Noel O’Regan wins epic battle for first road bowling crown of 2022

O’Regan secured the Mikie Hourihane Cup when he defeated David Hegarty and Michael Crowley at Bauravilla on New Year’s Day

Given that the Beara peninsula was the last place in Europe to see daylight in 2021, it was the appropriate locus for the final major bowling event of 2021. File photo: Cathal Noonan

Noel O’Regan became the 16th holder of the Mikie Hourihane Cup when he beat David Hegarty and Michael Crowley in the first big final of 2022 at Bauravilla on New Year’s Day.

He shaded the opening shots. Hegarty played a super second bowl to Robin’s cross to raise 60m odds on both his opponents. He made the netting in two more where he had a big lead on O’Regan and a bowl on Crowley.

O’Regan regained the lead with a brilliant bowl past Dekker’s. All three missed the rock in two more. After the next exchange to the rock Hegarty and O’Regan were level and Crowley was a bowl down.

All three got poor shots from the rock, which was especially costly for Crowley in his bid to get back in touch. O’Regan increased his lead to almost a bowl on Hegarty and two on Crowley in the next three to the bridge. He didn’t get a great bowl from the bridge and Hegarty seized the opening with a good bowl to the top of the rise. O’Regan beat this well with a good shot into the hollow.

Hegarty then produced a sensational last bowl past the line, despite falling while delivering. This left O’Regan with a significant 110m target to beat. His reply drifted into the verge, but had enough pep to rub and beat the tip by 10m.

Given that the Beara peninsula was the last place in Europe to see daylight in 2021, it was the appropriate locus for the final major bowling event of 2021. The two-day RNLI/Air Ambulance benefit festival at Castletownbere saw big wins for Aidan Murphy and a smashing double by first-cousins Gary Daly and Patrick Flood among others.

Murphy turned the recent tide against James O’Donovan in an emphatic win for €70,000. O’Donovan shaded the first shot by centimetres, but Murphy established dominance with a brilliant second one and led to the finish. He raised a bowl of odds with his third throw and had close to two after five. The rest of the score revolved around the winning margin, with O’Donovan just saving the second bowl.

Teenage Patrick Flood won the first leg of the double for the Fermoy cousins when he beat Tim Young by two bowls. The early exchanges were close. Young led by 30m after two, but Flood had edged into a 25m lead after five to the GAA field. There was little between them after seven to Tallon cross, but from there Flood took over.

He raised almost a bowl of odds when his eighth rubbed the left. He raised a full bowl with his next and he quickly turned that into two bowls of odds.

Daly completed the double in a line-to-line win over Séamus Sexton. A great first shot won him the opening tip by 60m. He raised a bowl with his second and was two bowls clear at Tallon cross. Sexton rallied to bring the lead back to a bowl, but could get no closer.

Eugene McVeigh closed 2021 on a high too when he beat Aaron Hughes by almost a bowl in the feature score of the “Aaron’s Mission to Walk” benefit on the Cathedral Road on New Year’s Eve. His first bowl hopped the kerb and Hughes took the tip by 40m. McVeigh followed with a series to good bowls to light at the well corner, while Hughes hadn’t full light there.

McVeigh increased his odds to McGrath’s concrete and raised a bowl up Starr’s hill. Hughes knocked the bowl at the coal sheds. McVeigh got a great bowl from there to Brannigan’s to push his lead over a bowl again, which he held to the big tree. Hughes played a brilliant bowl to Rowntree’s, McVeigh got a lucky rub with his reply, which ensured his victory.

Diarmuid Hurley beat Denis O’Sullivan by a bowl in the Reenascreena final.

Other big winners over the new year were Finbarr Coughlan who beat James Hurley at Bauravilla and Matt McDonagh who beat Shane Keane in the last shot at Baile Bhuirne.