This article is from page 61 of the 2011-04-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 61 JPG
DIARMAID Nash continued in his history-making vein of form on Saturday when he was crowned All-Ireland Intermediate Singles champion. The Tuamgraney clubman played out a classic final against Ruairi Kelly (Tyrone) in Roscommon, eventually coming through on a 21-16, 21-20 score.
In the first game, Nash built up an early 10-0 lead but it didn’t take long for the Red Hand to come into the game and, using an effective lob serve and pinpoint ceiling shots, clawed his way back into contention.
Nash’s early lead was too big a gap though and the Clareman always had a healthy lead, finishing strongly to win 21-16.
At the start of the second, Nash again raced ahead and went 8-1 up before Kelly again came back strongly. Using the tricky lob serve all the time, the Ulster champion was killing brilliantly in both corners and came back to 7-11 before Nash went on a good run of his own to lead 169.
Both players found it hard to make scores, such was the quality of handball played, and there were a number of fantastic rallies. Nash pushed on again, up 19-14. Kelly coming back again, 19-17, levels it at 20-20.
The All-Ireland title was hanging in the balance, but Nash showed no nerves and nailed the final serve of the day to seal it and crown a glori- ous year for the Clareman.
Munster Senior Open Singles Champion; All-Ireland Colleges Open Singles Champion; Munster and All-Ireland Intermediate Doubles Champion; and now Munster and All-Ireland Intermediate Singles Champion. Nash has had a fantastic season and Clare’s highest achieving handballer in a generation.
There was less success for the Banner County in the two other All-Ireland finals played on Saturday. In Junior Singles, Cathal Hannon was defeated by Wexford’s Paul Lambert. In another outstanding match, the Tulla man took it to the full three games but was defeated 12-21, 2119, 15-21 in Nenagh. John Cawley and Teddy O’Hanlon travelled to O’Loughlins, Kilkenny to play Kildare (Paul Ruane and Cyril Carr) in the Golden Masters B Doubles Final. Despite a great Clare showing in the first game, the Lilywhites moved up a gear in the second and third to win 18-21, 21-11, 21-12.
Ballina’s Fergal Collins secured the under 21 Singles title for Tipperary when he comfortably defeated Patrick Funchion (Kilkenny) 21-9, 21-13 in Carlow. Collins won under21 All-Irelands in both the big and small alley last year and will be favourite to do so again this year.