Road Bowling: Buckley beats Young in Munster Intermediate Championship

Irish Examiner

21-05-2025

Paul Buckley finished well after a slow start to beat Tim Young by a bowl in the Munster Intermediate Championship at Shannonvale.
Young won the first three shots to McSweeney's, while Buckley was slow to ignite. Young had a big lead after five to light at the quarry bend. He was still in a strong position at Buttimer's pillars, but he made a mistake there. Buckley didn't take that opening, he was too far left and came up well short of Desmond's cross. Young made light with his eighth shot, which put him a full bowl clear.
Buckley's bowl from the cross was poor, but he compensated with a great bowl at Kingston's wall. That cut the lead to just two metres. He enjoyed a huge rub with his next one to win his first lead by 40m. Young's next bowl only made Hayes'. Buckley hit back with a great bowl, that reached sight for Campbell's lane. Young beat that by just 45m. Buckley held the lead close to a bowl in the closing sequence, raising it in full with a big shot towards the finish line. That win advances him to a quarter-final meeting with David Shannon at Lyre.
Julieanne Hayes' last shot win over Lisa Hegarty at Leap completes the line-up for the Munster intermediate women's championship semi-finals.
She will play Ailbhie O'Shea at Templemartin. The other semi-final is the very high-profile clash between captain fantastic of the golden era of Cork ladies football, Juliet Murphy, and Ellen Sexton, who is the holder of multiple underage titles and is one of Ireland's stars at European level.
The Hayes-Hegarty quarter-final was highly competitive. Hayes led by just one metre after three. Her lead was still a slender 10m after six to Mealisheen cross. She held that lead in the next three to the stone wall. Hegarty pushed back with a super shot up the hill and followed with two big bowls to the forge to win her first lead.
Hayes regained the lead in the next exchange. She was still just fore after the shots out the last bend and took the second last by six metres. Hegarty missed the line with her last one and Hayes beat it well to secure her place in the semi-final.
Anthony Crowley advanced to the Cork city junior B final with a commanding performance against Richard Murphy at Templemichael. His first bowl rubbed kindly and set him on the way. He was too fast and too sharp for Murphy, who beat Michael Stokes over the same road in the quarter-final. Dermot McCarthy beat Danny Stokes in the last shot of another quarter-final at Curraheen. McCarthy was almost a bowl clear at the bridge, but Stokes bowled impressively up the hill and forced a last shot. McCarthy plays Maurice Connolly in the semi-final at the Bog Road.
John-Anthony Murphy secured his place in the Fergal Beamish Cup final when he beat John Young in the last shot at The Pike. The road surface to White's cross is not conducive to cultured bowling, but despite this they made the line there in seven each. The contest reached a higher plane from Dreaper's. A big bowl through the rectory cross gave Murphy a 70m lead. Young cancelled that out with a brilliant bowl to light at the next bend. From there on they were locked together, with Murphy getting the result by beating Young's big last shot.
Martin Collins dominated the Con Twohig Cup final at the Marsh Road, beating Shane McCarthy by almost a bowl. There was little in it in the first five to light at Hurley's, where Collins had a 10m lead. He went past the senior line in four more to go almost a bowl clear. He was a full bowl clear after another two to light at the last. He beat the line in two more to keep his lead at almost a bowl.
Former Armagh player, Eugene Kiernan, beat Eoin O'Donovan and Chris Murphy in the last shot of the Mid-Cork Junior C championship at Templemartin. O'Donovan had a big lead at Slyne's corner, but Kiernan turned it around and gained a bowl on both his opponents. O'Donovan rallied to the schoolhouse cross and kept Kiernan on his toes to the finish.
Tommy O'Donoghue, 2023 All-Ireland U14 winner, beat Ned Delaney in the East Cork-Waterford U16 final at Conna. He was always in charge against the Tipperary youth, leading by two bowls at the bridge and storming home.
Connie Connolly added yet another title to an astonishing career of achievements when he beat Donal O'Mahony in the West Cork Veteran II final at Drimoleague. Paudie Murphy beat Noel Murphy in the Gaeltacht final at Baile Bhuirne.