This article is from page 66 of the 2011-03-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 66 JPG
AS THIS year’s Munster Adult 40×20 Championships come to a close, there was more success for the Tuamgraney pair of Niall Malone & Diarmaid Nash when they won the Munster Intermediate Doubles Final in Cappagh on Wednesday last, beating Cork brothers Niall & Brendan Fleming 21-18, 21-15. The Clare duo are now due to play the Connacht champions this coming weekend in the All-Ireland semi-final. A time and date is yet to be confirmed and a clash will have to be avoided with Niall Malone’s All-Ireland Senior Singles Championship clash with Cavan kingpin Paul Brady (currently scheduled for this Saturday in Kingscourt at 2pm). Nash meanwhile, having already secured the Munster Senior title, will be expected to make it a hat-trick of provincial wins when he takes on Brendan Fleming in tonight’s Intermediate Singles decider (Ballydesmond, 8pm).
Aisling Fitzgerald (Tuamgraney) was also successful, winning her Munster Ladies Junior B Singles Final in Galbally on Saturday when she beat Laura Keevers 21-9, 21-6. Coughlan brothers Fergal and Ger were in the Masters A Doubles Final also in Galbally but went down to Cork pair Stephen Palmer and Kevin Buckley.
As mentioned, the Munster championships are now coming to a close and focus shifts to the All-Ireland semi-finals which take place over two weekends (March 12/13 and April 2/3). As well as Nash’s Senior win, Clare have already secured seven Munster titles; Ladies Junior B Singles (Aisling Fitzgerald), Ladies Junior B Doubles (Sarah Loughnane & Paula Loughane), Golden Masters B Singles (John Cawley), Golden Masters B Doubles (John Cawley & Teddy O’Hanlon), Glden Masters A Singles (Pat Donellan), Golden Masters A Doubles (Pat Donellan & Mike Kelly) and Intermediate Doubles (Diarmaid Nash & Niall Malone). The two outstanding finals up for grabs are tonight’s Intermediate Singles Final and an all-Clare (and all-Tulla) Junior Singles Final between Cathal Hannon and Aidan Lynch which was postoned due to an injury to Lynch and may yet be played before All-Ireland semi-final date.
While All-Ireland semi-final fixtures are yet to be confirmed at time of writing, the following grades involving Banner County players are scheduled for this coming weekend; Golden Masters Singles (A and B), Ladies Junior B Singles (all Connacht venues) and Intermediate Doubles (Munster venue).
A host of Clare’s rising handball stars were in action over the weekend as the Munster Juvenile Championship semi-finals were played at a number of venues. Clare are through to Boys Munster Finals at Boys Under 12 Singles (Tiernan Agnew), U-12 Doubles (Gary Cooney, Owen Shanahan), U-13 Doubles (Jack Hayes, Shane Hunt), U-14 Singles (Brian Fahy), U-14 Doubles (Fergal Couhlan, Jamie Keane), U-15 Doubles (Jacob Loughnane, Ciaran Cooney), U-16 Singles (Colin Crehan) and Girls Munster Finals at U-12 Singles (Ella Donellan), U-14 Doubles (Clodagh Nash, Doireann Murphy), U-15 Doubles (Natasha Coughlan, Michelle Nihill) and U-16 Singles (Alice Akers). In U-17 Doubles, Hannah O’Brien and Aine McInerney have a bye through to the All-Ireland semi-final.
On the local scene finally, the last of this year’s Adult County League Finals was won by Clarecastle when they defeated Shannon 96-79 in the Division 3 decider in Clooney on Friday. The winning team was John Sweeney (Capt.), Jeff Coughlan, Pakie Healy, Michael Casey, Martin Sweeney and Adam Healy.