Eight Irish to face serious tests in countdown to European Championships

Thomas Mackle plays Aidan Murphy in Sunday’s feature, while Colm Rafferty takes on Garry Daly in Saturday’s main score at the Youth Development Fundraiser.

Thomas Mackle (Armagh) in action during the Mens Senior All-Ireland Road Bowling final at Ballincurrig, Co Cork.

Eight of the Irish team will have a serious test in the countdown to the European championships at the Youth Development Fundraiser in Madden in Armagh on the St Brigid’s weekend.

Thomas Mackle plays Aidan Murphy in Sunday’s feature, while Colm Rafferty takes on Garry Daly in Saturday’s main score. A fifth member of the Irish senior men’s squad, Tim Young, will get a stern test too from Bryan O’Reilly.

Three of Ireland’s women’s squad are involved in a doubles contest. Sisters Hannah and Ellen Sexton play Dervla Mallon and Shannon Maguire – Mallon and the Sexton sisters are key medal hopefuls for Ireland. Competitions like these will be essential to keeping the Irish match fit in the run up to May.

Noel O’Donovan advanced with a bowl to spare on Denis Wilmot in the Champy Deasy Cup at Grange. He just shaded the opening tips, Wilmot took the second. O’Donovan nosed in front again with his third to light past the stud farm. He held the lead with his next one towards Hollands, but Wilmot won the following two to de Barra’s.

Wilmot was still in front after seven to the school, where they were both short of light. O’Donovan produced a bit of magic there, a perfect purlicue that wheeled around to Hegarty’s. Wilmot attempted the same scheme, but he missed, which left him a bowl of odds adrift.

They both made Hodnett’s concrete in three more and they were at Barry’s wall in another three, where O’Donovan still had his bowl of odds. He closed it out with his next past the pub.

Darren Oliver had a good last shot win over David Hubbard at Ballinacurra. He opened with a great bowl, which Hubbard missed well. He increased his lead with his second. Hubbard reached the post-box past Brinny cross in two more. Oliver was just short of the cross in three and looked set to consolidate his lead. But his bowl ricocheted off the rough surface at the junction and missed Hubbard’s tip by ten metres.

Oliver followed with a brilliant bowl past Foley’s. but Hubbard beat it. Chances fell to both of them in the next four, but neither produced a decisive bowl. At the GAA field Hubbard was still in front, that changed emphatically in the next exchange. Oliver played a super shot to the top of the bridge. Hubbard was right with his reply and missed it by 20m.

Oliver increased his lead in the shots around the bend and held a good lead to the last shot. Hubbard needed an exceptional one to turn the tide. He could only set a target of 90m with his last one, which Oliver beat comfortably.

Two big closing shots gave Timmy McDonagh the verdict over Willie O’Donovan at Ballyhooly. O’Donovan started strongly winning each of the first seven shots. McDonagh hit the front with a brilliant eighth bowl across the straight, which O’Donovan missed by ten metres.

O’Donovan followed with another miler, but McDonagh beat it by 20m. O’Donovan’s next was another huge throw and this time he was rewarded with a five metre lead. It looked set to go to the wire, with the expectation that they would both beat the line in three more. McDonagh rubbished that narrative by beating it with two sensational bowls.

Mark Coleman won the Jagoes Mills final following a strong finish against Paul O’Donoghue. They were out O’Brien’s cross in four each, where O’Donoghue was fore. They reached the end of the footpath in another three, with O’Donoghue still in front.

Coleman nosed back in front with his eighth bowl towards Lawton’s. From there he quickly gained control. A brilliant tenth shot past the railway line, pushed him over a bowl of odds clear. He sealed it with another monster bowl past he power station.

At Bantry Adrian Buttimer gave a five star display in his bowls of odds win over Ger Connolly. He raised a bowl with a big third shot. He took his lead well over a bowl by making Cronin’s in seven and he was always in control from there.

Eoin McCarthy beat Irish youth international, Liam Murphy, in the last shot at Lyre. He broke the deadlock with a big bowl to light at Crowley’s bend, which helped him raise almost a bowl at McCarthy’s bend after 11. He made a mistake with his next. That allowed Murphy to close the gap, but he couldn’t get back in front.

An Gaeltacht and Carbery will contest the Johnny O’Driscoll Cup, team competition at the Marsh Road on Saturday, with proceeds going to West Cork Rapid Response