Dave Fitzgerald and Andrew O’Callaghan advance to Munster Junior A final

File photo: Cathal Noonan

Dave Fitzgerald and Andrew O’Callaghan will contest the 2020 Munster Junior A final following comprehensive semi-final wins last weekend. 

O’Callaghan beat Declan O’Donovan by a bowl at Templemartin, while Fitzgerald beat Donncha O’Brien by almost two bowls at Ballinagree. The winner progresses to the All-Ireland final at Newtownhamilton on the last weekend of August.

In Ballinagree both Fitzgerald and O’Brien opened the first bend, with Fitzgerald taking the tip by 10m. O’Brien reversed that with his second bowl past An Capaillín Bán. Fitzgerald instantly regained the lead and won the following two to the novice line. O’Brien played his next to the left and Fitzgerald pushed his lead to 100m.

O’Brien rallied with a big next bowl to the falling pole. Fitzgerald shaved the left with his and it settled to keep him 100m fore. O’Brien lost momentum when he played his next bowl left and beat Fitzgerald’s tip by just 20m to fall almost a bowl behind. Fitzgerald tightened his grip with another big one from there. O’Brien replied in kind and beat that to keep the lead 15m under a bowl.

Fitzgerald launched another nice one past the quay wall, which O’Brien beat by less than a metre. Fitzgerald raised the bowl with another good one over the bridge. O’Brien didn’t get distance in his next one and Fitzgerald extended his lead with a big shot towards the last bend. O’Brien made bare light from there. Fitzgerald went well out to push his lead to almost two and end the contest.

At Templemartin O’Donovan won each of the two big opening shots to Desmond’s lane. O’Callaghan won the lead with a super third bowl to the cottage. O’Donovan’s reply was right of the sop and missed it by 25m. He bounced back immediately with a big fourth shot to Slyne’s corner, which put him back in front by two metres. They were still level after the next shots.

O’Callaghan then played a brilliant sixth to gain a 40m advantage. O’Donovan was off target with his next and beat the tip by just 35m. O’Callaghan consolidated his lead with another big bowl to O’Riordan’s. O’Donovan misplayed his reply into the right and followed with another short one to concede two bowls of odds.

O’Callaghan held that lead past Collins’. O’Donovan then played a big shot towards the schoolhouse cross to bring the lead under two bowls. O’Callaghan made the cross in ten to keep his lead well over a bowl. O’Donovan continued to press with a big shot to the stone-field bend, but O’Callaghan made clear sight to keep the lead over a bowl. O’Donovan kept challenging, but O’Callaghan held the bowl of odds to the line.

Former champion Thomas Mackle beat his first cousin Colm Rafferty at Knappagh to secure his place in the 2020 Ulster senior final. Rafferty opened with a big bowl to take the first tip by 25m, which turned out to be his only lead. Mackle hit back with two big shots to the point of the planting corner. Rafferty made full light in four to keep in touch and followed with three scintillating shots to Farley’s to draw level.

Mackle raised the tempo with two big shots from there to the top of the hill past the plum trees to take a bowl of odds. He followed with two more massive drives to make the Condy corner in 11, just one off the road record. That put him two bowls clear.

Rafferty rallied strongly with three brilliant bowls to Barney Grimley’s to cut the lead back to a bowl and 20m. Mackle held the bowl to the line, but Rafferty had it back to just five metres over a bowl at one point. Mackle plays reigning champion Cathal Toal in the Ulster final over the same course.

Tom O’Donovan beat Thomas Boyle by three bowls in the Munster Junior B semi-final at Firmount while Eileen McCarthy reached the Munster Junior final when she beat Susan McCarthy by almost a bowl at Lyre.