The
Leinster Open 2008- Report by Noel
Holohan in Wexford
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A feast of handball entertainment was served out
in 60 x 30 courts all over county Wexford last weekend as the Leinster
60 x 30 handball open took place .The competition was served up in six
different categories and there was triple success for Wexford with the
main event the ACME Blinds (Tony Breen) Men s Open doubles title going
to former All Ireland soft ball champions Tommy Hynes and Colin Keeling
when they came through a fantastic final beating Mayo s top pair Dessie
Keegan and Joe McCann in Ballymitty on Sunday afternoon last .
The competition was tough in the Men s Open doubles with the eventual winners first into action on Saturday morning when they beat Brian and Frank Minogue from Kilkenny in the quarter finals ,21-12,21-13.Keeling and Hynes were joined in the semi final stages by Cormac Smyth and Gavin Buggy who beat a Laois Limerick duo of Paddy Donovan and Paul Hedderman . The semi final action was very good with both game needing tie breakers to decide the eventual finalist pairs. Colin Keeling and Tommy Hynes were given a great run for the line by Carlow Wexford partnership of Kenneth Kane and Paul Carthy with the latter taking the first set 21-20 . Tommy Hynes and Colin Keeling recovered and struck back to take the second game 21-14 and continued the winning groove to make the final with a 21-16 final set win . ( Pictured Left Ladies Open Champion Ashley Prendiville with Tom Rossiter) |
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The second semi final was just as entertaining and had plenty of drama
as Gavin Buggy and Cormac Smyth were certainly not over awed playing the
might of top seeds Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann from Mayo .The westerners
did take the first set but Buggy and Smyth took the second to set up a
tie breaker and at seventeen all in the third anything was possible but
Dessie Keegan flattened a few balls to deny the home crowd an all Wexford
final .
The action switched from St Mary s to Ballymitty for the final and a huge crowd packed into the ball alley to watch four players battle it out for the honours . The first set of the ACME Blinds Men s Open Doubles was close in the early stages but Hynes and Keeling raced into a 14 -7 lead mid way through the Mayo boys fought back to 13-14 before Hynes and Keeling pushed for home again going 17-13 up only to be pulled level with some nice kills from McCann and Keegan .It was edge of the seat stuff from there before the Connaught men took the set 21-20. The home crowd sensed that maybe the Wexford pair had lost their chance but that idea was soon blown out of the water ,as they found a new lease of life and took control of the match winning the second set 21-7. The crowd loved the action and with Keegan and Hynes powering some killing shots at each other the third set was set up nicely. Serving at 5-4 down in the third set the Hynes Keeling pair upped the tempo again and pulled clear at 12-5.the Mayo boys continued to battle away and chipped away at the lead closing to 10-14 midway through ,at this stage Colin Keeling came into his own and picked some great balls and hit some tremendous passing shots that eventually told the tale of the third set as the home crowd were rewarded with a great win for the St Mary s club men on a final set score of 21-12 . Tony Breen complimented both sets of players on a great game congratulated the Mayo men on their recent hardball successes and looked forward to Hynes and Keeling giving another great effort to securing a second All Ireland senior doubles title . |
| The Pechelli English and John Bail Ladies Open proved to be a battle
between three ladies as Ashley Prenderville (Kerry) , Maria Daly (Kerry
) and Patricia Doyle from Wicklow playing off in a round robin format .
