Road Bowling: Michael Bohane holds nerve against Gary Daly to capture title

Michael Bohane

Michael Bohane captured the O’Connell-Dullea Cup when he defeated hot favourite Gary Daly by a bowl of odds at Ballygurteen on Saturday.

Daly opened with a great bowl to win the first tips comfortably. Bohane got back into it with a great second and won the lead with his third to light. They matched each other to the Women’s Lane, where Bohane had 20m odds. He nursed that lead past O’Mahony’s avenue where he had 50m odds. Daly was left with his next two. This left Bohane almost a bowl clear, but he didn’t drive home his advantage.

A well-played 10th bowl pushed Bohane to within three metres of a bowl of odds. Daly closed the gap to 50m in the next three to past O’Donovan’s bend. His following bowl was too far right, but Bohane didn’t punish him. Daly was left with his next one and only reached Burke’s wicket. This time Bohane seized the moment with a well tracked bowl past the junior line that put him a bowl clear. They both opened the last bend in two more, with Bohane holding his lead.

It was a sweet win for Bohane, who received news on Monday of his place on the Irish senior men’s squad for the European Championships in May. David Murphy, who is bidding for an unprecedented fourth gold medal, heads a strong panel that also includes his brother Aidan, who won gold on the Moors in Italy. Gary Daly, Martin Coppinger and James O’Donovan add real depth to the squad, which includes Bryan Wilmot, Éamon Bowen, Séamus Sexton and senior rookie Tom O’Donovan. All-Ireland champion Arthur McDonagh was not available.

The Irish senior women’s team is without former gold medallist and reigning Munster champion Carmel Carey, who has retired. The panel has Claire O’Sullivan, Maria Nagle and Megan Collins who have tasted European success, with Ciara Buckley, Emma Fitzpatrick, Hannah Cronin and Hannah Sexton giving it plenty of strength. Like the senior men, the squad will be supplemented with Ulster players, most notably All-Ireland champion Kelly Mallon.

The Boys U18 team has four top-class players in Darragh Dempsey, Jamie Kelleher, Conor Lucey and Tommy O’Sullivan. The Girls U18 has serious quality too, with sisters Ellen and Margaret Sexton and Rachel Kingston. Like the men’s and women’s teams they will also be joined by Ulster nominees on the plane to Meldorf.

Denis O’Driscoll and Denis Wilmot both advanced in the Bill Barrett Cup at Caheragh. O’Driscoll beat John Shorten by a bowl and Wilmot beat David Hubbard in the last shot. Wilmot led the first three, but Hubbard took over and raised a bowl after six. After two more Wilmot regained the lead and they were locked together to the end.

Brendan O’Neill bowled brilliantly in the Fergal Beamish Cup at the Pike to score an emphatic win over Ger Connolly. This was a dramatic reversal for Connolly who had a big win over Jim Coffey at Ballygurteen on Saturday. O’Neill narrowly missed White’s cross in four, where he was a bowl clear. He was unstoppable from there.

Adrian Buttimer beat John Young by almost a bowl in the West Cork Junior B final at Togher Cross. Young was a shot clear after six to the chips. Buttimer levelled to Hurley’s and raised a bowl at the school, they contested that lead to the line. Thomas Boyle led all the way against Liam Walsh in Whitechurch. He was two bowls clear after five to the end of the wall.

Trevor O’Meara gave a five-star performance at Ballinacurra, he was just short of the line in 12 shots in his win over Kieran Murphy. At Lyre Micheál O’Sullivan countered a strong finishing Shane Shannon to win by 20m. At the same venue Maria Nagle beat Louise Collins by a bowl in the Munster senior league. Her brother James completed a family double when he beat Vincent Kiely in the last shot at Grange. Munster Junior C champion, Alan O’Leary, had a double over Tom O’Callaghan at Corrin.