Handball spotlight falls on Munster One Wall
THE spotlight in handball this weekend will be on Munster One Wall Championship which is being hosted by Spa Handball Club, Killarney on Saturday play commencing at 10.30am. Spa is a club set up recently in Spa GAA Complex Killarney with two excellent One Wall Courts and is an added bonus to the game of One Wall Handball in Kerry and Munster.
This will be their first occasion hosting a championship programme but with a strong active committee in place and with the help of other handball personnel in Kerry they are well capable of successfully hosting Saturdays programme. While the standard will be high the Cork players involved on Saturday will be hopeful of coming away with some titles.
The winners on Saturday go ahead to the All-Ireland semi-final and final programme which is scheduled for Saturday June 2.
Cork will be represented in the following grades: Men’s B, Conor Walsh, Mallow, Men’s C Gearoid O’Connell, Mallow, Masters john Herlihy, St Finbarrs, Ladies C Anna Dunne, Kilworth, Boys U-17 Cian O’Driscoll, Mallow, Boys U-15 Gearoid Healy, Liscarroll, Girls U-17 Linda O’Donnell, Kilworth, Girls U-15 Sarah Walsh, Mallow.
Five of the six Munster counties will be involved in the different grades, each game will consist of two sets to 15 aces and a tie break to 11 aces if required.
The full programme will entail playing twenty games, which ensures a hectic day of activity for all involved.
The coming week will see further progress made in 60x30 Munster Inter-Club Championship with Junior B Club semi-final clash of Limerick side Bohermore with Friary Abbeyside, Dungarvan, scheduled for Clonmel on Tuesday at 7.30pm.
On the following Friday, May 25 Boherbue clash with Limerick side Broadford in a Junior Club Final at the Kerry venue Ballymacelligott also with a 7.30 start, Boherbue who have a fairly well balanced side will be hoping for a good performance against what will be a strong Broadford team.
Players who are travelling to the World Championship in Minnesota, which is scheduled for the period August 9 to 19 are already concentrating on their preparation for that trip,which means that there are some changes this year to the annual clár to cater for that.
That said there still has to be progress in 60x30 county and provincial championship to ensure that the National programme kicks in fairly fast. Entries for Cork 60x30 adult championship will close at the end of May with games commencing around mid June to ensure we have our entries ready for Munster deadline it is intended to play off Munster championship games involving players who are not travelling to the Worlds.
Also 60x30 County Juvenile Championship is scheduled for first two weeks of July. Some Cork clubs are also preparing for Feile na nGael Handball Festival which is scheduled for Galway venues on weekend of June 16/17 catering for teams of four plus a substitute Under 14, with separate competitions for both Boys and Girls and also includes an Individual Skills competition.