoes Mills by a bowl from John Hickey, He scored the line in 14 shots, setting the pace from the off.

He played three good bowl to sight at O’Brien’s. At the end of the footpath he had a bowl. His form dipped to the power station, but Hickey didn’t get back in contention. O’Donovan picked up the pace again to the line.

Ger O’Driscoll beat Adrian Buttimer in the last shot at Béal na Blá. Buttimer led to Shorten’s cross. O’Driscoll got in front with a big shot from there, but Buttimer led the next two to sight at Long’s lane. A big shot to Twohig’s gave O’Driscoll control and he held that to the line.