Road Bowling: Murphy delivers at the death to deny Daly victory

A big last shot allowed Aidan Murphy snatch victory in the feature event of the North Cork two-day festival at Béal na Marbh.

 

Aidan Murphy snatched victory in the feature event of the North Cork two-day festival at Béal na Marbh with a big last shot, to deny Gary Daly.

He won each of the first three shots to the cottage. Daly won the fourth to the top of the rise and increased his odds with a great fifth. Murphy gained a big advantage with a huge bowl past Hubbard’s, which Daly just beat in two. Daly got back in the picture with a great eighth bowl and he had the lead down to just 25m at the forestry entrance. The lead was just five metres after 11 each to the start of the wood and Daly edged back in front with his next one to light.

They went to the bend past the novice line next, with Daly still just fore. Daly had a slender three metres lead after the next shots. Murphy played a good bowl from there to beat the finish line. Daly’s reply was always right and missed the line.

Maria Nagle is Gretta Cormican Cup champion for 2025 following her bowl of odds win over Meghan Collins at Timoleague. She took the first tip with a big bowl. Collins closed the gap with her second and won the lead with a great third throw. Nagle regained the lead with her big fourth shot to light. She made the stonewall next to increase her lead to almost a bowl. She raised a bowl with her sixth and held that to the top of the hill.

Collins played a huge bowl to Barryshall cross, but Nagle beat it. She increased her lead with a big shot to the monument and was unstoppable from there.

At Whitechurch, European youth champion, Liam Murphy, added his name to the Joe Bowen Cup. He finished with two big bowls to beat Shane Lotty, with Michael Desmond off the pace in third place. This was a duel between Murphy and Lotty from the off.

Murphy won the opening shot, but Lotty took the second. All three were in the frame at Kelly’s, but Lotty and Murphy pushed a bowl clear of Desmond to Quirke’s wall. The front-runners were at Boula lane in two more, where Lotty had 20m on Murphy, with Desmond still a bowl down. Murphy won the lead after five more to the farm. Lotty regained it immediately in the shots towards the devil’s bend and increased his odds to 30m with his next shot past the bend. Murphy then played a huge bowl to Hegarty’s. Lotty was too tight left with his reply and missed the tip by 30m. He then missed the line and Murphy beat it by five metres.

Michael Bohane gave a bowling exhibition in his comprehensive win over Wayne Parkes in the Christy Teahan Cup at Castletownkenneigh. He was facing Forshin’s cross in ten throws where he led by three bowls. Parkes had a promising start. He opened with a super shot to the end of the railings to take the first tip by 30m. Bohane hit back with a huge second bowl, which Parkes missed by a distance. Bohane was out the round tower cross in two more to edge almost a bowl in front. He raised a full bowl at Pyne’s corner. He quickly piled on the odds in a relentless display, closing off any hope of a rally by Parkes.

Donal Riordan was the big winner at the Boston weekend at Womputuck State Park in Massachusetts. He beat Éamon Bowen by a bowl, which also completed a family double as his brother Roger beat Tom Reaney.

The Jerry Cremin Memorial Tournament, being hosted by Fenor Club in Waterford next Saturday, could become a template for developing the sport of bowling nationally.

The tournament has something for everyone, including long shot and fastest shot competitions, a team event and a top level senior mixed-doubles. Munster senior champion, Hannah Sexton, teams up with 2024 men’s senior champion, Martin Coppinger, against Denise Murphy and Gary Daly in the more serious end of the day. It is very similar to how bowling in organised in West Virginia. There, clubs from across that state are invited to a day-long event with a mix of competitions for all categories of players with, as is the case in Fenor, a barbecue and entertainment.

The Ted Hegarty Academy at the Phale Road in Ballineen has resumed for the 2025-26 season. Ross O’Brien, winner of last year’s All-Ireland U14 title, is already making waves at U16, here he beat both Patrick McCarthy and Dylan O’Shea.