HANDBALL: Cavan crowned All-Ireland Champions

Cavan’s Paul Brady and Michael Finnegan collected their third consecutive title when they defeated Mayo’s Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann in the DALKIA 40x20 Senior Doubles Final at Kingscourt on Saturday. 

The Breffni pair were forced to pull out all the stops in the opening game, with Keegan and McCann putting them under severe pressure. Brady and Finnegan went 5-0 up before Mayo pulled themselves into the game, with Keegan in destructive form on the left. 

Leading 18-12, Cavan looked like finished out the first in style, but some top serving from Mayo brought them back to 18-16 before Brady and Finnegan eventually look the first. In the second game, the Cavan pair pushed into top gear, with Finnegan putting in an awesome performance. 

After opening an early lead, Cavan never looked like relinquishing their crown, despite the best efforts of McCann and Keegan. The defending champions finished strongly, with the expected clinical finishing from Brady, to take the match 21-16, 21-11. 

In the Ladies Senior Doubles Final, Antrim’s Fiona Shannon and Sibéal McKenna retained their title after a tough battle with Lilywhites, Eimear Ní Fhallúin and Anna Spence. The first game proved a thriller with Kildare serving to take the game at 20-18, but the experience of the Saffron women told as they got back in to take the game 21-20. In the second game, the long-time sister partnership, McKenna and Shannon, put in a fantastic display to take another All-Ireland crown on a 21-8 scoreline. 

In the Minor Doubles Final, Limerick’s Seamus O’Carroll and CJ Fitzpatrick were forced to the edge by Tyrone’s Caolán Daly and Conor Grogan. The Treaty men dominated the opening game from start to finish, eventually winning out on a 21-10 scoreline, but the second game proved to be one of the most exciting of the day. Both pairing served at 20-20 on two occasions, with Daly and Grogan looking like they would bring the game to a decider, but it was not to be as Limerick went on to take the first ever minor crown for the county.

The Minor Singles Final also provided an exciting finish with Mayo’s Stephen Cooney in action against Meath’s Gary McConnell. Having lost the first 21-2, Cooney settled into the occasion in the second game, with McConnell just edging him out on a 21-19 scoreline.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the GAA’s Central Appeals Committee on Friday night, the Ulster Handball Council’s appeal was rejected and handball’s Central Council will now meet tomorrow (Tuesday) to schedule the postponed DALKIA Singles Finals, where Brady will take on Cork’s Tony Healy in the Senior Singles Final. 

Photos by Michael McCormack

Top MD Action as Seamus O’Carroll goes for a shot	Top Paul Brady in classic pose all set for to take a ball off the backwall
Bottom Eimear NiFhalluin lines up for a ball in the Ladies Doubles final	Bottom Joe McCann get ready to retreive a low Paul Brady Serve

 
HANDBALL - COPY FOR MONDAY 21ST APRIL - BY AIDAN CROWLEY:
 
Defending champions, Cavan aces, Paul Brady and Michael Finnegan (both
Kingscourt), claimed their third consecutive Men's Senior Doubles
title of the Dalkia All-Ireland (40X20) Championships when they
defeated Mayo kingpins, Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann (both
Ballaghaderreen), in a hard-fought final, over two games, at
Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, on Saturday night. It was a case of "deja vu"
for both sets of players, as the Breffni duo had got the better of the
Westerners over two games in last year's final.
 
The Cavan duo started brightly and went 5-0 ahead, before the Mayomen
got into their stride and drew level at 5-5. It was then
"nip-and-tuck", with each set of players swapping point for point,
until Brady and Finnegan pulled ahead again at 15-10. But,
the Mayo pair were not to be thwarted and Keegan pointed five times in
succession, to drawn level again at 15-15.However, that was almost the
end of the Mayomen's scoring as they only managed one more point, with
the Cavanmen pointing six times, to close out the game, on a scoreline
of 21-16.
 
In the second game, Brady and Finnegan stormed ahead to establish a
7-1 lead. Despite a battling rally from Keegan and McCann, they simply
could not match the dazzling array of passing shots and kill shots
being produced by the Cavanmen and Brady and Finnegan surged ahead
again, firstly at 13-4 and then at 17-7. The Mayomen then pointed
twice to close the gap at 17-9 but Brady and Finnegan then hit a
purple patch and sealed victory on a scoreline of 21-11.
 
In completing this latest chapter in their stellar doubles career, to
date, the Breffni duo underlined their dominance of this event since
2003, having won five of the last six Men's Senior Doubles titles of
these championships (their fifth Senior Doubles crown overall). The
only blip was in 2005, when ace Dublin duo, Eoin Kennedy
(St.Brigid's,Blanchardstown) and Egin Jensen (Na Fianna, Glasnevin)
caused an upset by defeating the Cavanmen.
 
"We are delighted to have achieved the three-in-a-row. Dessie and Joe
are terrific ball-strikers and they played very well on the night.
Myself and Michael are seasoned campaigners at this stage and I reckon
that the experience that we have gained in the last six years, has
paid dividends in the end. We were totally focused on retaining our
title and we were not going to surrender it lightly when it came to
the crunch", said a delighted Brady, who is also
the defending Men's Senior Singles champion.
 
Meanwhile, in the Women's Senior Doubles final, at the same venue, on
Saturday, there was victory for Antrim sisters, Fiona Shannon and
Sibeal McKenna (both St. Paul's, Belfast) over Kildare duo, Eimear Ni
Fhalluin and Anna Spence (both Naomh Mhuire, Leixlip) in a cracking
encounter, over two games.
 
This was Shannon's fourth consecutive Women's Senior Doubles crown,
having tasted success with McKenna in 2005 and with clubmate, Aisling
Reilly in 2006 and last year. It also represents the Antrim star's
seventh Women's Senior Doubles title of these championships, overall.
 
In the first game, Ni Fhalluin and Spence went into a narrow 18-21
lead before the scores were tied at 20-20. After a change of serve,
the scores were still level at 20-20, before Shannon and McKenna
shaded it on a scoreline of 21-20. The second game proved to be a more
one-sided affair and with the Antrim duo displaying their full armoury
of passing shots and kill shots, they sealed the win on a scoreline of
21-8.
 
" The four-in-row is a great achievement for me personally and the
fact that it was achieved with two of the best players in the country
is an added bonus. I feel privileged that I have reached this landmark
in Irish women's handball", said an ecstatic Shannon, who is also the
defending Women's Senior Singles champion.
 
Also at Kingscourt, on Saturday, in the Minor Singles final, there was
victory for Meath's Gary McConnell (Kells) over Mayo's Stephen Cooney
(Ballaghaderreen) over two games, on a scoreline of 21-2, 21-19.
Finally, at the same venue, on Saturday, All-Ireland Minor aces,
Limerick's C. J. Fitzpatrick (Broadford) and Seamus O'Carroll
(Cappagh), defeated Tyrone's Conor Grugan and Caolan Daly (both
Carrickmore), in the Minor Doubles final, over two games, on a
scoreline of 21-10, 21-20.
ENDS.