Wexford handball can look back on the past weekend with enormous pride after all the top handball players in the country headed to the south east for the biggest handball weekend in the sports calendar in Ireland each year - the Irish Nationals.
The Ladbrokes Irish Handball 40x20 Nationals began on Friday afternoon in courts all over the county including Ballyhogue, Borris, Coolgraney, Davidstown, Horeswood, Oulart and Piercestown and St Joseph’s new handball centre in Wexford town, the latter having three new courts.
The blue-ribboned event of the Championship was the Men’s Open Singles. Gavin Buggy was knocked out in the quarter-final stage at the hands of Ricky McCann, leaving Diarmuid Nash (Clare) and Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath) to work their way to the final pairing.
McCarthy, who has been knocking on the door for a senior title in the last few seasons, began in the best fashion and saw off the opening set on a 21-15 scoreline. In the second set, McCarthy was again in control with some powerful serving and some hammering kill shots, but Diarmuid Nash, this year’s Intermediate Singles All-Ireland champion, began to find the range on the butt line as well and he upped his performance and won the second set on a 21-18 scoreline to set up a tie-breaker.
With the third game only to eleven aces a good start was vital and it was McCarthy who powered in front 7-0, before Nash got on the board with two aces, but ultimately McCarthy’s time had come and he sealed the deal on an 11-2 scoreline.
Fiona Shannon’s return to ladies’ handball is gathering some momentum as she powered her way to the Ladies’ Open Singles title. Her opponent Maria Daly (Kerry) had a very tough semi-final against Catriona Casey from Cork and her 11-10 tie-break win over the Cork girl took a lot from her. Perhaps as a result of her semi-final exertions her final effort never got going, as three-time world champion Fiona Shannon (Antrim) delivered a super performance of handball, with top serving and great killing seeing her overturn Maria Daly 21-5, 21-7.
Ian Griffin (Dublin) was the top man in the Men’s A Singles as he beat all that challenged him, beating Niall O’Connor from Kildare in the semi-final, and then he produced the best in the final to see-off a strong challenge from Paul Graham from Antrim on a 21-14, 21-12 scoreline.
Junior All-Ireland champion Paul Lambert was the favourite for the Men’s B Singles and in his home club he was the home favourite, but after a tough 21-16, 21-16 win over Keith Kavanagh from Wicklow in the quarter-final, Terry Kiernan from Monaghan took revenge on Paul Lambert for some recent defeats with a 19-21, 21-11, 11-7 win .
However, there was a further twist in the Men’s B Singles as Jerome Willoughby (Wicklow) was the man to deliver the goods in the final against Kiernan. Willoughby came from a set down to win on a 11-21, 21-12, 11-4 scoreline.
Darren O’Toole was the top home entrant in the Men’s C Singles, but his efforts came unstuck at the semi-final stage when Peter Flanagan (Meath) squeezed out a victory in the tie-breaker against O’Toole. However, Flanagan was blown away by fantastic Daniel Fenlon (Carlow) in the final on a 21-9, 21-4 scoreline.
Ballymitty man JR Finn qualified for the final of the Men’s Challenger Singles, but he was beaten in a very good final by Peter Whelan from Laois who won on a 21-12, 21-19 scoreline .
Killian Carroll from Cork delivered one of the most impressive wins of the weekend in the U23 Singles. Despite being only 18-years-old he saw off Nicky Anthony from Kilkenny in a fantastic final on a 16-21, 21-16, 11-2 score.
However, his win was somewhat upstaged by Cianna Ni Churrain (Galway), who at fifteen years of age, was the winner of the U23 ladies final. Shauna Hilley (Wicklow) was her opponent in the final and a terrific match ensued with the Galway-girl winning out on a 21-17, 16-21, and 11-6 scoreline.
Ciara Mahon (Kilkenny) was by far the best player in the Ladies B Singles and her 21-2, 21-2 victory in the final against Marguerite Gore from Wexford emphasised her dominance in the grade.
