All-Ireland Senior Singles semi-final places up for grabs

ANOTHER busy week on the handball courts with two quarter-finals of Men’s Senior Singles All-Ireland Championship down for decision. At provincial level Juvenile championship finals both Boys and Girls U-14 to U-17 Singles and Doubles are down for decision on Sunday at Limerick venues Cappagh and Broadford. At adult level Provincial Singles Finals programme will be completed this weekend as the Doubles gets up and running.

Looking first at two quarter-finals of All-Ireland Men’s Senior down for decision on Saturday at Kildare venue Ballymore Eustace at 1pm Mallow player Tadgh Carroll plays the reigning All-Ireland champion Charlie Shanks, Armagh. Tadgh who moves to Senior this year following his Intermediate All-Ireland win in 2017 faces a tough one here, while Shanks will go into the game as favourite Carroll is well capable of a big show in this one.

The second quarter-final on Saturday is at Limerick venue Cappagh in which Kerry player Dominic Lynch will play Clare Diarmuid Nash with a 12 noon start. Ballydesmond player Brendan Fleming had a very good win over Dublin Eoin Kennedy in round of sixteen game on Saturday last, in a game that lasted two and a half hours Brendan won on a score 18-21, 21-10, 21-19.

Sunday next is a big day for U-14 to U-17 Boys & Girls who contest Munster their respective finals the prize for the winners being a place in All-Ireland semi-finals and keeping alive the chance of an All-Ireland title, It has been a good year for Compunet IT Solutions sponsored Cork players who will contest seven finals on Sunday, to date the Cork players have overcome tough hurdles when defeating Tipperary in quarter-final and Clare in semi-final to reach this stage, behind the scenes a lot of work has gone in to preparation of Cork juveniles for this years championship, to date it has paid dividends and hopefully will continue.

Sunday’s programme will be divided between Limerick venues Cappagh and Broadford with an 11am start. Cork players are involved in the following finals - Boys U14 Singles: Fermoy (Hayden Supple) v Waterford (Tom Nee); Boys U14 Doubles: Ballydesmond (Eoin Daly/John Cronin) v Waterford ( Sean Callaghan/Charlie Treen); Boys U15 Doubles; Ballydesmond (Kealin Murphy)/Liscarroll (Gearoid Healy) v Waterford or Limerick; Boys U17 Singles: Liscarroll (Michael O’Callaghan) v Waterford (Oisin Hallahan) or Kerry (Tommy Quirke); Boys U17 Doubles: Liscarroll (Luke Barrett/ Colin Healy) v Waterford (Jamie Moylan/Daniel Treen); Girls U14 Doubles: Mallow (Sarah Walsh)/Conna (Cliona Dunning) v Waterford (Saoirse Kelly/ Ella Gantly); Girls U16 Singles: Kilworth (Samantha O’Donnell) v Clare (Orla O’Brien).

Moving on to Munster Adult Championship starting this Thursday with 7.30 starts across the board, at Galbally Conna’s Aoife Hurley will play Limerick’s Brigid Quish in Ladies junior B Singles Final.

On Friday at Broadford in a double header both games involve Cork players, starting with Junior doubles quarter-final Mallow pair Ryan Harkin/Ciaran Buckley against Limerick’s Sean Murphy/Nigel O’Callaghan. The second game is the Junior B Doubles first round between Mallow pair Niall Delany/ Michael O’Malley against Limerick’s Shane Murphy/Denis Donegan.

Also on Friday at Liscarroll, the Emerald Masters A singles Final is down for decision with John Herlihy, St Finbarrs, playing Clare’s John Cawley. Finally on Friday at Kilworth in Junior Doubles quarter-final Kilworth pair John Horgan/James Moakley play Tipperary’s John Ferncombe/Daniel Hayes.

Last weekend Munster Cumann na mBunscoil competitions were played with Cork players taking the spoils in the following Girls U-11 singles, Carmel Kelliher, Boherbue NS, Boys U-11 doubles, Ryan Linehan/Thomas Myers, Ballydesmond NS, Boys U-13 Singles; Hayden Supple, St Josephs, Fermoy, Boys U-13 Doubles; Ben Sullivan/Cian Cronin O’Neill, Watergrasshill NS.Saturdays winners now go on to the National Cumann na mBunscoil Day which is scheduled for Cavan venue Kingscourt on Saturday, February 24.

Last weekend Cork Handball lost another great servant to the game with the passing of Sean Lenihan from Boherbue. Sean was one of the founding members of Boherbue Handball Club and one of the driving forces behind the building of the 40x20 Handball court in Boherbue. He gave tremendous service to Boherbue club, his passing is a huge loss to his family and to Boherbue handball. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.