Munster intermediate championship wins for O'Callaghan and Young

Michael O’Donoghue secures place in Cork City junior A semi-final with a dramatic last shot win at Whitechurch.

Andrew O'Callaghan and Tim Young enjoyed a successful weekend. Picture: Cathal Noonan

Andrew O’Callaghan and Tim Young secured the first two wins of the 2022 Munster intermediate championship at the weekend.

O’Callaghan, who won the Junior A title last year, beat Raymond Ryan by a bowl at Baile Bhuirne. Ryan got the better of good opening shots by 30m. O’Callaghan got a nice run off the right with his second for his first fore bowl. The lead changed hands in each of the next two throws. O’Callaghan led the next three to O’Herlihy’s cross. He got a good bowl from there to push his lead to a bowl of odds. He had well over a bowl after two more to the council yard.

Ryan cut the lead to just over a bowl with a big shot from there. After two more to the piggeries he knocked the bowl. O’Callaghan played his next one right and now the odds was just 50m. Ryan completely misplayed his reply and conceded a bowl again. O’Callaghan had well over a bowl at Tig Uí Riada. Ryan rallied again in the next two to bring the lead just under a bowl. He missed light at the last bend, which was his last chance to level it.

Tim Young beat Paul Buckley by almost a bowl at Grange. Buckley opened with a big bowl and was out the stud farm bend in two more to go almost a bowl clear. He raised a full bowl at Holland’s wall. Young turned the score with a great bowl to sight past de Barra’s. Buckley missed that in two and only beat it by 30m with his third throw. Young made the schoolhouse cross with his next to extend his lead to two bowls. He increased his odds to O’Sullivan’s.

Buckley brought the lead under two bowls with a good shot to the big tree. Young misplayed his next bowl into Hodnett’s farmyard, which left him a bowl and 60m fore. Buckley followed with another good one to the bungalow, which cut Young’s lead to 80m. In an instant Young was back in control. Buckley got a poor next shot and Young got a brilliant one to White’s to go over a bowl clear again. Neither player was fluid in the closing stages, but Buckley saved the bowl of odds.

Michael O’Donoghue secured his place in the Cork City junior A semi-final with a dramatic last shot win over Trevor O’Meara at Whitechurch. He won the lead with a huge third shot and led to the farm. O’Meara led to the devil’s bend and extended his lead to 50m with his second last. O’Donoghue’s last bowl got a nice rub and went onto the straight. O’Meara did everything right with his reply, but just missed the tip.

Denis Cooney stayed on track to retain his East Cork-Waterford Junior A title following a good win over Nicholas Carey at Ballincurrig. They started in a welter of brilliance. Carey won the first two to Moore’s gate. Cooney was almost at the no-play line in three more. Then Carey levelled with a sensational sixth to the line. His challenge came undone when he misplayed his next two and handed a bowl of odds to Cooney. He rallied again with another sensational bowl to the big corner. Cooney regained control with two huge bowls to the sycamores.

John Young retained the John-Joe Murphy Cup at Bauravilla, in the last shot, against James Nagle. Nagle led by 70m after two to Robin’s cross. Young won his first lead with a big shot past Dekker’s. He had 30m odds at the rock and extended that to almost a bowl at the bridge. He was still in control at Madore station. He gave Nagle a sniff, when he missed the line.

Killian Kingston finished with three brilliant bowls to defeat Éamon Bowen at Whitechurch. He had close to a bowl after three past Kelly’s. Bowen levelled with two big bowls to the end of the wall. He raised a bowl with his shot from Boula lane. Kingston regained the lead and led by a bowl at the farm. He extended that to the line.

Next weekend’s bowling focus will be firmly on the first renewal, since 2019, of An Ból-Fada at Keady-Tassagh.