DONAL Riordan has joined Johnny O’Driscoll in the semi-final of Pool C of the junior A championship.

He beat Colin O’Donovan, who made the long trip from London, by one bowl of odds at Ballydehob.

O’Donovan opened with a huge shot, but Riordan followed and beat it by two metres. After three more out past the Eagle bungalow, Riordan’s margin was still only three metres.

With his fifth past Sammy’s lane, Riordan stretched his lead to 50 metres, and raised the bowl after two more that he held out to the cottage. O’Donovan hit back with a good tenth shot to O’Sullivan’s lane that knocked the bowl, and he had it well under the bowl after two more past the passage.

O’Donovan looked like he might claw his way back into this score but poor 13th and 14th shots undid his good work. Riordan won in the end by a bowl of odds. In a return score at Ballydehob, Cian Young beat Mark Shannon by two bowls for €1,000 a-side.

In a Pool B junior a score at Newcestown, Brendan O’Neill was gifted a victory from Bryan O’Halloran. They played for a stake of €800 a-side. Both went out to Mac cross in three each with O’Halloran 25 metres ahead. After two more great shots each up the rising road to Allen’s lane, O’Halloran held odds of five metres.

After four more to Desmond’s lane, O’Neill was peeping sight and O’Halloran had a valuable ten metres full sight looking down the hill. O’Neill got a perfect bowl down to the bottom that yielded him his first lead but it was short-lived as O’Halloran was back in front again by a metre after two more to Collin’s lane.

O’Halloran was back in front with his next effort, and both missed the line at O’Brien’s cross. After 15 shots each to the cross, O’Halloran led by one metre. O’Neill missed down sight with his 16th and O’Halloran made the bungalow entrance full sight – a big advantage. O’Neill made the pitch and putt entrance, but O’Halloran’s next broke badly right and only beat the tip by 25 metres. O’Neill caught the pillar of the new house with his next. O’Halloran misjudged his next effort and caught a tree that knocked his bowl inside and was ‘dead’, costing him the score as O’Neill beat the line with his last shot.

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The senior ladies championship got underway in Macroom where Denise Murphy enjoyed a victory over Ciara Buckley, playing for a stake of €150 a-side. It was three and four each out to Bantry cross where Murphy was throwing her odds over 40 metres.

Murphy got a great bowl to the start of the railings that extended her lead to 80 metres. The leader was almost a bowl up at the flyover and raised it at Mulcahy’s stable gate. After three more, Murphy extended her odds to a bowl and 40 metres.

Buckley then unleashed a super bowl to the Whitethorn bush that knocked the bowl of odds, but Murphy restored it again back of Poundy’s Lane. From here Buckley got another huge bowl to Denny Paul’s that again knocked the bowl. Murphy got a good bowl to the railings while Buckley’s bowl kicked badly. Two more well-played bowls over the line from Murphy gives her top points in her first score.

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Ballygurteen held an O’Connell/Dullea senior cup score between Martin Coppinger and newly-promoted Páidín Stokes, who won the intermediate county in 2025.

This was Páidín’s first senior score and he gave a good account of himself when he never allowed Coppinger to lead. Stokes took an early lead, though Coppinger had a wonderful opportunity of knocking big odds at O’Mahony’s avenue but left his bowl right. Stokes hit a huge eighth up the middle that Coppinger missed to fall a bowl down. But Bantry man Coppinger stayed in the hunt, and by his 16th shot, it just fell short of full sight by ten metres.

Stokes got a nice shake off the right dyke to straighten the road for the finish line. Coppinger lofted out his 17th shot perfectly, it settled in the middle and beat the finish line by 25 metres but unfortunately it was ‘called’. His second effort was slightly right and missed the finish line. Stokes beat it to take his first senior victory, setting him up nicely for his championship score against Michael Bohane in Timoleague.

Also, Brian O’Driscoll had to settle for only one lead in his premier junior A score against Cathal Creedon, who took the win at Grange. There was no stake in this one.

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A Lifelong Learning Bowling event was held on the famed Nash’s Boreen at Fairhill on Sunday morning. This is the road where Timmy Delaney, Denis Scully, the Buckleys, the Sullivans and the Goulds all started their bowling careers.

Organised by the City region in conjunction with UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation), a nice gathering of youth tried their hands at this unique sport. Mikey O’Driscoll, Gretta Cormican and Seamus Ó Tuama were all on hand to give their advice on the best possible technique. Some emerging talent there no doubt.

Bol Chumann secretary Seamus Ó Tuama thanked all the children who took the time to participate and thanked their parents for encouraging them.