M.Donnelly GAA Handball All Ireland Open Singles
Barry Goff got off to the best possible start in this year’s M.Donnelly GAA Handball All Ireland Open Singles with an impressive first round victory over Ollie Conway from Galway. Barry is one of the players to watch in this year’s championships as many players try to claim the title away from dominant Eoin Kennedy from Dublin and indeed the Castlebridge clubman gave an early indication of his intent in this 21-11, 21-14 victory over the Galway man.
Brian Carroll from Meath will be another of the chasing pack of quality players and he put paid to the chances of Colin Keeling last week by defeating the St Mary’s club man 21-6, 21-5.
The fixtures for the next round of the championships see Barry Goff in a very interesting battle with Michael Finnegan from Cavan while Gavin Buggy will also enter this round with a date and match against Vinnie Moran from Mayo.
GAA Handball Leinster championships
Gavin Buggy retained his Leinster over 35 singles title with a flawless display in beating Eddie Burke from Kilkenny in the final on a 21-3, 21-5 score line. It was the first part of a fine double for the St Mary’s club man as he was joined in the doubles final by Paul Carthy for more success as they overcame a strong Wicklow challenge in defeating Pat Quaile and Pat O’Donnell 21-16, 21-11 to take the title.
A third over 35 title was picked up by the model county last week as Eugene Kelly from Castlebridge claimed the honours in defeating Seán Quigley from Kilkenny 21-3, 21-7. Kelly was a member of the victorious Castlebridge team of 4 that won the All Ireland Junior title and is also in the Junior Doubles final in the coming week with Jason Murphy as they try to win back to back titles against Michael O’Brien and David Hope from Offaly.
Shane Rossiter from Ballymitty celebrated a fourth Leinster title of the week for Wexford as he took the top prize in the Masters B singles by beating David Clifford from Kilkenny in the final on a 21-14, 21-19 score line.
Brendan Murphy picked up title number five for the model county and his first ever Leinster singles title when he won the Emerald Masters B singles title by defeating Gerry Murphy from Kilkenny on a convincing 21-12, 21-13 score line.
Tony Breen was unable to add to the medal haul for Wexford in the Emerald Masters A singles final as he lost out in the Emerald Masters A singles final as injury eventually forced him to retire from this final. In the opening set John Rossiter from Carlow just piped Breen on a 21-19 score line, however during the early exchanges of the second set Breen was forced to retire injured.
Dean Corrigan also lost out in the Minor singles final after a fantastic semi final win over Keith Kavanagh from Wicklow. Corrigan knew he was right in the frame for the Leinster title, however on the night of the final he found Niall O’Connor from Kildare too hot to handle and the lilywhite man won through 21-9, 21-12.
There was two remaining semi finals played out during the past week that involved Wexford pairings. Paul Lambert and Peter Hughes had an eventful week in the junior doubles as their semi final with David Hope and Michael O’Brien from Offaly was forced to be abandoned at 7-2 on Tuesday night due to a wet court. On the resumption on Wednesday night in Clogh county Kilkenny it was the Offaly men who took control beating the Wexford men to a pulp on a 21-12, 21-1 score line.
Frank Maddock was left to think what might have been in the semi final of the Silver Masters B singles as he lost out in a fantastic semi final game against Tom Dooley from Kilkenny as the noresider won the night on a 21-18, 16-21, 21-16 score line.
County Juvenile Doubles Roll Of Honour
Boys Under 11 doubles champions
James Creane/Lucas Zilinois St Joseph’s
Boys Under 12 doubles champions
Patrick Boland/Jason O’Neill Templeudigan
Boys Under 13 doubles champions
Daniel Kavanagh /Alan Browne St Joseph’s
Boys Under 15 doubles champions
Liam Shannon/Aaron Wright Power Bridgetown
Boys Under 17 singles champion
Richard Martin Bridgetown
Boys Under 17 Doubles champions
Richard Martin/Brian Busher Bridgetown
Girls Under 11 Doubles champions
Eva Creane/Emer Phelan St Joseph’s
Girls Under 12 doubles champions
Róisín Cooney/Jessie Morrissey St Joseph’s
Girls Under 13 doubles champions
Róisín Walsh/Aoife O’Neill St Joseph’s
Girls Under 14 doubles champions
Chloe Walsh/Carley Walsh St Joseph’s
Wexford Farmers Co-op Ladies Open singles
The semi finals of the Wexford Farmers Co-op 60x 30 Ladies open singles took place during the past week and produced two very good close semi finals. Marguerite Gore from St Mary’s in Wexford town was nearly sent packing as the champion really had to work hard to eventually over come Amanda Kelly from Templeudigan who is making a welcome return to the handball courts after a break. Gore was to be the stronger in the third game and won the contest 21-7, 16-21, and 21-18.
In the final Michelle Boland will provide the opposition as the Templeudigan girl also returned to handball action this season and produced a very fine performance to see off the challenge of Laura Ann Furlong from Bridgetown. Boland, a former Féile Na nGael player with her club, won an exciting final on a 21-19, 21-15 score line and can now look forward to her first ever senior final against Marguerite Gore
