It has been another busy week on the local handball scene.
Cumann na mBunscoil
Clare finals of Cumann na mBunscoil were held in Clarecastle handball alleys over three nights last week. Boys U11 took place on Monday night with Kilkishen NS (John MacDonnacha and Cian Donovan) defeating Clonmoney NS (Jack Kirby and Conal Early) in the doubles final. Quin-Dangan NS (Jack McMahon) defeated Kilkishen NS(Gearoid MacDonnacha) by 1 point on aggregate score. Tuesday evening saw Tuamgraney NS (Cillian Howard and Brian Philbin) defeating Scoil na Magdaine Muire NS in the doubles final. Scariff NS (Daniel Madden) defeated Clonmoney NS (Eliah Kenny) in the singles final. On Wednesday both the U11 and U13 girls were played. Scariff NS (Anna Madden) defeated Toonagh NS (Ava McInerney) in the U13 singles with Toonagh NS(Laura Coffey and Amelia McInerney) defeating Clarecastle NS in the doubles. Kilkishen NS (Saoirse Frost) defeated Clarecastle NS (Ava Considine) in the U11 singles with Clonmoney (Sophia Moloney and Ella Kirby) defeating Clarecastle in the doubles.
Clare winners went on to the Munster Cumann na mBunscoil on Sunday. The Boys grades took place in Nenagh with the girls in Kilcolman. Boys U11 doubles Kilkishen NS (John MacDonnacha and Cian Donovan) won Muster Gold, U11 singles. Quin-Dangan NS (Jack McMahon) won silver on aggregate score. U13 singles Scariff NS (Daniel Madden) won Gold. U13 doubles won silver Tuamgraney NS (Cillian Howard and Brian Philbin).
In the girls U11 Kilkishen NS (Saoirse Frost) won Munster Gold along with the doubles pair of Clonmoney (Sophia Moloney and Ella Kirby). U13 Scariff NS (Anna Madden) won Munster silver.
All gold medal winners will now go forward to the National Cumann na mBunscoil day in National Handball Centre in Croke Park on February 18th. Here they will meet the winners from the other provincial finals for round robin games.
Clare Challenge
Clare hosted over 60 games in all 7 venues over the weekend of boys and girls from 13-17 years. With competitors from Clare, Tipperary, Cork, Mayo, Roscommon, Kilkenny, Galway and Wexford all taking part.
Winners were as follows
Girls 13 and U in Kilkishen
Cup Caoilinn Dowling(Kilkenny) dft Juliet Moroney(Kilkishen)
Shield Ava McInerney(Toonagh) dft Anna Madden(Tuamgraney)
Boys 13 and U Cup in Clooney
Learaí O’Gragaigh(Galway) dft Jack Hennessy(Cork)
Boys 13 and U Shield in Newmarket
Dylan Sheridan(Mayo) dft Cian Howard(Tuamgraney)
Girls 15 and U in Tuamgraney
Cup Claire Minogue(Tuamgraney) dft Isabelle McInerney(Toonagh)
Shield Ella Casey (Toonagh) dft Ella Crotty (Tuamgraney)
Boys 15 & U in Clarecastle
Cup Macdara O’Gradaigh(Galway) dft Sean Considine(Clooney)
Shield Liam Madden(Tuamgraney) dft Jack Cahill(Clooney)
Plate Will Egan (Cork) dft Zach Ryan(Cork)
Girls 17 & U in Toonagh
Cup Stephanie Walsh (Galway) dft Síle Ní Chonghaile (Inis Oirr)
Shield Aoibhe Ní Chadhain(Inis Oirr) dft Áine Moroney(Kilkishen
Gael Linn
For the first time since 1991 Clare won the National title in Gael Linn. Played in National Handball Centre in Croke Park Clare had two representatives for Munster. Tuamgraney won the overall title with Sinead O’Brien and Daniel Madden defeating Carrickmore of Tyrone in a quarter final then Kilglass of Roscommon in Semi-final before winning the title in a final against Greencastle of Tyrone.
Kilkishen, with Tracy Tuohy and Walter Moroney, won the second title of the day in the Sólás having lost the first game against Greencastle of Tyrone they defeated Claregalway of Galway in the semi-final and then defeated Carrickmore of Tyrone in the final.
The two Clare U13 club teams had a great outing and ensured an historic day for Clare handball.
Irish Colleges Handball Association
Third level singles competition took place in Belfast venues over the weekend. Clare were represented in the National finals through Keith Crehan, Cathal McKenna, Sean Coughlan, Amber Nolan and Leah Minogue all attending University of Limerick. Amber reached the Ladies A final losing to Emma Kinnane of (LF), Leah Minogue reached the Ladies open final losing to Amy Brennan (DCU) in a tie break 11-08.
Cathal McKenna won the Men’s B final defeating Conor Ruxton of (TUD), while Keith Crehan lost in the Men’s C Final to Josh Howlin (SETU).
These were great results for the Clare players representing UL.
Adult Leagues
Division 1 semi-final pairings have been decided with Kilkishen 1 and 2 meeting in one side of the draw and Tuamgraney 1 and 2 in the other side.
Division 2 sees Clooney play Tuamgraney and Newmarket play Tulla. Division 3 will have Toonagh v Tulla and Clarecastle v Newmarket. Division 4 will have Clarecastle play Newmaket in one side of the draw with Clarecastle second team playing either Kilkishen or Toonagh.
Finals are fixed for the following week.
Munster Championship Doubles
Results
Junior B Oisin Donnellan and Alan Leamy dft Cork (Darragh Ducey/Aidan Lenihan)
Junior B Glen Murray/Kevin O’Callaghan dft Limerick (Paddy Fitzgerald/Ian O’Brien
Junior A Conor Downes/Paddy Fitzgerald dft Tipperary (Niall Quinn/John Kennedy)
U21 Cork (Ben O’Sullivan/Nathan Sheehan) dft Cian Fawl/John Lynch
Junior B Glen Murray & Kevin O’Callaghan dft Waterford (Charlie McDonagh/Michael McDonagh)
Monday Jan 29th
Clooney – Junior Sean Coughlan/Mark Crehan v Tipperary
Juvenile B
Over the bank holiday weekend the boys in Juvenile B will play rounds 3 and 4 of competition. Grades U11, U12, U13, U14 and U17/18 will all be in action. Girls and all boys grades will all return to action then with following rounds in Feb10/11, 17/18, 24/25 with semi-finals on March 2/3 and finals March 9/10
Junior Nationals
The closing stages of the Junior Nationals take place in National Handball Centre in Croke Park over the weekend February 3 and 4th. Winners of the 15,17,19 &U grades will all win a place on the Irish team to take part in the World Championships in October, being held in Ireland. Clare will have contenders in the boys 15 with Sean Considine, boys 17 with Paul Rodgers and Matthew Coughlan, girls 15 with Ella Casey and Ellie Frost, girls 17 with Claire Minogue.
Also over the weekend but not in contention for Irish places will be the closing stages of 13 &U and the B grades of 15,17&19 girls and boys. Juliet Moroney will be in the girls 13, Charlie Collins in the boys 13. While in the B grades Sean Daly in boys 15 and Christian Cummins and Cathal Noonan in the boys 17, will all be in action.
