Countdown to doubles weekend in Cavan
LAST weekend was a busy one in Handball courts throughout the Country with the full programme of 40x20 All Ireland championship semi-finals decided in preparation for the Doubles Finals weekend which is scheduled for Kingscourt on the weekend of April 26 to 28. Cork players will contest two of those finals following last weekends semi-finals.
In Ladies Senior Doubles the reigning All Ireland champions Ballydesmond Ladies Aishling O’Keeffe and Catriona Casey took on Kildare’s Leah Doyle and Mollie Dagg at St Brigids club in Dublin on Saturday evening and after a tough battle advanced to another All-Ireland Final. In fairness to the Kildare pair who are a much improved partnership this year they made the Cork pair battle all the way to the line. The first game proved crucial as Kildare gave as good as they got staying in contention with the Cork pair having to pull out all the stops to get over the line on a score of 21-20. Having survived that challenge and the first game now under their belt, Casey and O’Keeffe controlled the second game winning that one 21-12 to keep alive their hopes of retaining the title.
In the second semi-final Roscommon pair Fiona and Siobhan Tully defeated Kilkenny’s Ciara Mahon and Aoife Holden to set up a Cork v Roscommon Final on Saturday, April 27.
Cork, who were also involved in Men’s Senior Doubles semi-finals in Kingscourt on Saturday, were hoping that Liscarroll pair Daniel Relihan/Michael Hedigan who in their first year in 40x20 Senior had enjpyed a good run to the semi-final in which they faced Galway pair Martin Mulkerrins and Diarmuid Mulkerrins and while the Cork were not successful they did not disappoint against the more experienced Galway pair, in a ding dong battle in the first game the Cork pair dominated for long periods and leading 19 aces to 16 were within sight of taking a crucial first, however a strong rally from the more experienced Galway pair saw them win those few late aces to take the game 21-19.
Cork took control of the second game and went on to level matters at one game each on a score of 21-8 all now hinged on who had the most left in the tank in the early stages it was ace for ace but a period of dominance from Galway mid way through edged them ahead and they went on to take the crucial third 21-8 and a place in the final.
The second semi-final between Clare and Meath also produced another stirring battle with Clare pair Diarmuid Nash and Colin Crehan narrowly defeating Meath Tom Sheridan/ Brian Carroll. In Emerald Masters A Doubles John Hedigan, Liscarroll, partnering John Herlihy Conna are also through to the All-Ireland Final, while in Over-35 A Doubles played in Ballydesmond last Friday Wexford pair Gavin Buggy and Paddy Haughton defeated Cork pair Donnacha O’Dea, Ballydesmond, and Tim Breen, Boherbue, 10-21, 21-3, 21-5.
At Cork Indoor Sports annual Awards Function in Metropole Hotel last Friday Liscarroll’s Michael Hedigan’s was honoured with the Handball Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in recent years.