Clare has new All Ireland handball champions.
Leah Minogue & Amber Nolan captured the Junior Ladies doubles crown after victory over their Wexford opponents in Croke Park.
It took a tie-breaker to decide it with the Clare duo winning 21-8, 14-21, 11-5.
Colin Crehan and Diarmaid Nash just came up short in their All Ireland Senior Men’s final, as the defending champions lost out to Cork.
All-Ireland Adult Finals
Men’s Senior Doubles:
Cork GAA Handball (Daniel Relihan & Michael Hedigan) dft. Clare Handball (Diarmuid Nash & Colin Crehan) 17-21, 21-14, 11-10
Golden Masters B Doubles:
Wexford GAA Handball (Damien Kelly & Eugene Kelly) dft. Clare Handball (Seamus Ryan & Michael Kenneally) 21-15, 21-11
Ladies Junior Doubles:
Clare Handball (Leah Minogue & Amber Nolan) dft Wexford Handball (Holly Hynes & Cora Doyle). 21-08, 14-21, 11-05
Men’s Junior B Doubles:
Tyrone (Jack Campbell and Caolan McCartan) dft. Clare Handball (Glenn Murray and Kevin O’Callaghan) 21-19, 18-21, 11-02
Munster Championship
Munster Singles Results
Junior A.
Sean Coughlan’s dft Waterford, Anthony Fitzgerald 3-21,21-6,11-3
Cork, Donnacha O’Connor dft Conor Downes 21-08; 21-08
Minor
Cork, Cian Dunning dft Matthew Coughlan 21-08, 21-08
U21
David Considine dft Cork, John Cronin 21-04, 21-19
O35
Darren O’Neill bt Cork, Padhraic Egan 17/21, 21/8, 11/5
Silver Masters B
Mike Baker Clare bt Cork, Tadhg Murphy 21/8, 21/14
Munster Singles Fixtures
Wednesday March 13th
Golden Master B @ Liscaroll Michael Kenneally (Clooney) v (Cork) Tom McDonnagh
Golden Master B @ Liscaroll Seamus Ryan (Tuamgraney) v (Cork) Kevin Murray
Juvenile Finals Championships
U11 Cup.
Sophia Moroney, Newmarket dft Saoirse Frost, Kilkishen.
U11 shield.
Ava Considine, Clarecastle dft Sophia Treacy, Toonagh
U11 Plate Final:
Coley Sweeney(Clarecastle) dft Noah Healy (Clarecastle)
Juvenile B Girls finals
U12 Cup.
Holly Farmer, Clarecastle dft Ayda Ryan, Clooney.
U12 Shield
Beibhinn Slattery, Clarecastle dft Elisa Kidney, Tulla.
U13 Shield.
Sarah Brodie, Clarecastle dft Clara Vaughan, Clarecastle.
U14 Cup.
Jane Hogan, Kilkishen dft Maisie O’Malley, Toonagh.
U15 Cup.
Ella Crotty, Tuamgraney dft Aoife Molloy, Tuamgraney.
Juvenile B Boys finals.
U12 Cup
Dara Brohan (Clooney) dft Ben Fahy(Clooney)
U12 Shield
Ronan Davy (Kilkishen) dft Leo Danagher (Tuamgraney)
U13 Cup
Patrick Sweeney(Clarecastle) dft Ruairi Frost (Kilkishen)
U13 Shield
Finn Elingstad(Clarecastle) dft Blake Corbett (Kilkishen)
U14 Shield Final:
Kiernan Sheridan (Clarecastle) dft Ronan O’Leary (Clarecastle)
U14 Plate Final:
Gavin Hassett(Toonagh) dft Danny Griffin (Toonagh)
U14 League Final:
Micheal Cooney(Kilkishen) dft Patrick O’Brien (Tuamgraney)
U14 Group Final:
Adam Casey (Clarecastle) dft Darragh Drennan (Clarecastle)
U15 Cup Final:
Ronan Murray (Tuamgraney) dft Jamie Moroney (Kilkishen)
U15 Shield Final:
MJ Buckley(Tuamgraney) dft Brian Conheady (Tulla)
U15 Plate Final:
Luke Donnelly (Clarecastle) dft Dan Moroney (Kilkishen)
U16 Cup Final:
Paddy Sweeney (Clarecastle) dft Ciaran Collins (Kilkishen)
U16 Shield Final:
Jack O’Halloran (Toonagh) dft Eoin Hegarty (Toonagh)
U17/18 Cup Final:
John Sweeney (Clarecastle) dft Martin Sweeney (Clarecastle)
U17/18 Shield
Cillian McInerney (Toonagh) dft Lachlann Carey (Clooney)
Remaining Juvenile Fixtures
U11 Boys Tuesday March 12th @ Kilkishen 6:30
Cup Final Jack McMahon (Clooney) v Cian Donovan (Kilkishen) U11 Boys Tuesday March 12th @ Tulla 6:30
Shield Final Ryan McNamara (Tulla) v Ruairi Mahon (Clooney)
U12 Boys Tuesday March 12th 6:30 in Either Tulla or Clarecastle
Plate Final Niall McMahon (Newmarket) v Adam Quinn (Tulla)/Jack Drennan (Clarecastle)
U13 Girls Wednesday March 13th @ Clarecastle 6:30
Cup Final Molly McMahon (Clooney) v Ali Donnelly (Clarecastle)
U17 Girls
Cup Final Lisa Nicholas (Tulla) v Aoibheann Creavan (Tulla)
U10/11 handball,
Blitzes for boys and girls U10 and U11 took place across the weekend in all venues, with over 100 children travelling to Tuamgraney, Tulla, Clooney, Kilkishen, Newmarket, Toonagh, Clarecastle. This is a great introduction to games for these young children and travelling to new venues is great excitement with new players to play.
