Denis O’Sullivan clinches All-Ireland final ticket

Road Bowling action. Picture: Cathal Noonan

Denis O’Sullivan added his name to the Munster contestants at next weekend’s All-Ireland finals in Newtownhamilton when he beat European youth champion Darragh Dempsey in the Munster Junior B final at Togher Cross.

Dempsey edged the first throws to the gully. O’Sullivan took the second and Dempsey went back in front with his third one over the bridge. They both unluckily missed Jagoes cross in five. Dempsey misplayed from there and O’Sullivan gained odds by making the layby. Dempsey hit back instantly with a great seventh to regain the lead, which he extended after a nice rub on his ninth to Cotter’s cross. He raised a bowl with a big throw towards Cronin’s.

O’Sullivan rallied with a great shot past the school. Dempsey missed that by 25m and only beat it by 70m after misdirecting his following shot. O’Sullivan cut the odds to just three metres with another great one to light past the post office. They both erred in their next shots, but significantly O’Sullivan was back in front. Dempsey then missed the line and O’Sullivan beat it to secure his All-Ireland ticket.

Denise Murphy also secured her place in the Munster panel when she beat Juliet Murphy in the last shot of the Munster intermediate final at Bweeng. Juliet won the first shots to sight, but Denise gained traction in the next few and raised a bowl by getting past the tinny house in six. Juliet clipped that to just 35m with a brilliant bowl to Buckley’s steps. After three more Juliet edged back in front by ten metres. Denise shaded the next exchange to the lawn and was never headed again. She gained a bowl of odds in her next two. Juliet knocked the bowl to the forestry, but Denise kept the lead close to a bowl past the line.

Tim Kelleher will carry the Munster colours in the All-Ireland Veteran (over-50) final. He ended the hopes Waterford’s Tony Murphy in the novice section at Ballinacurra. That would normally only qualify him for a Munster final against the junior winner, but Mark Burke was unable to fulfil the fixture due to injury. Burke had a sensational Munster campaign, overcoming two huge challenges in the semi-final and final, only to have his shot at an All-Ireland denied him at the penultimate stage.

Burke beat Noel Gould by almost a bowl in the junior final at Newcestown. He won his first lead with his fourth from Mac’s cross and then beat a great bowl from Gould to Allen’s lane. Gould regained the lead and had almost a bowl at Long’s lane. He lost the lead immediately to a big shot from Burke into the lag. Burke won the next series well, but Gould levelled to O’Brien’s cross. Burke regained control with a brilliant shot from the cross and won by almost a bowl.

Tim Kelleher led at all but one tip in the novice final. That fore bowl came when Tony Murphy played a great third bowl through Brinny cross. Kelleher followed with two good bowls to Foley’s to raise almost a bowl. He held that lead towards the bridge. Murphy missed a chance to level there. He was too tight right with his second last too, which might have forced a last shot. Kelleher plays Brian Kinchin in the All-Ireland final. He finished strongly to defeat Johnny Kelly in the last shot of the Ulster final at Newtownhamilton. Injury hampered Kelly in that one.

Oisín Gribben represents Ulster in the under-16 final. He beat Niall Stevenson in the Ulster final and will take on the winner of the Munster final between Liam Murphy and Brian Horgan. Ross O’Brien was brilliant in his win over Mikie McDonagh in the Munster under-12 final at Castletownkenneigh. He plays Seán Lappin who beat Caiden Fullerton in the last shot of a great Ulster final. The girls under-16 final is between Ulster’s Lily O’Rourke and Laura Sexton who beat Darcy O’Brien by just two metres in a brilliant Munster final at Castletownkenneigh.

James O’Donovan beat Martin Coppinger in the last shot of the Denis O’Driscoll Benefit at Bantry. In Templemartin Wayne Parkes finished strongly to beat Donal O’Riordan in the Tim Foley Cup.