Leah and Eimear win All Ireland
There were great celebrations in Moycullen, Galway, on Sunday afternoon as two of the rising stars of Clare Handball captured 60 x 30 All Ireland Crowns. Leah Minogue (Tuamgraney HC) and Eimear Murphy (Kilkishen HC) paired up this year to represent Clare in the Girls’ Under 15 Doubles.
The Clare pair have been in tremendous form in this championship having a number of impressive wins enroute to the final. Leah and Eimear continued this form as they were imperious in the final, against two excellent Kilkenny handballers in Nathania Jackson and Lauren Power.
Leah and Eimear started off the first game with real intent and opened up an early lead. The Kilkenny pair were battling hard but they could not curtail the power and style of the Clare ladies. In the second game the Clare pair took total control and finished out the match on a scoreline of 15-8, 15-5.
Both girls can now add these medals to their impressive haul from 2019, with Leah having won the 40 x 20 All Ireland U16 Doubles title and Eimear winning the 40 x 20 All Ireland Colleges Junior Doubles title earlier in the year.
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Fergal Coughlan Jnr in Atlanta
It has been an extremely busy week for Clooney Quin’s Fergal Coughlan Jnr. Fresh off the back of helping his home club win their Division 1 Round 1 tie against Newmarket on Fergus on Tuesday night, he jetted off to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete in the Race for Eight Pro Handball Event being hosted there.
This tournament is part of the Pro Handball circuit in America, which features the best ranked players in America, such as Killian Carroll (Cork/Boston), Seán Lenning (Washington), brothers Daniel and Luis Cordova (Mexico) and Marcos Chavez (California). Such is the interest in these handball tournaments that they are broadcast live on ESPN 3 in America.
In his first round qualifier match Fergal played against Adam Bernhard (Texas) who he defeated 25-19. Fergal then received an extremely difficult draw in the Round of 16 against the number 2 seeded, Sean Lenning. Fergal was playing outstanding handball and pushed Lenning all the way only to lose out in the tie breaker on a score of 15-7, 4-15, 15-12.
Next Fergal went on to compete in the 9th place playoff draw. He defeated the number ten seeded Shorty Ruiz (California) on a score of 25-8. Unfortunately Fergal received another tough draw when he played against 2018 All Ireland Senior Singles Champion Martin Mulkerrins (Galway).
Mulkerrins beat Fergal on a score of 25-16. Fergal will return home with his head held high knowing that he beat two highly ranked American players and ultimately only lost out to the second seeded players in both America and Ireland.
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Tuamgraney Young Guns start off Division 1 with a Bang
Tuamgraney fired into action in great style on Tuesday night in the Division 1, First Round tie, against Kilkishen B. Despite Kilkishen B having home advantage they could not overcome the youthful exuberance of Tuamgraney (Tiarnan Slattery, Gearóid Sheehy, Conor Downes and Patrick Crotty) who won on an overall score of 84 – 51.
Tuamgraney have an extremely youthful look to their Division 1 team this year, with Conor Downes being the elder statesman on the team, at the ripe old age of 19!
