The eagerly awaited GAA Handball Irish Adult 40x20 Nationals will take centre stage this weekend in what is a huge weekend for the association.
While the very cream of the 40x20 game will converge on the south-east coast of Ireland for what promises to be a brilliant feast of handball, the attention will then turn to the administrative side of the game on Sunday 1 May as the GAA Handball Congress takes to Kells, Meath.
A number of venues will host a series of top class quarter-final games in 18 grades at the Irish 40x20 Nationals on Friday 29 April, with the main focus being on the Men’s and Ladies’ Open events in St Joseph's fantastic new facility in Wexford Town.
The Men’s Open has possibly never had such a wide-open look to it, following the withdrawal through injury of Paul Brady (Cavan) and the defeat of All-Ireland Senior finalist and number 1 seed Charly Shanks.
With such a significant accolade on offer, with the winner to represent Ireland at the US Nationals in Minnesota in June 2011, every player in the event will be set to put in a massive challenge.
Westmeath's Robbie McCarthy will now be favourite to take that first national senior event, but he faces a tough test against Cavan's Michael Finnegan, who will also fancy his chances following on from his seventh All-Ireland senior doubles title win last weekend.
McCarthy did win their last meeting in the senior singles quarter final in Abbeylara, by 21-10, 21-4, and on latest form will be hard to stop in his title bid.
Another cracking tie in the same half of the draw is scheduled for 5.30pm in St Joseph's as a previous winner, Ricky McCann (Antrim), bids to maintain his recent resurgence when he meets senior quarter-finalist Gavin Buggy (Wexford).
Buggy will have huge local support and has claimed some big names in his senior career so will also be confident of putting up a big challenge for this event in his home club.
McCann lost in a tie-break game to Eoin Kennedy in the senior Championship quarter-final and jumped to five in the official rankings, having been at number two in the national seedings in 2008. Buggy lost to Charly Shanks in the last eight stage 21-13, 21-13, but defeated Dessie Keegan in the previous round and comes in on top form.
At the top of the draw, Clare's Diarmuid Nash is the player who many will be looking to see. In the year to date he was a very impressive winner of the All-Ireland Inter-varsities Senior title - defeating Fergal Collins in the final - and followed that victory up with wins in the All-Ireland Intermediate Singles and Doubles Championships.
Nash has a 100% record in the 2011 campaign to date and the fact he was a very impressive winner of the Munster Senior Singles Championship in March and last weekend defeated number one seed and senior finalist Charly Shanks suggests that the Tuamgraney clubman could continue that brilliant record in this event.
Nash faces one of the most consistent players on the senior circuit in Joe McCann and the former senior doubles champion will ensure a terrific game in store at 6.45pm Friday evening.
The quarter-finals are completed by another enticing contest as Kerry's Dominick Lynch takes on Meath's Brian Carroll. Lynch was forced to withdraw due to illness in the Senior Singles Championship when set to take on Brady in the quarter-finals and had to pull out all the stops to deny Fergal Collins in a tie-break game last weekend.
The Glenbeigh man is always in the shake-up at senior level and could view this as a major opportunity to make his breakthrough to the latter stages. Carroll is also awaiting that breakthrough in the 40x20 court, having won three senior doubles titles in the 60x30. A very capable player, the Kells player will ensure a very close match-up is in store here.
Daly favourite in ladies’ challenge.
Kerry's Maria Daly is certainly the favourite and number one seed in the Ladies Open Event, which will also see the winner represent Ireland in the US Nationals in June.
The Ballymacelligott lady last weekend completed back-to-back All Ireland Senior Singles triumphs, securing her forth singles crown in all and had added a second doubles title one week earlier.
Daly's form is rock solid and justifiably saw her move to number one in the Official Irish National Rankings last weekend. She awaits the winner of what looks on paper as one of the games of the entire weekend.
Down's Lorraine Havern and Cork's Catriona Casey meet again in the last eight stage. Havern lost by just 21-19 to Daly in the All-Ireland senior quarter-final and the brilliant young Saval player would not be out of place adding the 40x20 National Open crown to the One Wall Open title she won last July in Castlebar.
Casey won the minor singles and doubles in hugely impressive fashion and saw her senior title challenge ended by ladies legend Fiona Shannon in the quarter-finals.
The Ballydesmond teenager does have the special distinction though of being the Munster Senior Singles champion in 2011 and defeated Ashley Prendiville and Maria Daly en route to that triumph in February.
Antrim's Fiona Shannon will be eager to claim silverware in her first season back and has all the attributes to add another nationals' crown to her impressive haul of honours.
Shannon will be fancied against Tyrone's Lisa McAleer in the quarter-finals while in the last of the quarter-finals it will be interesting to see the return to action of Roscommon's Marianna Rushe.
The St Coman's player is the number three seed and holds eye-catching credentials. Rushe's clash with former All-Ireland senior champion Sibeal Gallagher promises to be an intriguing tussle on Friday evening.
