This article is from page 81 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 81 JPG
ONCE more, the focus of the county and country’s handballers is firmly set on this year’s big alley competi- tions. As it stands, the 2008 Munster 60×30 Championships have already kicked off and Clare are vying for honours in a number of grades.
The big alley game is the original, traditional form of handball in which Clare tasted so much success down through the years and the recent past has seen a resurgence in big-alley in- terest and playing numbers.
Clare has always had a great tradi- tion in big alley handball, particular- ly the Tuamgraney club, which has produced many All-Ireland winners in the past. Incidentally, Tuamgraney is the only 60×30 alley currently in use in Clare and so is the main cen- tre of handball action for the whole county.
At adult level this year, Clare will be represented at Minor Singles and Doubles (Niall Malone, Diarmaid Nash), Under 21 Singles and Doubles (Cathal Hannon, Shane Hayes), Jun- ior B Singles (Fergal Coughlan) and
Doubles (Fergal Coughlan, Shane Walsh), Junior A Singles (Declan Frawley and Seamus Lawlor) and Doubles (Darragh Kirby/Seamus Lawlor and Declan Frawley/Liam
Frawley), Silver Masters ‘A’ Singles (John Cawley) and Doubles (Mike Kelly, ‘Charlie’ Coughlan) and Dia- mond Masters ‘A’ Doubles (Jimmy Walsh, PJ Counihan). Diarmaid Nash
and Niall Malone kicked off Clare’s 2008 interest with their Minor Sin- gles first round games against Lim- erick opposition but unfortunately were defeated by Seamus O’Carroll
and CJ Fatzpatrick respectively.
The Tuamgraney pair joined forces and faced the same opposition in the Minor Doubles, where the Limerick duo again had the upper hand.
Clare’s next fixtures see Newmar- ket’s Seamus Lawlor (Junior Singles) in action tonight (Tuesday) in Cashel at 8pm against Tipperary opposition while this Thursday, both Cathal Hannon and Shane Hayes travel to Ballyporeen for their respective U- 21 Singles Ist round games against Waterford opposition at 8pm.
Clare will also be well represented this year at adult Ladies level and in the different underage grades (Boys & Girls) and hopes are high that Munster and All-Ireland titles can be won in Saffron and Blue in *O08.
Trials were held in Tuamgraney last week to select juvenile county play- ers at all ages from under 12 to under 17 and Clare’s first games will be at Munster semi-final stage on Septem- ber 5 at a Limerick venue.