Handball Scene
It was a feast of Handball at the National Handball Centre in Croke Park last weekend with the finals of the Adult Doubles being played with Tipperary were represented in the Junior Doubles and the Over 70 Doubles.
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Nenagh College 6th year student Hannah Grace has been awarded a scholarship in Handball at Minnesota State University, USA. Hannah won the Under 17 USA Nationals last year and has been recruited to the four year scholarship programme. PicasaImage 2 of 3
All-Ireland Over 70 Doubles final, from left: Eugene Kennedy & Ned Flynn (winners), Conor McDonald (Handball President), Paddy Collins & Jim Ryan (runners-up). PicasaImage 3 of 3
Colin Ryan and Jerome Cahill- All-Ireland Junior Doubles champions. PicasaBy Paddy Collins PRO
The Junior Doubles final was brought forward to Cashel on Friday where Jerome Cahill (Lahorna) & Colin Ryan (Cashel) were up against Jack Holden & Dylan Caulfield from Kilkenny.
After winning in a tie-break in the semi-final against Galway, the Tipp boys kicked off from the very start and won the first game 21/5. They kept the pace up in the second set and went on to a comfortable win 21/8 to take the All-Ireland title.
In Croke Park in the Over 70 Doubles final, Jim Ryan (Silvermines) & Paddy Collins (Ballina) were up against Eugene Kennedy & Ned Flynn from Dublin.
They got off to the worst of starts and trailed 10-0 in the first set. They settled down after that and despite playing some good handball they pulled back aces but were beaten 21/13. The second set saw them get many chances to serve but they found it very hard to make aces against the Dublin pair. They were finally beaten in the second 21/10.
The Senior Ladies & Senior Men’s finals saw the underdogs winning both deciders. In the Ladies Doubles, the Galway pair Ciana Ní Churraoin & Niamh Heffernan, despite losing the first set 21/18, caused a huge upset by taking the second game against the reigning champions Cork’s Caitriona Casey & Aishling O’Keefe 21/14. They followed up by winning the tie-break 11/0.
The Men’s Senior Doubles saw a second big upset with reigning champions Diarmuid Nash & Colin Crehan from Clare being defeated by Michael Heddigan & Daniel Relihan from Cork.
The Clare duo won the first set 21/17 but Cork replied by winning the second set 21/14. In a rip-roaring tie-break, the crowd were on their feet throughout with neither side willing to give in. The Cork pair just about edged it taking the game and senior title by the narrowest of margins 11/10.