THERE was plenty of top-class bowling at the annual Easter South West fundraiser held at Lyre.

Among the feature scores, Ger Connolly beat John A Murphy by two bowls of odds, playing for a stake of €600 a-side.

Also, Timmie O’Sullivan and Diarmuid Lucey had a ding-dong battle out the road for a stake of €1,550 a-side. Lucey made the better start, raising a bowl after three shots to the Mason’s bend.

Lucey undid all his good bowling with a poor bowl down the big hill. O’Sullivan took his first lead back off O'Donovan's pillars, and he held a 30-metre advantage at the school. Lucey lined a huge bowl past the Creamery to win back the lead, but O’Sullivan wasn’t done yet as he got a huge bowl himself to the double gates that whittled the odds back to 45 metres. The both got poor next shots only past Ballinascarthy cross. O’Sullivan lined what looked like a winner but Lucey beat this tip well.

Gavin Twohig had a trap-to-line win over Johnny O’Driscoll, playing for a stake of €1,000 a-side. Twohig made the creamery entrance in two shots where he had 40 metres of odds. Two more to the school cross where he was now throwing his odds over 30 metres. He got an incredible bowl from here that covered the whole straight to O’Donovan’s pillars, this raised a bowl and big odds for him. Twohig got a poor bowl up the hill but had big odds with the bowl heading up the home straight. O’Driscoll was very right and only made the lollipops and Twohig made Hegarty’s Wall where matters were terminated.

In other scores that took part Tom McCarthy beat James O’Driscoll by the last shot for €300 a-side; Michael A Cronin beat Jack O’Callaghan by the last shot for €850 a-side; Kieran O’Sullivan beat Jack O’Driscoll by two bowls for €1,000 a-side; Con O’Sullivan beat Deckie O’Mahony by two bowls for €700 a-side; Thomas Maloney beat Damien Daly by two bowls for €500 a-side; Darren O’Driscoll beat Matthew Limerick by two bowls for €800 a-side; Gearoid Lucey beat Pat Daly by two bowls for €2,200 a-side.

Sunday’s action got underway where Jamie McCarthy had a convincing win over Vincent Roche for €550 a-side. In the return, Carbery’s Colm Crowley had a trap-to-line win over Diarmuid Hurley playing for a stake of €2,250 a-side.

PJ O’Driscoll reversed the result of a recent beating he got from Martin McSweeney at Ballinagree, playing for a stake of €1,850 a-side. Back in the road at Lyre. Mark Bourke beat Denis Wilmot for a stake of €1,400 a-side. Also, Kieran O’Sullivan (BG) beat Conor McCarthy last shot €1,100 a-side. In a mixed doubles score on Monday, Ritchie Lawton and Laura Sexton were in sublime form when they beat Rachel Kingston and David Deane by two bowls for €550 a-side. Conor McCarthy beat Francie O’Brien one bowl €1,200 a-side, Eoin Hurley beat John Hickey one bowl €2,200 a-side and Ritchie Lawton beat Jack Cahalane one bowl €2,500 a-side.

Reigning All-Ireland U18 champion Emma Hurley won her score at Ból Fada.

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The annual Ból Fada in Armagh drew a large contingent of players and spectators to the Keady-Tassagh venue.

Cork had a great start to the weekend when they won the three scores on Friday. Drinagh teenager Emma Hurley just held on to beat Ella Mai Carr by the last shot. Anthony Gould and Michael Murphy had a one-bowl win over Ronan McClelland and Paul O’Reilly for a stake of €6,500 a-side. Also, Eoin McCarthy and Kevin Ó Crualaoi came from a bowl to take victory by almost two bowls from Padraigh Nugent and Danny Carragher, playing for a stake of €7,100 a-side.

On Saturday morning, Tim Young from Bantry lined out against Pete Carr for a stake of €8,700 a-side. There was nothing between them after three each, before Carr took his first lead. After 12 shots each through McCann’s corner, Carr led by 20 metres. He extended this to 80 metres with a super 13th shot that covered the carnival straight. A poor bowl here from Young to McKee’s wall and he fell a bowl adrift. He recovered, but Carr had too much in hand for the last shots.

Two top-class players, Shane Crowley from Caheragh and Aaron Hughes, played for a stake of €23,000 a-side. Crowley held a sizeable lead after four, but Hughes battled back. Facing Twynams in 13 throws each, Hughes had yet to lead but was coming very close to it. Crowley held a 12-metre advantage but Hughes had it back to a metre with their next to the cottage. Hughes got a great bowl to sight at Twynams, but Crowley beat this by a foot. Hughes’ next was very unlucky to catch a manhole cover that threw it off course – Crowley took full advantage of this and raised big odds. Crowley missed sight for the line and Hughes still had a chance but had to make sight which he failed to do so as he caught a kerb. Crowley was tight right with his last but his power got it over the line.

Gary Daly’s recent good run came to an end when he lost to Armagh footballer Ethan Rafferty for €9,000 a-side. Also, Timmy McDonagh had to give way to Eugene McVeigh in their encounter, playing for a stake of €4,000 a-side. Colm Rafferty retained the Joe McVeigh Cup when he beat Arthur McDonagh by a bowl of odds for a stake of €15,500 a-side.

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Noel O’Regan made another huge comeback at Templemartin on Sunday where he lined out against Liam Murphy in a Tim Foley Tournament score, playing for €1,320 a-side.

Murphy raised a bowl of odds with a huge sixth. He then made Collin’s wall in two more incredible throws where he had almost two bowls of odds. Murphy missed the school cross in two more and O’Regan was clawing his way back into the score. At the far side of the cross, Murphy’s odds were down to a bowl and ten metres.

O’Regan made a good effort for the stonefield bend but his bowl fell left, Murphy missed this tip and was now only throwing his odds. Murphy’s next caught the stonefield bend and O’Regan went half way to Buttimer’s with a very well-thrown 15th shot, Murphy beat this by 70 metres. O’Regan lined another super bowl facing the monument straight, Murphy only beat this by a foot.

O’Regan’s next broke badly right off the play and Murphy extended his odds again to 50 metres. At the pub cross in 19 shots each, Murphy held a one-metre lead. Three poor bowls from Murphy back of the line from here gave O’Regan the honours.

Also, Kenneth Murphy will play Ger O’Driscoll in the Mid Cork junior B championship final when he had victory over Trevor O’Sullivan by the last shot at Castletown, playing for a stake of €1,950 a-side.