Tom Sheridan (Meath) powered his way to the top honour in the Masters Singles final beating Niall Kerr from Tyrone on a 21-4, 21-8 scoreline. Damien Kelly from Coolgraney carried the purple and gold challenge into the final of the Masters B Singles but he eventually went down on a 21-8, 21-13 scoreline to Christy McGovern from Meath.
Egin Jensen from Dublin was made to fight all the way against Paddy Donovan (Laois) in the final of the Silver Masters Singles, the players shared the opening sets 21-7, 21-5 before Jensen won the final set on an 11-10 scoreline after a titanic tussle.
Benny Doyle had a great weekend in the Golden Masters Singles event, but ultimately the Horeswood club man was unable to seal the deal as he lost out to Michael Dowling from Kildare on a 21-12, 21-13 scoreline, meanwhile John Cawley (Clare) took the Golden Masters B Singles on a 21-11, 21-18 scoreline over James Reilly from Meath.
Tony Breen carried high hopes of defending his title in the Emerald Masters Singles, but he was to be beaten by his old rival John Rossiter from Carlow in a fantastic final that saw Rossiter recover from a 21-12 loss in the opening set to win the remaining sets 21-16, 11-1 to deny Breen back-to-back titles.
Ned Buggy was also a Wexford finalists in the Diamond Masters Singles event, but he was overturned by Eugene Kennedy once again in the final. The Dublin-man was made to work very hard by Buggy, who was buoyed on by the huge home support, but ultimately the Metropolitan won on a 21-16, 21-15 scoreline.
Seamus Graham from Antrim secured the Ruby Masters Singles in the closest final of the lot, as he squeezed past John Molloy from Dublin on a 21-20, 20-21,11-6 scoreline in a great final.
GAA Handball Irish Nationals Finals results:
Men’s Open Singles: Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath) beat Diarmuid Nash (Clare) 21-15, 18-21, 11-2
Ladies' Open Singles: Fiona Shannon (Antrim) beat Maria Daly (Kerry) 21-5, 21-7
Men’s A singles: Ian Griffin (Dublin) beat Paul Graham (Antrim) 21-14, 21-12
Men’s B singles: Jerome Willoughby (Wicklow) beat Terry Kiernan (Monaghan) 11-21, 21-12, 11-4
Men’s C singles: Daniel Fenlon (Carlow) beat Peter Flanagan (Meath) 21-9, 21-4
Men’s Challenger: Peter Whelan (Laois) beat JR Finn (Wexford) 21-12, 21-19.
Men’s Under U23 singles: Killian Carroll (Cork) beat Nicky Anthony (Kilkenny) 16-21, 21-15, 11-2.
Ladies U23 singles: Ciana Ni Churrain (Galway ) beat Shauna Hilley (Wicklow) 21-17, 16-21, 11-6
Ladies' B Singles: Ciara Mahon (Kilkenny) beat Marguerite Gore (Wexford) 21-2, 21-2
Masters Singles: Tom Sheridan (Meath) beat Niall Kerr (Tyrone) 21-4, 21-8
Masters B Singles: Christy McGovern (Meath ) beat Damien Kelly (Wexford) 21-8, 21-13
Silver Masters Singles: Egin Jensen (Dublin ) beat Paddy Donovan (Laois) 21-7, 12-21, 11-10.
Golden Masters Singles: Michael Dowling (Kildare) beat Benny Doyle (Wexford) 21-12, 21-13
Golden Masters B singles: John Cawley (Clare) beat James Kelly (Meath) 21-11, 21-18
Emerald Masters Singles: John Rossiter (Carlow) beat Tony Breen (Wexford) 12-21, 21-16, 11-1
Diamond Masters Singles: Eugene Kennedy (Dublin) beat Ned Buggy (Wexford) 21-16, 21-15
Ruby Masters Singles: Seamus Graham (Antrim) beat John Molloy (Dublin) 21-20, 20-21, 11-6.
