A brilliant ladies’ senior final derby provided the climax to the GAA Handball Martin Donnelly Ladies Senior Singles Championship in Thurles on Saturday as Kerry's Ashley Prendiville secured the crown for the third time in four years.
This was always destined to be an absorbing contest with so many unique statistics to ponder over in the build-up to the eagerly awaited tie.
Maria Daly was bidding to become the first ever player in ladies handball to collect all four senior titles in the one season, having won the senior singles and doubles titles in the 40x20 and also teaming up with Prendiville to win the 60x30 senior doubles honours a fortnight ago.
Prendiville on the other hand was bidding to level the senior title honours at three apiece for the year with her Balyymcelligot club colleague and doubles partner. A unique occasion indeed as two club colleagues ended up battling it out for the prestigious blue ribband honours of ladies handball.
Prendiville got off to a flying start and lead by 6-2 with some eyecatching offensive play early on but Daly, the 40x20 senior champion, then took a grip on proceedings and rattled off some superb left and right handpassing drives down both sides of the court and moved into a commanding 16-7 advantage.
Incredibly the tide turned again though as Prendiville, with a brilliant change of serve, regained the initiative and ran out the winner on a 21-17 scoreline.
The second brought a more comprehensive display from the eventual winner and she recorded that third senior singles title success with a 21-12 second game victory.
That result means that Ashley Prendiville and Maria Daly have secured the four senior All-Ireland titles for their club and county and won three each in a remarkable campaign - Ashley Prendiville (Ladies Senior Singles & Doubles 60x30 and Ladies Senior Doubles 40x20) and Maria Daly (Ladies Senior Singles & Doubles 40x20 and Ladies Senior Doubles 60x30).
The minor doubles final in Thurles proved to be another thrilling affair to follow up from the astonishing boys’ minor doubles final played at the same venue one week earlier. On this occasion it was Catriona Casey who completed a clean sweep of all minor titles in 2010 as she teamed up with Aisling O'Keefe to deny Mayo's Amy Corrigan and Leona Ryder on a 21-16, 8-21, 21-8 scoreline.
Wicklow's Shauna Hilly, who lost so narrowly to Ashley Prendiville in the ladies senior semi-final, showed that she is destined for great things in the traditional big court as she followed up an impressive singles triumph in the intermediate grade with a very comprehensive display in the doubles final alongside her partner Sandra Barnes. The duo took the honours on a 21-13, 21-0 scoreline as Hilley also produced a clean sweep at Intermediate level.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the ladies code there was another clean sweep at junior B level as Westmeath's Aoife McCarthy teamed-up with Niamh Egan to collect her fourth All-Ireland title in the grade in 2010.
McCarthy won the Junior B singles in both courts and followed up her doubles win in the 40x20 as they denied Limerick's Siobhan Lehane and Jacqui Enright by 21-10, 21-14.
Possibly the most impressive display of the day in the All-Ireland programmes around the country on Saturday was served up by Kilkenny's Billy Bourke in Cashel as he overpowered Cork's John Herlihy by 21-4, 21-0 to claim the GAA Handball All-Ireland Silver Masters A Singles crown.
Wexford's Gavin Buggy, who had another excellent season in the men’s senior arena, lay claim to his first All-Ireland title win of 2010 as he claimed the newly introduced Men’s Over 35 Singles All-Ireland title. However, he was forced to pull out all the stops in Garryhill against Tipperary's David Maloney before winning through by 21-10, 16-21, 21-15.
Connacht also recaptured the Girls Interprovincial series as part of an exciting Ladies Day in Thurles, winning the final against Munster by 86-42.
GAA Handball Martin Donnelly All Ireland 60x30 Championship finals 2010:
Saturday 25 September, in Thurles:
Ladies Minor Doubles: Cork (Catriona Casey/Aisling O’Keeffe) dft Mayo (Leona Ryder/Amy Corrigan) 21-16, 8-21, 21-8
Ladies Intermediate Doubles: Wicklow (Shauna Hilley/Sandra Barnes) dft : Kerry (Catriona Casey/Lisa Falvey) 21-13, 21-0
Ladies Senior Singles Final: Kerry (Ashley Prendiville) dft Kerry (Maria Daly) 21-17, 21-12
Saturday 25 September 2010, in Cashel, Tipperary, 1.30pm:
SMBS: Kilkenny (Richie Falsey) dft Tipperary (Paul Maher) 14-21, 21-7, 21-8
SMAS: Kilkenny (Billy Bourke) dft Cork (John Herlihy) 21-4, 21-0
Saturday 25 September 2010, in Williamstown, Galway, 2pm:
GMBS: Mayo (Frank Macken) dft Clare (Pat Donnelan) 21-12, 21-17
Saturday 25 September 2010, in Garryhill, Carlow, 2pm:
RMS: Waterford (Mossie Butler) dft Dublin (Mick O’Brien) 21-13, 12-21, 21-20
JBS: Tipperary (Michael Carroll) dft Kildare (Maurice Murray) 21-18, 21-16
O35S: Wexford (Gavin Buggy) dft Tipperary (David Maloney) 21-10, 16-21, 21-15
Saturday 25 September 2010, in Mullingar, Westmeath, 1pm:
LJBD: Westmeath (Aoife McCarthy/Niamh Egan) dft Limerick (Siobhan Lehane/Jacqui Enright) 21-10, 21- 14
EMBS: Galway (John McMyler) dft Tipperary (Jim Quinn) 21-19, 21-14
