Brendan McGovern and Brendan O’Carroll do the double

LAST Friday in Killarney the CPC. IE sponsored Kerry even doubles County Championships for divisions 1, 3 and 5 were played before a large, appreciative audience. The singles championships for the same divisions were played some weeks ago and each of the six winners of those championships were also in final action on Friday as they hoped to add title number two on their quest to complete the treble of badminton county titles within their own division in the same season.

Those six singles winners were Division 1 men James Flaherty; Division 1 ladies Niamh Flaherty; Division 3 men Brendan McGovern; Division 3 ladies Niamh Hickey; Division 5 ladies Maria Kennelly; Division 5 men Brendan O’Carroll.

Amazingly each of those singles winners reached a doubles final on Friday, in itself is a rare achievement, with four falling at the final hurdle. Another statistic is that four of the defeated finalists captured doubles title on Friday, namely Edel Broderick and Tom Bourke at Division 1; Jebin John at Division 3 and Josie Gilbert at Division 5.

The ladies division 1 final saw the Castleisland Club pairing of Edel Broderick and Miriam Rohan take on Niamh O’Flaherty (Moyvane) and Sinead Galvin (Killarney). The Castleisland pair won the first set 22-20 and took the second set and title 21-16.

The men’s division 1 final saw defending champions from Castleisland, Tom Bourke and Eric Nelligan, against the Moyvane/ Castleisland teenagers James O’Flaherty and Jonathan Keane. The teenagers took the opening set 21-16 but the Castleisland veterans edged the second 2117. The champions retained their crown with a 21-13 win in the third. Bourke won his first Kerry doubles in 2003 with Billy Lacey and Nelligan collected his first with Gio Gaudino 2006 but Friday last was their fifth in a row as a partnership.

In the division 3 final Annascaul’s Brendan McGovern and Jebin John of Castleisland club overcame the Moyvane pair of Timmy Hanrahan and Jamie Elliott in two sets, 21-12, 21-15, to give McGovern his second title of the season.

The ladies division 3 decider saw Killarney’s Niamh Hickey partner Castleisland’s Michelle Beazley lost out to Listowel’s Michelle Kearney and Moyvane’s Francine Collins in three sets 2118, 17-21, 21-10.

The ladies division 5 decider saw Moyvane’s Maria Kennelly and Listowel’s Karen Lawlor take on the Causeway/Ballyheigue pair of Josie Gilbert and Lillian Holmes with the latter combination taking the title 21-11, 21-18.

Causeway clinched another victory in the division 5 men’s competition where Brendan O’Carroll and Padraig Barrett defeated the Killarney pair of Colm Hickey and Kumar Shanker in two sets 21-10; 21-12 to give O’Carroll his second county title of the year.

The second phase of the even doubles County Championships for divisions 2 and 4 take place in Killarney this Friday at 7.30 pm.

Next Sunday the action again switches to Waterford for the annual Brewster Cup. Kerry won this prestigious Cup, which commenced in 1951, in 2000 and 2003 but it has eluded the Kingdom since despite several second place finishes. The Kerry panel for Sunday is - Men: Fergal Hannon, Mike Crossan, Jonathan Keane, James Flaherty, & James Leane. Ladies - Edel Broderick, Maeve Twomey, Sinead Galvin, Miriam Ronan and Brid Murphy. Team manager is Billy Lacey.

The Munster singles finals take place in the UL, Limerick on March 12 for the winners of each Grade in each county. KERRY were involved in the Munster Inter-County series last Sunday with the Grade C team involved in a straight shoot out with Cork in Dromtariffe, and the Grade E team involved in a four county battle in Waterford.

In Dromtariffe Cork went 3-1 up but Kerry fought back to go 4-3 up. Cork levelled at 4-4 and in the vital third mixed Cork edged it to take the title 5-4. The Kerry team was Edel Broderick, Miriam Rohan, Maeve Twomey, Sinead Galvin, Niamh O’Flaherty, Tom Bourke, James O’Flaherty, Eric Nelligan, Fergal Hannon.

In the Grade E competition Kerry began with a 5-4 victory over Cork whilst Tipperary overcame Waterford 6-3. In round 2 Kerry fell to Waterford 6-3 whilst Tipperary defeated Cork 6-3. In the final round Kerry beat Tipperary 5-4. In the meantime Waterford defeated Cork 7-2 so the overall result saw Tipperary and Waterford level on 16 points; Kerry on 13 points with Cork on 9.

By virtue of their first round win over the host county, Tipperary were declared winners but Kerry had the unusual distinction of winning two of their three games, they defeated the eventual champions, Tipperary, and yet only finished in third place.

The Kerry panel was Brid Murphy, Ruth Concannon, Sorcha Fitzgerald, Mairead O’Regan, Helen Browwne, Donie Enright, Jonathan Keane, Donnacha Moloney, Timmy Noonan, Aidan McCarthy. Joint managers: Marion O’Neill and Catherine Hanrahan LAST Sunday Ballyheigue held their annual tournament for Kerry divisions 3, 4 and 5 with over 70 players competing.