ALLEY CHAT with Antóin Ó Braoin
Roberts gets Wexford’s Leinster challenge off to a strong start
He may be only have returned to the game in the past two years or so but already Kilmyshall player Padhraic Roberts has made an impact at both county and provincial level with a series of fine performance since his comeback to the courts. The latest came at Borris on Saturday night when he faced Larry Brennan, Laois in the opening round of the Leinster Junior B singles championship.
The midlander would have been the slight favourite to advance to round two but Roberts had other ideas and after he had edged out Brennan 21-17 in a really tight first game he took command of the second to coast home 21-8 for an impressive victory. The hard working Roberts who is also Club Secretary at the newly reformed Kilmyshall club, now hopes for a good run in this perennially congested grade. He will be joined in round two by David Kenny, Castlebridge who accounted for Garry Delaney, Kilkenny by a facile 21-8, 21-4, in the process laying down a marker to all with pretentions on this title.
O’Toole ups the ante in the County Senior Championship
Last year’s Glen Fuels Handballer of the Year, Darren O’Toole, Coolgreany has made as terrific start to his county senior singles campaign with two fine victories in his opening 
league games. He began by coming from behind to beat Jason Murphy, Castlebridge 19-21, 21-18, 21-8 at Bree on Thursday last and then followed up with a surprise win over Peter Hughes, Ballyhogue at Coolgreany on Sunday. And while his victory over Murphy was expected it was his 14-21, 21-12, 21-13 win over the fancied Hughes that has all but cemented his place in the county semi-finals. The Ballyhogue player is operating at a higher level on the intercounty scene but O’Toole has never been a respecter of reputations and he set about the task in admirable fashion. He did play second fiddle to his accomplished opponent in that first game but his power and extreme fitness levels eventually did pay dividends as he dominated thereafter for a hard earned but fully deserved win.
Also in the senior championship, the holder Gavin Buggy, St. Josephs got his defence of the title underway with a no fuss 21-12, 21-4 eclipse of the aforementioned Peter Hughes at Bree on Thursday and for the umpteen time he produced a championship performance of considerable quality. Buggy takes the domestic programme very seriously and this continues to be reflected in the way he plays. He remains the man to beat.
Elsewhere in the county championships David Redmond and Tony Breen, Templeudigan proved too strong for a game Sean Stanners and Ian Curran, St. Martins in the Intermediate Doubles played at St. Josephs, while in the Masters B Singles there were wins for Mick Carty, St. Josephs over Kevin Doyle, Davidstown, 21-13, 17-21, 21-14 and Phil Coleman, Ballymitty, a 13-21, 21-7, 21-12 winner against Tom Cummins, Horeswood.
In the women’s junior singles the experienced Anne Boland, Templeudigan used all her guile to eventually see of the challenge of the up and coming Roisin Walsh, St. Josephs, as she came through 12-21, 21-10, 21-5
Results from the county juvenile championships;
GU10
April Moran (BAM) dft Lillian Condon (BAM)
Ellie Murphy-O’Gorman (STJ) v Jody Keeling (STJ)
Lucia Merrigan (COG) dft Aishling Hennessy (BAM)
Jody Keeling (STJ) dft Stacy O’Rafferty (COG)
GU11
April Moran (BAM) dft Shauna Owley (COG)
GU14
Andrea Carley (STJ) dft Lucia Merrigan (COG)
BU10
Ryan Moran (BAM) dft Evan Sweeney (STJ)
Eoin Roche (BAM) dft Miley Connors (COG)
Rory Dobbs (STJ) dft Conor Honan(COG)
Sean Connolly (TLU) dft Evan Sweeney (STJ)
BU11S
Ryan Boland (COG) dft Conor Dobbs (STJ)
Rurdhán Redmond (COG) dft Aaron Dempsey (STJ)
Ben Keeling (STJ) dftShane Kingston (STM)
Ben Keeling (STJ) dft Rurdhán Redmond (COG)
Shane Kingston (STM) dft Aaron Dempsey (STJ)
BU12S
Cian Byrne (BRT) dft Eoin O’Connor (BAM)
Jake Kelly (COG) dft Eoin O’Connor (BAM)
Cathal Connolly (TLU) dft Cian Byrne (BRT)
BU13S
Sam Cody (COG) dft Padraig Lacey (BAM)
Colm Kiely (STJ) dft Daragh Hayes (OUL)
Padraig Lacey (BAM) dft Rory Cassidy (BRT)
Conor Kehoe (STJ) dft Dorian Reville (BAM)
Gavin Lawlor (BAT) dft Ciaran Cullen (STJ)
BU15S
Adam Hanrahan (CAB) dft David Murray (BRT)
Killian Power (BAH) dft Paraic Reville (BRT)
BU16S
Gavin Connolly (TLU) dft John Power (COG)
Laurence Dunne (KIL) dft Kevin Shannon (BTR)
Kevin Shannon (BTR) dft John Power (COG)
Gavin Connolly (TLU) dft Laurence Dunne (KIL)
Glen Fuels Awards
Voting is continuing for the 2nd Annual Glen Fuels Handballer of the Year Award and supporters of Gavin Buggy, Holly Hynes, Todd Hynes, Tommy Hynes and Galen Riordan have been logging on to www.glenfuels.com in their droves. In alphabetical order the achievements of the contenders have been as follows;
Gavin Buggy – winner of Leinster & All Ireland 60×30 Over 35 singles, Leinster 40×20 Over 35 doubles, Winter League Singles and County 40×20 senior singles and senior doubles.
Holly Hynes – winner of Leinster 40×20 and 60×30 under 14 singles, county 40×20 and 60×30 junior doubles and county 40×20 and 60×30 under 14 singles.
Todd Hynes – winner of All Ireland 40×20 Cumann na mBunscoil under 13 singles, Leinster 60×30 Under 13 singles, Leinster 40×20 and 60×30 team event, county 40×20 and 60×30 under 13 singles and doubles.
Tommy Hynes – winner of Leinster & All Ireland 60×30 Masters A Doubles and county 60×30 senior singles and doubles.
Galen Riordan – winner of All Ireland minor hardball singles, Leinster 40×20 and 60×30 minor singles, Leinster 60×30 colleges intermediate singles and county 40×20 intermediate singles
