The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Ger proves himself a great all-rounder
CONGRATULATIONS to Ger O’Connor of Ballymanach, Valentia, and Liam Barry of Killarney who, on Monday March 19, representing the Killarney Badminton Club, won the Division Four Mens’ Doubles County Final of the Kerry Badminton Association. They defeated Paul Hayes of Listowel and Brendan Carroll of Causeway on a score of 21-16 and 21-10.
On the following Friday March 23 more county success came the way of the man from Ballymanach when he and his counterpart Jill Redmond of Listowel won the County Division Four mixed competition by defeating James O’Mahony and Fiona Casey of Causeway.
On Sunday March 25 Ger and his Killarney team mates went on to represent Kerry in the Munster finals at the University of Limerick. He did not achieve success in the men’s event but, in what was a roller-coaster week for him, he and Jill Redmond were victorious as Division Four Mixed Doubles champions of Munster, winning six out of eight games. In the space of a very busy sporting week he accomplished two county championships and a Munster title, playing a total of 42 games.
His sporting achievements did not end there as he is also a committed indoor bowls player at the Chapeltown Community Centre, a competition which take place over the winter Tuesday nights.
On Tuesday March 27 the season’s final bowls competition took place, and what an occasion it proved to be. Ger, playing in a doubles competition, but on this occasion without a partner, was victorious over Joe Lynch (Coromore) and Mick Duffy (Cooil) in a thrilling end-of-season encounter.
The game went right down to the wire and stood at six each with the final shot of the night being taken by the man from Ballymanach. It was a pressure shot with little room for maneouvre and the minimum of space. However, his shot penetrated inches of room to get nearest the jack.
To rapturous applause the bowl was deemed nearest the jack by the shrewd and eagle-eyed referee John Patrick (Lott) Murphy, giving Ger a 7-6 victory.
John Patrick was recently on a holiday in Lanzarote and was so impressed by the rules of bowling out there that he applied Lanzarote rules on the night. Others who competed in that game of epic proportions were Robert Nolan, Paddy Townes and this writer.
Competitors during the season were Joe Lynch, Robert Nolan, Ger O’Connor, Richard Quigley, John Daly, Paul Duff, Mick Duffy, John Patrick (Lott) Murphy, the “anois is arís” man Ger Jack O’Sullivan, and this scribe
The sportingly versatile Ger will be trying for a five-in-a-row of firsts when he competes in the Ring Lyne Darts singles quarter finals with the semi-finals and final to be played from 9pm on Saturday, April7 th.
Those in the last eight are: Patrick O’Donoghue, Ger O’Connor, Cyril Lynch, Danny Healy, John Falvey, Frank Dowd, Jonathan Ball and Noel Lynch.
Come along to what should be a great night of throwing of the spikes.