Ashley Prenderville proved to be the champion as she secured success by beating both her opponents to collect the winners trophy from Leinster Chairman Tommy Rossiter . The second ladies final of the weekend was played out on Saturday afternoon in Ballymitty as Amy Corrigan from Mayo came out on top in a fantastic event and she beat Caitriona Casey in the final 21-12,21-13 to collect the title sponsored by Michael Ducksy Walsh Fitted Kitchens . Wexford picked up a third title when David Redmond and Noel Holohan from Templeudigan captured the top prize in the Jim Doyle and Fintan Doyle sponsored Junior B Doubles . The men from the foot of the Blackstairs qualified for the final as they saw off Kilkenny pair Nicholas Walsh and Robert Falsey in the quarter final and in the semi final they crushed Meath pair Eugene O Reilly and Peter Flanagan 21-1,21-3 . Coming through to the final from the far side of the draw was top pair Stephen Barcoe and John O Neill from Kilkenny as they saw off the challenges of Tipperary s Denis White and Raymond Manton in the quarters while they beat fellow county players Christy and Stephen Dawson from Kilkenny in a tie break to win the semi final .The final was a close battle but the Templeudigan boys worked better together and their team play on the court saw them over the line 21-14,21-16 to capture the prize . |
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The Boys 17 and under singles sponsored by Michael Ducksy Walsh as
well was also another great tournament .Lots of the early action took place
in New Ross on Saturday where Jim Berry began a roll of results and he
eventually came into the semi final against Ian McLoughlin from Mayo .The
mayo player was seeded number one and was beaten by the New Ross man Berry
who took full advantage of playing in his home alley .
Dean Corrigan from Castlebridge a triple All Ireland champion from last season was making steady progress on the far side of the draw and secured a spot in the final when he beat Patrick Funchion from Kilkenny in the semi final . The final was an all Wexford clash in Ballymitty on Sunday afternoon and with Berry having a few years more experience to Corrigan and with his greater ability to kill ball he come through as champion on a 21-14,8-21,11-2 score line . There was a south east feeling to the final of the Masters B singles as Wicklow s John Quinn came up against Ricky Barron County vice chairman from Wexford . John Quinn won his way to the final after beating John Hedigan from Cork and beating Castlebridge player Stephen Murphy in the semi final .Ricky Barron had some great wins en route to the final beating Paul Dowling from Kilkenny and had a comfortable semi final win over Gorge Miller from Mayo . The final was the first of the finals played last Sunday and Barron began brightest taking the first set 21-13. Superior fitness helped Quinn back into the game and he took the second set 21-14 before he took control in the tie break and won the game 11-1 .Ned Buggy the sponsor presented the title to John Quinn . |
| A fantastic weekend of handball was played out with all hosting clubs
and committees complimented by visiting Irish Handball president Tony Hannon
who thanked all associated in running the event and wished best of luck
to all the players in the up coming 60 x 30 championships.
Tommy Rossiter Leinster Chairman and his able secretary Liam Mahon from Kilkenny put in huge work to run the event and were both happy to see the event run off so smoothly . |
Pictured Top Left Maria Daly with Tom Rossiter
Pictured Above Left - Amy Corrigan with Leinster Chairman Tom Rossite Pictured Above Right John Quinn of Wicklow with Ned Buggy (sponsor) and Handball President Tony Hannon |
Results:
ACME Blinds
Men's Open Doubles:
Tommy Hynes/Colin
Keeling (Wexford) dft Dessie Keegan/Joe McCann 20-21, 21-7, 21-12
The Pechelli
English and John Bail Ladies Open Round Robin
Winner Ashley
Prendiville (Kerry) dft Maria Daly (Kerry) & Patricia Doyle (Wicklow)
Jim Doyle
and Fintan Doyle Sponsored Junior B Doubles
David Redmond/Noel
Holohan (Wexford) dft Stephen Barcoe/John O'Neill (Kilkenny) 21-14, 21-16
Ned Buggy
Sponsored Masters B Sinlges
John Quinn
(Wicklow) dft Ricky Barron (Wexford) 13-21, 2121-14, 11-1
Michael
Ducksy Walsh Fitted Kitchens Girls U17 Singles
Amy Corrigan
(Mayo) dft Cathriona Casey (Kerry) 21-12, 21-13
Michael
Ducksy Walsh Fitted Kitchens U17 Boys
Jim Berry
(Wexford) dft Dean Corrigan (Wexford) 21-14, 8-21, 11-2