Doubles championship takes priority for handballers

MUNSTER 40x20 championship continues with a busy schedule of fixtures in doubles championship during the coming week. On this Friday Cork players will be involved at Limerick venues Broadford and Cappagh at 7.30pm.

In Broadford they host Minor Doubles Final in which Cork pair Cian O’Driscoll, Mallow, and Colin Healy, Liscarroll, play Clare’s Mark Rodgers and Mark Crehan. The Cork pair will have to play well to be successful here as Clare have a strong partnership.

Moving on to Cappagh they will host both Junior Doubles semi-finals opening with the clash of Mallow pair Dale Cusack and Conor Walsh with Limerick’s Tomas Donegan and Paul Hedderman that will be followed by the second semi-final in which Kilworth pair John Horgan and James Moakley take on Clare’s Fergal Coughlan Jnr and Ciaran Malone.

Moving on to Tuesday evening at Galbally if Cork pair Hugh Carolan, Conna and Patrick Buckley, Glenville defeat Waterford in the Over-35 ‘B’ Doubles semi-final then they will face Clare’s Shane Walsh and John Kirby in the final.

Also on Tuesday evening venue to be decided in Junior B Doubles Final Boherbue pair Shane Flynn/ Roger Casey take on the winner of the second semi-final Tipperary Aidan O’Flaherty/Liam Bradshaw or Kerry Clive Counihan/Daire Keane.

There was mixed fortunes for Cork players in last weekend’s All-Ireland semi-finals. In adult John Herlihy, Conna lost to Michael Dowling, Kildare in Emerald Masters A Singles, while Pat Morris, Liscarroll, lost to John Rossiter, Carlow in Ruby Masters Singles.

In Boys and Girls Juvenile All-Ireland semi-finals played at Kilkenny and Carlow venues Cork players contested six winning two and losing four. The wins were achieved in Boys U-14 Singles Hayden Supple, Fermoy, booked his place in the Final defeating Joseph Prendergast, Kilkernny.

In Girls U-17 Singles Sarah O’Malley also booked her place in the final overcoming Katie Barrett, Carlow. IN Boys U-14 Doubles Ben Sullivan, Fermoy partnering Darragh Murphy, Ballydesmond lost out to Kilkenny. In Boys U-17 Doubles Darragh Ducey, Fermoy, partnering Donal Jones, Liscarroll, lost to Wexford Joer Devereux/ David Doyle. In Girls U-14 Singles Carmel Kelleher, Boherbue lost to Jodie Keeling, Wexford while in Girls U-16 Singles Muireann O’Brien, Kilworth, lost to Amy Brennan, Kilkenny.

The Mallow Credit Union sponsored Cork teams enjoyed a successful weekend in Munster Inter County Team championships winning U-12/13 and U-16/17 team championship and narrowly losing U-14/15 Final to Clare. In U-12/13 semi-final Cork defeated Tipperary and went on to defeat Clare in the Final 80 aces to 43. The Cork team was Ryan Linehan, Wesley Delany, Gearoid Sheehan, John Murphy, Cameron O’Sullivan, Tomas O’Connor, Diarmuid O’Connell, Cian Dunning.

In U-16/17 Final Cork again defeated Clare 60 aces to 30. The U-16/17 team was Cathal Ducey, Evan Enright, Sam Dunning, Callum McCarthy. In U-14/15 Cork defeated Tipperary in the semi-final but lost the final to Clare 76 aces to 65.

The Cork U-14/15 team was Nathan Sheehan, Colin Brosnan, Donal Murphy, Darragh Moynihan, Darragh Henley, Eanna McInerney, Shane O’Riordan, Fionn O’Connell.

Last Sunday at Ballydesmond the 40x20 County Juvenile B Finals were played producing a skilful display of handball from young players involved.

The winners: U-17S: Mallow (Eric Delany), U-15D: Boherbue (Donal Murphy/Darragh Moynihan), U-15S: Mallow (Joshua Harkin), U-14S: Conna (Nathan Sheehan), U-13D: Ballydesmond (Leah O’Riordan/Norma Kerrisk), U-12S: Conna (John Temple), U-12D: Boherbue (Cormac O’Shea/Eoghan Moynihan), U-11S: Ballydesmond (Eoghan O’Riordan), U-10D: Conna (Tristan Clancy/Julian Pietropaolo), U-10S: Ballydesmond (Amy Brosnan), U-10D: Ballydesmond (Bobby Vaughan/Cian Lehane), U-9D: Ballydesmond (Grace Murphy/Darragh Brosnan), U-8D: Mallow (Tom Walsh/Darragh McInerney). all the