This article is from page 59 of the 2011-04-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 59 JPG
NIALL MALONE and Diarmaid Nash are All-Ireland Intermediate Doubles champions after an epic win over Kilkenny in Cappagh on Sunday. On a proud and memorable day for Clare handball, the Tuamgraney pair overcame Nicholas Anthony and Brian Manogue in a two and half hour marathon to progress to the ranks of Senior handball, the first Clare pair to do so in a long number of years.
The Kilkenny pair had the better start at the Limerick venue and dominated much of the first game to win 21-17. Manogue and Anthony looked a fair bet to finish the job but it was the Clare lads who started the second game the brighter and led 8-3 early on. Kikenny rallied to level at eight all and from here it was tit for tat as the lead swung over and back. There was never more than two aces between them until Clare pushed into an 18-15 lead and eventually won 2117 to set up a grandstand finish.
At the start of the third game, Clare again raced into an early lead and were up 6-1 and 10-5 but again Kilkenny came back to level and then lead 14-10. With the match hanging in the balance as the clock ticked over two hours, it was here that Nash and Malone found an extra gear.
The Tuamgraney pair battled back to lead 16-14 and with real pressure on their shoulders, powered on to the win. Malone in particular showed nerves of steel to rattle of three exceptional match-winning shots at the end to seal the 10-21, 21-17, 2117 victory and spark scenes of great celebration from the sizeable Clare following.
In presenting the winners’ medals, Munster Council Chairman Willie Roche paid tribute to the standard of handball played, calling it “the best final in many a year”. Even taking into account all the county, provincial, national and world titles won in singles and doubles since Nash and Malone first teamed up aged 14 and 15, this was an enormous achievement and a very special day. The Tuamgraney pair will only relish the major challenge of moving up to Senior grade handball for 2012.
John Cawley’s Golden Masters B Singles All-Ireland final in Monavea, Laois on Sunday also went to three games but unfortunatley the Shannon man came out the wrong side when he lost 21-20, 19-21, 16-21 to Jimmy Reilly of Meath. Like the match in Cappagh, this was another marathon and, after two and a half hours of a battle, Shannon man Cawley will be disappointed having come so close.
This coming weekend brings the curtain down on the 40×20 championship season for 2011 (apart from senior and minor finals) and Clare are involved in three more finals, all on Saturday.
Diarmaid Nash will be looking for an Intermediate double when he takes on Ruairi Kelly (Tyrone) in the All-Ireland Singles final at Roscommon. Tulla’s Cathal Hannon travels to Nenagh for his Junior Singles final against Wexford’s Paul Lambert and hopes are high that the Clareman can secure the win. John Cawley will be hoping to make up for his Singles defeat when he and Tuamgraney’s Teddy O’Hanlon play the Doubles final at O’Loughlins, Kilkenny against Kildare’s Paul Ruane and Cyril Carr. Fixtures All-Ireland 40×20 Adult Finals (Weekend 2); Saturday 16th April, in St. Coman’s, Roscommon, 3.30pm: Ladies Minor Singles:Armagh (Fionnuala McKenna) v Cork (Catriona Casey) – Emerald Masters A Doubles: Mayo (Kevin Geraghty, Martin Cronin) v Offaly (Billy Mullins/Jim Kilfoyle); Intermediate Singles: Clare (Diarmaid Nash) vTyrone (Ruairi Kelly) Saturday 16th April, in Nenagh,Tipperary, 5pm: Diamond Masters A Doubles: Sligo (Seamus Duffy/ Pat O’Sullivan) v Wexford (Ned Buggy/Gareth Somers); Junior Singles: Clare (Cathal Hannon) v Wexford (Paul Lambert) Saturday 16th April, in O’Loughlin’s, Kilkenny, 1pm: Junior B Doubles: Cork (Arthur O’Neill,Arthur McDonagh) v Carlow(Daniel Fenlon/Oliver Ryan) Golden Masters B Doubles: Clare (John Cawley/ Teddy Hanlon) v Kildare (Paul Ruane/Cyril Karr) Silver Masters A Doubles: Dublin (Egin Jensen/ Frank Daly) v Cork (John Herlihy, John Hedigan)