Duhallow duo savour all Ireland double ahead of handball festival
HANDBALL this weekend will very much focussed on the juvenile side of the game with the Feile Handball Festival down for decision at Wexford and Carlow venues on Saturday. Feile Handball has been the starting point over the years for many of the top players in the game,being the window on which they first showed their budding skills. From a Cork point of view many of our clubs have tasted success at Feile and many of our top players will remember the breakthrough Feile was for them in their progression to greater things in their handball playing career.
Likewise this weekend our clubs travelling to Wexford and Carlow to taste the atmosphere of Feile will be hoping that they can also sample some of that success. There is a very large entry in this years Feile and the overall competition should produce many memorable moments. Cork clubs Ballydesmond, Boherbue, Conna, Fermoy and Mallow all have teams in action with both Boys and Girls teams involved in action over the weekend and if all goes well for them in their different games they could be involved in the business end come Saturday evening. We will also have a number of players from those clubs involved in the skills competitions.
Moving back to last Sunday at Tipperary venue Lahorna All-Ireland Hardball Singles Finals were decided at the curtain came down on the hardball season for another year, Mallow player David Walsh carried Cork hopes as he took on Mayo Patrick Murphy in Minor Singles Final, On this occasion there was no disputing the talent and skill of the Mayo player as he took the title in two straight games 21-8, 21-9, that is not to say that David Walsh did not play well, his performance would have beaten many but not Murphy who is an exceptional Hardball player destined to win many more Hardball titles.
In Junior hardball singles Carlow player Martin Mullins proved too strong for Kerry’s Jack O Shea, while in Senior Singles Limerick player C J Fitzpatrick from Broadford club again displayed his versatility winning senior Singles and in the process overcoming no less a player that the evergreen Dubliner Eoin Kennedy C J won the first 21/13 Kennedys never say die spirit saw him fight back to win the second 21-17 but this is where young legs kicked in as C J totally dominated the third to win 21/1 and be crowned Senior Hardball Singles champion for 2017.
On Monday evening at Hospital Boherbue took on Friary/Abbeyside, Dungarvan in Munster 60x30 Junior B Club Championship final, but in the end there was no joy for the Cork side as Friary/Abbeyside on the night proved superior winning the Munster title on a score of 109 aces to 75, this was a very good display from the Waterford club side who if they can reproduce this form will be serious contenders for the All Ireland title.
On Saturday evening in Cullen at 7pm 60x30 County games commence as John Horgan, Kilworth plays Jonathon Lucey, Boherbue in Junior B Singles with the follow on programme to be issued to clubs in the next few days.