Aidan Murphy is Mother Hegarty Cup champion after win over Gary Daly

CHAMPION: Aidan Murphy is Mother Hegarty Cup champion. Pic: Cathal Noonan

Aidan Murphy is Mother Hegarty Cup champion following a brilliant late flurry that broke Gary Daly’s resistance and gave him a bowl odds win in the iconic Lyre tournament.

Daly was better placed after two good opening shots had him almost a bowl in front at the forestry. He lost momentum and the lead in the next three past the tunnel. He rallied again, but Murphy got the better of the shots to Crowley’s bend to gain a vital lead. There was just five metres between them after the next exchange towards McCarthy’s. That edge proved critical as Daly missed light, while Murphy made it. Murphy followed with a brilliant shot to the big tree, which pushed him almost a bowl clear. Another big one gave him a full bowl of odds. He made it three-in-a-row with another rocket from there to bring the curtain down on Daly’s challenge.