This article is from page 64 of the 2011-02-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 64 JPG
ON A proud day for Clare handball, Tuamgraney clubman Diarmaid Nash won the Munster Senior Singles Open Championship at Broadford in Limerick on Sunday, the Banner County’s first Senior Singles title since the legendary Pat Kirby completed his six-in-a-row of wins in 1980.
The provincial championship was this year played over one weekend in Cappagh and Broadford courts and the weekend action opened on Friday night when Tuamgraney’s Niall Malone took on Tipperary star Fergal Collins.
After an outstanding three games, Ballinaman Collins came out on top on a 20-21, 21-15, 21-17 score. In the quarter finals on Saturday, Nash made reasonably light work of veteran David Moloney’s (Tipp) challenge, coming out on top 21-11, 21-3 to set up a semi-final that evening with Fergal Collins.
Collins had earlier beaten reigning champion Dominck Lynch from Kerry but could find no way past Nash. In a thrilling match, Collins took the first game 21-17 before Nash’s high level of fitness propelled him to win the next two, 21-10 and 21-9.
In Sunday’s final Nash faced an on-form Seamus O’Carroll (Limerick), who had marched to the final with wins over his doubles partner C. J. Fitzpatrick and Cork’s Brendan Fleming. O’Carroll and Nash have met numerous times over the past number of years with never much to separate them.
On this occasion, the Cappagh clubman raced into an early 10-2 lead before Nash reeled him in and went on to win the first game in convincing style, 21-14. The Tuamgraney player finished the job in the second game after a real battle. With excellent serving and some fantastic killshots, Nash was on top of his game and saw out the match with a tense 21-19 win to take the Munster Senior crown and bridge that 31-year gap since Kirby’s feat. Nash is also through to the Munster Intermediate Singles final (against Brendan Fleming, Cork, on March 9) and will be in strong contention for both the Senior and Intermediate Doubles championships with clubmate Niall Malone (Malone & Nash play Intermediate Doubles semi-final against Tipp in Ballinahinch tonight, 7.30).
Having already secured the AllIreland third level colleges singles championship, one would imagine that 2011, the Tuamgraney club’s centenary year, might yet have more in store for Diarmaid Nash (below).
Elsewhere in Munster action over the weekend, Mike Kelly and Pat Donellan progressed to the Munster Final at Golden Masters A Doubles with a win over Limerick.
The final is fixed for Saturday in Tuamgraney (4.00) against Tipperary while Kilkishen player Donellan first has the small matter of the Munster Singles final when he takes on Limerick’s Donal O’Connor in Nenagh tonight (7.30).
On the same bill, John Cawley (Shannon) plays the Munster Golden Masters B Singles semi-final against Seamus Donovan (Limerick). There was also weekend success for Sarah and Paula Loughnane (Clooney) who won their semi-final to set up an allClare final against Aisling Fitzgerald and Edel O’Grady. Lisa Loughnane was defeated in the Munster Intermediate Singles final while Ciaran Malone went down to Cork’s Killian Carroll in the Minor Singles semifinal.
The Munster Junior Singles final was an all-Tulla match up lastnight when Aidan Lynch took on Cathal Hannon (no result at time of writing). Indeed, the coming week is choc-full of Munster semi-finals and finals involving Banner County players (see fixtures below). Meanwhile the Clare Adult Handball League is reaching it’s climax. The semi-finals of Divisin 3 (Tuamganey v. Shannon, Clarecastle v. Clooney) go ahead this week, while next week’s Division 2 final sees Kilrush take on Tuamgraney (Clooney, Monday 28th at 8pm).
Munster Championship fixtures;
Tuesday 22nd: Intermediate Doubles semi-final, Ballinahinch, 7.30 – Diarmaid Nash & Niall Malone v. Mike Carroll & Ger Coonan (Tipp.) Tuesday 22nd, Galbally, 7.30 – Ladies Junior B Singles semi-final,Aisling Fitzgerald v. Siobhan Lehane (Limk.) Tuesday 22nd, Cashel, 7.30 – Ladies Junior B Singles semi-final, Sarah Louhgnane v. Laura Keevers (W’ford),ANDSilver Masters B Singles Final, John Nihill v. JimO’Brien (Tipp.) Tuesday 22nd, Nenagh, 7.30 – Golden Masters A Singles Final, Pat Donellan v. Donal O’Connor (Limerick) ANDGolden Masters B Singles semifinal, John Cawley v. Seamus Donovan (Limk) Wed. 23rd, Broadford, 7.30 – Minor Doubles Final, Jamie Lynch & Ciaran Malone v. Killian Carroll & Patrick Herlihy (Cork) Friday 25th, Galbally, 7.30 – Minor Singles Final, Jamie Lynch v. Killian Carroll (Cork) Sat. 26th,Tuamgraney, 4.00 – U-21 Doubles semifinal,Trevor Vaughan &Alan Leamy v. Fergal Collins & Darragh Hardy (Tipp.) ANDGolden Masters A Doubles Final, Mike Kelly & Pat Donellan v.Tony Flaherty & Pat Griffin (Tipp.) Sunday 27th,Tulla 1.00 – Ladies Junior B Doubles Final, Sarah Loughnane & Paula Loughnane v.Aisling Fitzgerald & Edel O’Grady Tuesday 1st, Silvermines, 7.30 – Golden Masters B Doubles Final, John Cawley &Teddy O’Hanlon v. Jimmy Fanning & Jack Dillon (Limk.)