All-Ireland Juvenile A Finals
Saturday in Croke Park sees the end of Championship in Juvenile A. Clare will be well represented on the day, taking part in 5 finals.
U14 Boys Singles
Jack Cahill, Clooney v Galway, Bertie O’Donoghue
U15 Girls Singles
Ellie Frost, Kilkishen v Kilkenny, Shauna Hayes
U16 Girls Singles
Claire Minogue, Tuamgraney v Galway, Stephanie Walsh
U16 Girls Doubles
Isabelle McInerney and Tara Lucas, Toonagh v Kilkenny, Niamh Drennan, Orla Duggan
U16 Boys Doubles
Paul Rodgers, Tuamgraney and Liam Murphy, Kilkishen v Kilkenny, Conor Manogue, Timmy Corr
All-Ireland Singles Championship
Diarmaid Nash will begin his singles championship on Monday March 18th, he waits on the winners of round 1 to know his opponent, Rory Grace, Tipperary and Tyrone’s Barry Devlin will play March 16th with the winner against Nash.
Ladies Singles also commences with Leah Minogue fresh from doubles success in Senior action on Thursday 14th 2pm in Claregalway against one half of the Senior doubles winners in Niamh Heffernan.
Amber Nolan will hope to continue her good run of form in the Junior Singles with an opening day outing in Cashel against Wexford’s, Cora Doyle. Also on March 16th Chloe Philpott of Kilkishen will travel to Nenagh against Limerick’s Aishling Shannahan
In Tuamgraney on Saturday Limerick’s Evan Murphy will play Galway’s Seamus Conneely.
As handball season training wise for the majority comes to a close many clubs are hosting tournaments for young and adult players.
Kilkishen
Have over the last 4 weeks held their Parish leagues. This brings together children in teams from 10 -15 years of age and provides great fun, training and introduces some to games. Also having club fun blites with the 8-10 yr old players
Clooney
Begin their Parish league on Monday 11th and this will run mid week every evening for two weeks to get to final stage.
Tulla
Have also commenced Parish league for children in mixed teams 11-16yrs
Tuamgraney
Will host an adult tournament for players within the club for the MacLysaght Cup.
The MacLysaght Cup is 75 years old this year, making it one of (if not the) oldest handball club tournaments in Ireland and this year’s edition takes place Bank Holiday Monday 18th March, starting from 11.00am.
The cup was donated to Tuamgraney Handball Club by the late Edward MacLysaght, on whose grounds the handball alley was built, and it was first played for in 1949. The MacLysaght family have always had very strong ties to the handball club. Edward’s late son William was Honourary President of the club for many years, a position now held by William’s son Cian.
For decades the best handballers in Tuamgraney and the surrounding community have fought for the honour of being MacLysaght Cup Champion, from the very first winners John & Peter Tuohy, on through the era of the famous Kirby brothers right up to the likes of Haulie Hogan, PJ Counihan and more recent winners like Diarmaid Nash & current holder Conor Downes.
County, Munster and All-Ireland champions will be on show on Monday and this year for the first time our Ladies players are included and will be looking to be the first female winner of the MacLysaght Cup in its 75-year history. There will also be a drop-down Plate competition. All support welcome on the day.
Tuamgraney Handball Club’s annual fundraising 10km Sponsored Walk/Run takes place on Easter Monday April 1st at 12pm. All support greatly appreciated and everyone is welcome to take part.
Club Adult Singles and Doubles Competitions.
This is the first year for the County to run this event. With 25 entered in singles and 12 pairs in doubles, there is no shortage of games for club players. There is great interest in this and with groups divided into mixed ability it is introducing new players to each other and building links. The competition will be run over 5 weeks and finals will be in 3 divisions which will see the return of players to equal grades – bar an upset, which is always on the cards.