Celebration of female players for St Brigid’s Day

Arthur McDonagh from Fermoy, in action.

Arthur McDonagh led from the off in his two bowls of odds win over Ulster and All-Ireland champion, Thomas Mackle, in the Noel Phair Cup at Shannonvale.

He won the opening shot by 25m, this was as close as Mackle would come to him all score. McDonagh reached the top of the hill with his second shot, which Mackle beat by just 20m in three. McDonagh held that lead in the next two towards the quarry. He then lofted and his bowl wheeled well around the quarry.

He still had close to a bowl after his next to Buttimer’s pillars. He raised the bowl with his seventh shot and made light at Desmond’s in eight to keep his bowl of odds. They both needed two more to reach Kingston’s.

McDonagh virtually ended the contest when he played a great 11th bowl past Kingston’s wall. This put him well over a bowl in front. Mackle refused to surrender though and kept the lead under two bowls with a big shot to Tobin’s. McDonagh countered with a brilliant bowl to light at Campbell’s. Mackle beat that by just a metre to leave two full shots between them. McDonagh sealed it with another big one from there.

Aidan Murphy beat European champion, Séamus Sexton, by almost a bowl at Grange. He got the better of the first two, with Sexton edging the third to light past the stud farm. Murphy was very tight left with his next and Sexton increased his lead following a brush off Holland’s wall.

Murphy regained the initiative immediately with a sensational loft. With his bowl spinning right he reached de Barra’s. This put him back into a lead he never relinquished. He increased his odds in the shots down the hill to the school. Sexton played a purlicue next and made the middle of the school cross. Murphy replied with a loft, which helped him get to straight road and extend his lead.

Sexton was too tight right with his next. Murphy hit back with another perfect bowl to light facing O’Sullivan’s, which Sexton missed to fall a bowl behind. Sexton got back into it with a brilliant bowl up the hill to the big tree, which clipped Murphy’s lead to 70m. He lost momentum with his next one though.

Murphy played a great bowl to the bungalow, but Sexton beat it to keep the lead under a bowl. Murphy raised the bowl again with his next one to White’s wall. Sexton made a gallant bid to get back on terms with a great bowl to light at Barry’s. It was not enough though as he couldn’t make the line from there. Murphy came well past the bend with his reply and then beat the line.

Tyrone club, Eglish, will host a six-score programme next weekend. Rising star Patrick Flood leads for Munster against Ulster’s Bryan O’Reilly in the opening contest on Saturday. His first-cousin, Gary Daly, closes the weekend against Colm Rafferty. These two senior scores bookend a weekend that includes four other North-South scores.

John A. Murphy scored a comprehensive win in the Mikie Hourihane Cup at Bauravilla. He beat Brian Coughlan by two bowls and John O’Brien by three. He had 30m odds on Coughlan and a bowl on O’Brien at Dekker’s. He quickly raised odds, getting two bowls clear of Coughlan and three on O’Brien after 11 to the bridge. He held that with his next one to the grotto, which put the score to bed.

David O’Mahony beat European youth champion, Darragh Dempsey, by a bowl at Ballygurteen. He won all the early exchanges, with Dempsey not hitting the front till his tenth throw. O’Mahony took control again to O’Donovan’s where he led by almost a bowl. He went on to raise and win by a bowl in the final quarter.

To mark the Celtic festival of Imbolc and the inauguration of the associated St Brigid’s Day public holiday, special competitions to recognise the role of girls and women in bowling will be held next weekend. On Saturday a blitz for all female players from girls under-10 up to senior women will be held at Rosscarbery. On Monday an all-female event for total beginners will be held at Ballincurrig.