*Orla O’Brien and Chloe Philpott.
THERE were a number of successes for Clare players in the Munster ladies singes handball championships in the past week.
In an all Clare affair in the minor singles final Claire Minogue of Tuamgraney defeated Isabelle McInerney (Toonagh).
Meanwhile in two all Clare contests in the ladies junior semi-finals, Chloe Philpott defeated Fina Close while Orla O’Brien overcame Ashling Fitzgerald.
The championships continue this week when Angela Floyd from Clare will face Cork’s Brid Horgan at Galbally while Niamh O’Brien from Clare will take on Aisling Shanahan from Limerick at Tulla.
Shannon will host the junior final between Chloe Phillpot and Orla O’Brien. In the junior B singles Clare’s Marie Long will play Cork’s Anna Dunne at Kilworth on this Saturday while, on the same day, Shauna Doyle will face Cork’s Muireann O’Brien.
Meanwhile the Munster doubles championships continued at the weekend. In minor Cathal Noonan and Jack Browne defeated Cork’s Ciaran O Donovan and Aaron O Brien) 21-03; 21-07.
In Master B Doubles Shane Walsh and Mike Baker overcame Limerick’s Wesley Butterfield and Patrick Frawley) 21-02; 21-01.
In junior B doubles: Clare’s Tony Leyden and Evan Corbett defeated Tipperary’s Mike Loughman and Darren Waters.
In the masters B doubles, Stephen Malone and Mike Kennelly bowed out to Cork’s Jonathan Lucey and Tim Breen.
There was disappointment also for Paddy Fitxgerald and Conor Downes in the junior doubles when they lost out to Cork’s Donnacha Connor and Eoghan Daly.
Oisin Donnellan and Alan Leamy proved too strong for Limerick’s Eoin Hegarty and Adam Crowe.
National Championships:
Grading games in Ladies National Championships took place at the weekend and Clare had a number of players in action.
Leah Minogue and Caitriona Millane were successful in their opening rounds in the senior championship. Minogue defeated Patricia Byrne of Wicklow to set up a game against Kilkenny’s Amy Brennan. This game will take place during the week with fixture to be confirmed as Minogue heads to USHA collegiate games in St. Louis as manager of the Irish Collegiate team.
Millane defeated Mayo’s Cuileann Burke to set up a game against in form Fiona Tully who has been runner up in finals of Golden Gloves and She’s Ace recently,
Amber Nolan, and Chloe Philpott will complete in the Junior grade and will be joined by Orla O’Brien after her win at the weekend. Niamh O’Brien also won and will play in Junior B where she will be joined by Aisling Fitzgerald who received a walkover.
Clare will have Angela Floyd, Marie Long, Emma Considine and Ellen Collins all in the Junior C grade . Shauna Doyle gave a late walkover while Bridín Dinan, Fina Close and Leah O’Keeffe all withdrew due to injury.
The men’s senior All-Ireland championships get underway this weekend with fixtures from Thursday. Colin Crehan will travel to Roscommon to play Monaghan’s Oran Kiernan. Colin Corbett will be in action in Cullohill, Laois against Niall O’Connor of Kildare.
Diarmaid Nash will play the winner of Shane Dunne (Kilkenny) and Gary McConnell(Meath) while a win for Crehan would see him against Robbie McCarthy of Westmeath and Corbett would play either Eoghan McGinnity of Monaghan or Lorcan Conlon of Mayo, who meet this weekend.
Clare Challenge:
With entries from Tyrone, Antrim, Mayo, Galway, Kilkenny, Wexford as well as from all Munster over one hundred games took place at venues in Tuamgraney, Toonagh, Tulla, Kilkishen, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Shannon and Clooney in the popular Clare challenge tournament.
The results are:
Girls 13 & U :
Cup Final: Kate Egan, Windgap (Kilkenny) dft Lucy O’Connor, Liscarroll (Cork)
Plate Final: Sophia Moroney, Newmarket(Clare) dft Abi Connaughton (Mayo)
Girls 15&U
Cup Final: Anna Madden, Tuamgraney(Clare) dft Ellie Roche (Kilkenny)
Plate Final: Mary Birmingham(Galway) dft Freya Mortelle(Cork)
Girls 17&U
Cup Final: Isabelle McInerney, Toonagh dft Mary Jo Morris (Tyrone)
Plate Final: Ellie Lafferty(Laois) dft Aoibheann Muldoon McGurk (Antrim)
Boys 13&U
Cup Final: Iarla Kelleher, Tuamgraney dft Eliah Kenny(inj), Newmarket
(Clare)
Plate Final: Alfie Finn (Galway) dft Mason Dunne(Tipperary)
Boys 15&U
Cup Final: Charlie Collins, Tuamgraney dft Daniel Madden, Tuamgraney
Plate Final: Anthony Morris(Galway) dft Sean Kerrisk(Cork)
Boys 17& U
Cup Final: Aaron McElhone, (Tyrone) dft Sean Considine(inj), Clooney (Clare)
Plate Final: Colm Whelan, Toonagh dft John Burke, Newmarket
Gael Linn:
Clooney/Quin’s Jack McMahon and Sarah McGrath were narrowly defeated at the semi-final stage of the Gael Linn Cup in Moycullen on Saturday. They lost 33-30 in aggregate over the course of the three games. They u13 pair had defeated Greencastle of Tyrone 35-27in the quarter final.
Munster Juvenile A Championships:
Clare will host games in Clooney-Quin in the Munster juvenile A championships from 11am on Sunday.
Taking part will be Jack Cahill (U-16 singles), Walter Moroney (U-15 singles), Chloe Hannon/Massie O’Malley (U-16 doubles), Ava McInerney/Elaine Littleton (U-15 doubles) and Charlie Colline/Conor Littleton (U-16 doubles).
Playing in Boherbue in Cork will be Eliah Kenny (U-14 singles), Patrick Sweeney/Finn Ellingstad (U-15 doubles), U14 doubles Iarla Kelleher /Ross McInerney (U-14 doubles) and Ali Donnelly (U-16 singles) Orlaith Flannagan/Samantha Vaughan will be in action in under 14 doubles in Nenagh.
Colm Whelan (U17 singles), Sean Garvey/Cillian Cummins (U17 Doubles), Abby Dillon (U17 singles) and Anna Madden (U15 singles) have all received byes to the finals while the U17 doubles pairing of Saoirse O’Brien and Jane Hogan are through to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Club Leagues:
Quarter finals take place in divisions 1 to 4 this week with all games starting at 8:30. the detais are with first named teams having home advantage;
Division 1 Tuamgraney will play Newmarket-on-Fergus and Kilkishen play Clooney A
Division 2, Clooney B v Tuamgraney B; Kilkishen v Tulla; Tuamgraney A v Clooney A; Toonagh v Clarecastle.
Division 3, Kilkishen v Toonagh A, Tulla v Toonagh B, Clooney B v Newmarket.
Cumann na mBunscoil:
Boys and girls singles and doubles primary school games in U11 and U13 take place across four nights in Clarecastle this week and next.
