Creedon and Scanlon seal All-Ireland double for Cork

Cathal Creedon and Padraig Scanlon completed a brilliant All-Ireland double for Cork in the third All-Ireland series in Drogheda on Sunday.

Creedon, who contested the Munster U18 final earlier this year, beat London representative Padraig Nugent by a bowl in the Junior C final. On Saturday he beat Tyrone’s Anthony McVeigh by a bowl of odds. Nugent defeated North American champion, Seán O’Mahony and Leinster champion JP Clinton, from the host club in his semi-final.

In the final, Creedon got the better of the big opening shots, but failed to take advantage of a mistake by Nugent in the next exchange. Nugent then hit a brilliant shot to light at Hughes’ corner. Creedon just missed light there and was almost a bowl down after lofting his fourth one. He levelled immediately with a brilliant fifth shot. He followed with another great bowl around the wind, but Nugent missed it by just three metres.

Creedon pressed on with two good shots to the well, where he was edging towards a bowl of odds. He was past the avenue in two more to go a full bowl clear. Nugent dug deep to ensure the odds didn’t continue to mount. His big 13th shot kept the lead well under two bowls. He continued to press, but Creedon didn’t wilt and won by over a bowl.

Creedon was level with Anthony McVeigh after three each to light at Hughes’ in the semi-final. They both raised their game to Devlin’s wall in seven each. Creedon had 40m odds after nine to the Snowman’s Wall. He continued to lead, but McVeigh stayed in touch till poor 12th and 13th throws left him a bowl down.

Nugent was in a close contest with Seán O’Mahony and JP Clinton in the early stages of his semi-final. He led for the first time after a big fifth shot. When Clinton missed light at Dunne’s with his eighth shot he was almost a bowl adrift. From there it became a duel between Nugent and O’Mahony. O’Mahony regained the lead with a big 12th bowl and led to the last shot. Nugent rescued his challenge with a winning bowl to the bridge.

Padraig Scanlon’s quality was too much for all opposition in the Novice I grade. He beat Leinster champion, Gary Shevlin, by almost three bowls in the final. He broke the early deadlock with a big fifth bowl to light at Devlin’s. This put him almost a bowl in front. He raised a full bowl with his sixth shot, he was two clear after nine and close to three in front at Hughes’ bend.

In the semi-final Scanlon had too much class for North American champion, Roger O’Riordan and Mayo’s David Hughes. The early exchanges were close, but Scanlon upped the tempo from his big seventh bowl to the Snowman’s Wall. He had a bowl on both his opponents after nine and was two clear after a big 11th shot towards the last bend.

Shevlin was far sharper in his semi-final win over Patrick O’Driscoll and Austin McKeown. McKeown was hampered by injury in the latter stages, leaving Shevlin and O’Driscoll battling it out. O’Driscoll was not able to put enough in front of Shevlin to prevent him going through to the final.

Leinster champion, Alan Long, and Ulster champion, Danny Carragher, qualified for the Novice II final. This was postponed as a mark of respect for a senior official of Carragher’s club who was taken ill on the road and died later. Long beat Kevin Fleming (North America) and Chris Kiernan (London) in his semi-final. Carragher beat Munster champion, Billy Healy, and Connaught champion, David Carney in the other semi-final. Cork teams filled the first three places in the All-Ireland team finals. Bottlehill won with a score of 1,259.2m, with Carraig na bhFear second and Kilcorney third. Mayo team, Aughagower, missed third place by just over a metre.

Munster champion Arthur McDonagh got a boost ahead of King of the Roads when he beat Gary Daly in the final of the Joe O’Sullivan Cup at Castletownbere. This all-Fermoy derby was a a tight contest most of the way, with McDonagh taking it in the last shot. He had a more comfortable win over James O’Donovan in Saturday’s semi-final. He had almost a bowl of odds after a big first shot and was always in control. Daly had to recover from being a shot behind to beat Aidan Murphy in his semi-final.

Meghan Collins and Maria Nagle claimed the last two places in the Queen of the Roads semi-finals. Nagle beat Veronica O’Mahony by a bowl at Ballinacurra, while Collins beat Denise Murphy in the last shot at Castletownkenneigh.