The cream of Juvenile 60×30 Handball converged on two Leinster venues this month, from Friday 10th October – Sunday 12th to battle it out for the 2014 All Ireland titles in the softball code. Thirteen counties in all competed with Clare, Tyrone and Wexford leading the way taking an impressive 3 titles each. This was impressive of Clare and Tyrone in particular as their counties have only one 60×30 court at their disposal. Cork, Kilkenny and Limerick followed closely with 2 titles each and Tipperary collected one to complete a very successful weekend of Juvenile Handball.
On the Friday, action began in Talbot’s Inch, Kilkenny, were three grades were decided. First up was the Boys Under 15 Doubles where Cork’s David Walsh & Tadgh O’Neill defeated Kilkenny’s Cathal Barry & Eoin Regan 15-0, 15-2. The second game turned out to be the game of the night with Kilkenny’s Shane Dunne defeating Jerome Cahill, Tipperary. Shane took the Boys U16 Singles title after a three game epic which came down to the last ace. He won the first game 20-15, James won the second game 16-21 and it was nip and tuck all the way in the tie break before Shane took it 11-10 to the crowds delight. The final game on the night was won by the experienced Tipperary duo of Jason English & Colin Ryan who defeated the Kilkenny pair of Rory Cullan & Dion Bourke.
The Sunday action returned to Talbots Inch were there were seven games down for decision. First up was the Girls U15 Singles with Clare’s Ella Donnellan defeating Kildare’s Mollie Dagg 15-6 & 15-11. In the Girls U14 Singles Limerick’s Catriona Millane took a tie break win over Kildare’s Leah Doyle 15-8, 10-15, 15-6. In the Boys U15 Singles Wexford’s Anthony Butler claimed their first of three titles on the day when he defeat Waterford’s Kaven O’Keeffe 15-1, 15-10. Then in the Girls U16 Singles Kilkenny’s Aoife Holden overcame Roscommon’s Fiona Tully in another 3 game tussle that went down to the last ace. Fiona won the first game 21-14 but Aoife took the next 21-14 and the tie-break 11-10.
The Girls U16 Doubles was another cracker of a match with it also going to a tie-break. Wexford’s Roisin Walsh & Holly Hynes defeated Limerick’s Katie McCarthy & Laura Stack in three tight games on a score line 21-15, 17-21, 11-9. Next up was the Girls U17 Doubles final. Limerick’s Michelle McCarty & Niamh McCarthy defeated Kilkenny’s Elaine Power & Aoife Walsh 21-2, 21-0. Finally in the Boys U17 Singles Wexford’s Keith Armstrong defeated Galway’s Jamie Kelly 21-15, 21-6 to round off the day’s action in Kilkenny.
The other venue on Sunday was Garryhill where there were six games. First up was the Girls U14 Doubles with Tyrone’s Caitlin Conway & Elizabeth Garvey claimed their counties first of three titles on the day when the pair defeat Clare’s Aoife Floyd & Bridin Dinan over three tight games 15-10, 2-15, 15-8. In the Girls U15 Doubles Tyrone’s Michaela McCartan & Emer Kerr defeated Tipperary’s Eimer Meagher & Sile Spain 15-12, 15-2. Tyrone’s three in a row then came in the Boys U14 Doubles with Antoin Fox & Cormac Munroe defeating Tipperary’s John McGrath & Sean McAdams over three games 15-3, 13-15, 15-7.
Next up was the Girls U17 Singles. Clare’s Doireann Murphy had a tight first game victory over Dublin’s Meadhbh Ní Dhálaigh 21-16 followed by 21-0 in the second. In the Boys U14 Singles Clare’s very skilful Tiernan Agnew defeated Meath’s Daniel Farrelly 15-2, 15-0. The last game of the day saw Cork’s Shane Flynn & Daniel Moynihan defeating Tyrone’s Aaron Owens & Jack Campbell over 3 tough games on a score line 21-8, 5-21 and 11-7 to complete the action at the Carlow venue.
2014 GAA Handball Juvenile 60×30 All Ireland Finals
Friday 10th October 2014:
BU15D Cork (David Walsh/Tadgh O’Neill) dft Kilkenny (Cathal Barry/Eoin Regan) 15-0, 15-2
BU16S Kilkenny (Shane Dunne) dft Tipperary (Jerome Cahill) 21-15, 16-21, 11-10
BU16D Tipperary (Jason English/Colin Ryan) dft Kilkenny (Roy Cullen/Dion Bourke) 21-3, 21-3
Sunday 12th October 2014:
GU15S Clare (Ella Donnellan) dft Kildare (Mollie Dagg) 15-6, 15-11
GU14S Limerick (Catriona Millane) dft Kildare (Leah Doyle) 15-8, 10-15, 15-6.
BU15S Wexford (Anthony Butler) dft Waterford (Kavan O’Keeffe) 15-1, 15-10
GU16S Kilkenny (Aoife Holden) dft Roscommon (Fiona Tully) 14-21, 21-14, 11-10
GU16D Wexford (Roisin Walsh/Holly Hynes) dft Limerick (Katie McCarthy/Laura Stack) 21-15, 17-21, 11-9
GU17D Limerick (Michelle McCarthy/Niamh McCarthy) dft Kilkenny (Elaine Power/Aoife Walsh) 21-2, 21-0
BU17S Wexford (Keith Armstrong) dft Galway (Jamie Kelly) 21-15, 21-6
Sunday 12th October 2014
GU14D Tyrone (Caitlin Conway/Elizabeth McGarvey) dft Clare (Aoife Floyd/Bridin Dinan) 15-10, 2-15, 15-8
GU15D Tyrone (Michaela McCartan/Emer Kerr) dft Tipperary (Eimer Meagher/Sile Spain) 15-12, 15-2
BU14D Tyrone (Antoin Fox/Cormac Munroe) dft Tipperary (John McGrath/Sean McAdams) 15-3, 13-15, 15-7
GU17S Clare (Doireann Murphy) dft Dublin (Meadhbh Ní Dhálaigh) 21-16, 21-0
BU14S Clare (Tiernan Agnew) dft Meath (Daniel Farrelly) 15-2, 15-0
BU17D Cork (Shane Flynn/Daniel Moynihan) dft Tyrone (Aaron Owens/Jack Campbell) 21-8, 5-21, 11-7
