Dominant McDonagh powers to Noel O’Callaghan Cup glory

Tommy McDonagh won every single throw at Béal na Marbh.

Timmy McDonagh enjoyed a clear win over Tim Young. Pic: Chani Anderson.

TIMMY McDonagh had a clear win over Tim Young in the Noel O’Callaghan Cup final at Béal na Marbh, crowning a huge weekend in which he won every single throw.

In the final he opened with an incredible bowl past the lollipops. He didn’t immediately burst clear, but he had a decent 40m lead after four. Young clipped that to 20m with a brilliant fifth shot over the second rise. McDonagh gained odds again to the start of the straight.

Neither player got a good bowl to the lawn, but Young will have more regrets. McDonagh had 120m odds at the end of the hedge. Young kept himself in it with a good bowl to light past the forestry.

McDonagh’s next bowl got a perfect brush to light facing the novice line, which put him over a bowl clear. He was down into the lag of the road in two more to seal his win.

McDonagh started well too in his semi-final win over Michael Murphy. He had almost a bowl after three and held that till he made a mistake with his seventh throw. Both players upped their game on the straight. McDonagh was still almost a bowl clear at the forestry entrance and raised it again before the novice line.

Murphy put in a storming finish. He not only knocked the bowl, but played an extraordinary last shot for the score. That put McDonagh under serious pressure, but he beat the tip by 20m.

A big first shot gave Young close to a bowl of odds start on John O’Rourke in his semi-final. He raised the bowl after three. O’Rourke knocked the bowl with his eighth past Hubbard’s. They contested that lead to the line, with Young always in a comfortable position.

Pete Carr was a very impressive winner over Conor McGuigan in the first round of the three-leg Ulster intermediate final at Knappagh.

He beat a big opener from McGuigan and raced a bowl clear to Harry’s cross. They contested that lead to the planting corner. Carr was two in front at Farley’s. McGuigan closed the gap marginally, till a big bowl past the Minister’s had Carr two clear again. He wrapped it up with a brilliant bowl to the Condy corner.

Gavin Twohig and Johnny O’Driscoll both advanced in Zone C of the Munster junior A championship. Twohig was in top form against Liam Hurley in Caheragh. Hurley won his only lead with a massive second bowl to the top of the rise.

Twohig was just shy of Lisangle cross with a good third shot, which put him almost a bowl in front. He followed with two more big ones to the soccer pitch to raise the bowl. He increased his odds towards Reenroe cross. He played two more big shots from there to push his lead well over two bowls.

O’Driscoll set a blistering early pace against Declan O’Donovan at the Clubhouse. He was peeping light at the first cross in three, where he was a bowl in front. He increased his lead to Clonakilty cross and was two clear after two more.

O’Donovan hit a purple patch then to cut the lead to a bowl before the novice line. He had the odds down to 50m at the school. He missed a chance to level with his next one, but he rallied again to cut the lead to 30m for the last shot. O’Driscoll closed as he opened, with a big bowl.

Shane Lotty scorched over the Templemichael road in 15 shots to win the Cork city junior B final at the expense of a strong finishing Connie Stokes. He crowned his performance with an exceptional last bowl past the line from no light.

Stokes won the first shot, but Lotty took the second and led to the finish. He exploited a poor shot from Stokes towards Sarsfield’s Court cross and then raised a bowl with a huge throw from there. Stokes brought it back to an even bowl at the novice line and raised the ante with a great bowl out the last bend. It was not enough to deflect Lotty though.

Munster senior champion Hannah Sexton had a good win in partnership with PJ O’Driscoll at Béal na Marbh. They led Denise Murphy and Stephen Spillane by a bowl till Murphy played a huge shot out the last bend. It knocked the bowl, but Sexton beat the line for victory.

Bowling will feature in the Cork city Lifelong Learning Festival on next Sunday morning in Fair Hill. The session, to introduce newcomers, will be on Nash’s Boreen the historic practice ground of such luminaries as Timmy Delaney and Denis Scully.