Handball semi-finals moved from Croke Park to Mullingar
AN important weekend for all those involved in Ladies and Men’s 60x30 Senior Doubles championship who face crucial games on this Saturday. Starting on Saturday morning at 10.30am Ladies All-Ireland Senior Doubles semi-finals are down for decision at Westmeath venue Mullingar at 10.30am.
Due to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final replay on Saturday these semi-finals to be moved from Croke Park Handball Centre to Mullingar. In the opening semi-final reigning champions Ballydesmond pair Catriona Casey and Aishling O’Keeffe take on Mayo’s Pauline Gallagher and Amy Corrigan in what promises to be a lively contest that could go down to the wire.
In the second semi-final Kildare pair Leah Doyle and Mollie Dagg play Kilkenny’s Ciara Mahon and Aoife Holden in a game that could go either way. The Cork pair will certainly be hoping to advance on Saturday and stay on track to retain the title in the final scheduled for Croke Park Centre on Saturday, September 21.
In Men’s Senior Doubles the quarter-finals will be decided on Saturday, with two at Crinkle, Co Offaly and two at Garryhill, Carlow. Both semi-finals will be decided at Croke Park on Saturday 21.
Back to last Saturday’s programme at Croke Park there was no joy for Ballydesmond’s Catriona Casey who lost out to the reigning champion Martina McMahon in Ladies Senior Singles Final as the Limerick lady retained her title on a comfortable score of 21-12, 21-9.
In Men’s Final Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy regained a title he has won a number of times as he narrowly outscored Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy 21-20, 21-18.
The Minor title went to Kilkenny with Kyle Dunne narrowly defeating Eoin McGinnithy from Monaghan.
The Munster 60x30 Juvenile Finals were decided last weekend and proved successful for Cork players winning six Munster titles. The run of success started on Friday evening with Cork players winning both finals down for decision at Cullen in U-16 Doubles Gearoid Healy, Liscarroll, partnered by Kealan Murphy, Ballydesmond defeated Kerry pair Daire Lynch and Sean Quirke 21-14, 20-21, 11-5. The second final was Boys U-15 Doubles with Ballydesmond pair Eoghan Daly and John Cronin proving too stropng for Clare Tony Leyden and Eanna Culloo by 15-2, 15-1.
On Sunday at Broadford Cork won three titles. In Girls U-16 Doubles an exciting win for Cork Sarah Walsh, Mallow, teamed up with Cliona Dunning, Conna to defeat a fancied Tipperary pair Anna Mulcahy and Aine Spain 21-15, 21-14.
In Boys U-13 Doubles Tomas O’Connor, Boherbue teamed up with Cian Dunning, Conna for very easy win over Tipperary pair Conal Murphy and Eoghan Dunne with an impressive display from both Cork players. In Boys U-15 Singles Fermoy player Hayden Supple took the spoils over Michael McDonagh, Waterford.
At the Hospital venue Cork players had mixed fortunes starting with a good win for Ballydesmond player Amy Brosnan in Girls U-12 Singles as she took the spoils overcoming Tipiperary Kate Mulcahy.
In Boys U-12 Singles Ryan Linehan, Ballydesmond, lost to Stefan Tobin, Tipperary. In Boys U-12 Doubles Thomas Myers, Ballydesmond, partnering Jack Murphy, Mallow, lost to Tipperary duwo Lucky Matis and Ronan Redmond.
In Boys U-14 Doubles Ballydesmond pair Darragh Murphy and Colin Brosnan lost to Waterford’s Billy O’Connell and Jack Power.