Munster doubles championship come into focus for handballers

MUNSTER 40x20 adult championship schedule continues during the coming week. Munster singles championship in the different grades is now completed, with those winners scheduled to contest All-Ireland semi-finals next weekend March 4/5. In the meantime the spotlight will be on the doubles championship in the different grades with the completion date for those scheduled for March 11/12.

Starting this Thursday evening Under 21 Doubles semi-final will be decided at Tipperary venue Kilcolman with an 8pm start Liscarroll pair Tadgh Jones and Dwayne Sheehan play Tipperary’s Aidan O’Flaherty/ Gerry Foley. Moving on to Monday in Galbally at 7.30pm Conna pair Brendan Hurley and Chris Hurley play Clare’s Pat Donnellan and Mike Kelly in Emerald Masters A Doubles semi-final. Also on Monday at Conna with a 7.30 start in Masters A Doubles Final Ger Healy, Liscarroll, teams up with Ballydesmond’s Denis Quinn to play Tipperary pair David Moloney and John Corbett.

On Tuesday at Cappagh 7.30 start a double header down for decision in the opening game which is a Golden Masters A Doubles semi-final John Hedigan, Liscarroll, teams up with John Herlihy, St Finbarrs, to play Tipperary pairing of Pat O’Flaherty and Tony O’Flaherty. The second game on that programme is Masters B Doubles semi-final in which Boherbue pair Enda Aherne and Danny Lenihan play Tipperary duo Pat Slattery and Seamus Slattery.

Also Tuesday evening at Broadford one semi-final of Over-35 ‘B’ Doubles will be decided Jamie O’Donnell, Fermoy partnered by Patrick Buckley, Glenville could be involved here if they overcome their quarter-final clash with Kerry then they will face the winner of the Limerick v Clare quarter final.

Also on Tuesday in Mallow at 7.30 start in an all Cork Silver Masters B Doubles Final Conna pair Pat Clancy/Kieran Noonan take on Ballydesmond pair Paul Kerins/Philip O’Carroll an evenly matched contest that could go either way.

Last weekend Munster Juvenile championship finals both boys and girls were decided with our Compunet IT Solutions sponsored players enjoying success winning seven of the eight Finals they contested. In Girls Boherbue players took both Under-12 Singles and Doubles. In Singles Carmel Kelliher defeated Emma Rodgers, Clare, in doubles another very good display by Boherbue pair Aoibhe Ducey/Edel Murphy they defeated Kerry Roisin Smith/Lea Morris. In Girls Under 15 Singles Samantha O’Donnell, Kilworth took the title defeating Megan Morris, Tipperary. In Girls under-17 Singles there was a good win for Aoife Hurley, Conna, who overcame Limerick’s Aishling Shanahan.

In Boys Fermoy players enjoyed an impressive double with Cameron O’Sullivan winning boys Under 12 Singles with a Good win over Kerry Dara Lynch. In Boys U-13 singles anther Fermoy success with Hayden Supple overcoming the challenge of Waterford’s Charlie Treen. In Boys U-17 Doubles there was an impressive display by Mallow pair Niall Delany/Stephen O’Rourke they took the title at the expense of Waterford pair Jake Moore/Rory Cusack. In Boys U-17 Singles despite a good display Michael O’Malley, Mallow lost out narrowly to impressive Kerry player Dara Keane.

In Men’s and Ladies All-Ireland Open Senior Singles Championship reigning champion Catriona Casey booked her place in the semi-final in which she will face Ciana Ni Churraoin, Galway on Saturday week in Kingscourt. In Men’s Open Singles Brendan Fleming, Ballydesmond kept his hopes alive reaching the quarter-finals with a win over Antrim player Owen McKenna. Following Brendan’s win on Saturday last he now faces Kilkenny player Patrick Funchion in a quarter-final on Saturday next in Conna at 12 noon. Mallow’s Tadgh Carroll was also involved in the last sixteen but he lost out narrowly to Clare Diarmuid Nash.

The next few weekends are going to be exceptionally busy with both adult singles and juvenile singles and doubles All-Ireland semi-finals scheduled for weekend of March 4/5. Training and coaching of the Mallow Credit Union sponsored Juvenile teams to contest Munster Inter-county team championship on weekend of March 11/12 will continue during the coming week, Cork have strong teams in all three age groups but there will be nothing easy as all other Munster counties will provide strong opposition. However, there is optimism that all three teams will give a good account of themselves.