Clare players excel in handball championships

The Munster adult 40×20 championships are now in full swing with mixed results during the past week for Clare players and plenty of action in the coming week from a number of county competitors already qualified for provincial semi-finals.
The minor and junior doubles grades will hold special interest with Clare teams in both semis, while Lisa Loughnane and Anne-Marie Fitzgerald will play the Munster ladies intermediate doubles final.
Tuamgraney pair Diarmaid Nash and Niall Malone will be in top-level action this weekend in the Munster senior open doubles championship. The Clare pair start with a quarter-final in Broadford on Friday against Cork’s Killian Carroll and Brendan Fleming with the winners facing a semi-final the following day in Cappagh against the team of Ger Coonan and Fergal Collins (Tipperary).
Tulla’s Cathal Hannon had a fantastic junior singles semi-final win over Kerry’s John Joe Quirke (21-5, 21-6) and will take on Limerick or Cork opposition in the Munster Final in Broadford on Tuesday.
Hannon, with Aidan Lynch, is also in the hunt for junior doubles success, playing their Munster semi-final on Thursday in Broadford, with Seamus Lawlor and Jimmy Close playing the other semi in Nenagh on Saturday.
Also on the Nenagh programme are both Munster minor doubles semi-finals, which feature four Clare players, all who have won  All-Ireland juvenile titles.
Patrick Fitzgerald and Barry Nash are up against Cork’s Pa Herlihy and Denis O’Neill while Niall Bolton and Colin Crehan also face Rebel opponents in Michael Hedigan and Daniel Relihan. Tulla’s Bolton is also chasing a double as he has also qualified for the minor singles decider, taking on Herlihy in Cappagh next Wednesday.
There were also wins this week for Trevor Vaughan and Christopher Philpott (U-21 doubles v Tipp), Tom Kirby and Ciaran Walsh (junior B doubles), John Cawley (GMBS v Cork), Ashling Fitzgerald and Edel O’Grady (ladies junior b doubles v Limerick) while Pat Donnellan and Stephen McInerney both received walkovers in golden masters singles.
There are again a raft of fixtures involving Banner County players over the coming week including a triple-header in Nenagh on Saturday and at least three Munster finals with Clare interest.
Lisa Loughnane contested Clare’s first Munster final of 2012 but was defeated in the ladies intermediate singles decider on Tuesday by Catriona Casey (Cork).
In local handball news, the County adult leagues continue with the race to make the various divisional finals taking shape. In the four-team Division 1, Tulla and O’Callaghans Mills look set to meet in the final with a Mills-Tulla repeat likely in the Division 2 final. Division 3 still looks an open race with Clarecastle, Newmarket, Tuamgraney and Shannon all confident of making the decider. Tuamgraney and Clooney are favourites for success in Division 4.

Fixtures:
(All 7.30pm unless stated)

Thursday, February 9
Broadford (Limerick): junior doubles semi-final, Cathal Hannon/Aidan Lynch v John Joe Quirke/Rory O’Connor (Kerry); ladies intermediate doubles final: Lisa Loughnane/Anne-Marie Fitzgerald v Catriona Casey/Ashling O’Keeffe (Cork). Nenagh: junior b doubles semi-final, Tom Kirby/Ciaran Walsh v Paul Mullins/Michael Purcell. Cashel: golden masters B semi-final, John Cawley v Paul Maher (Tipp). Silvermines: Emerald Masters B semi-final, Stephen McInerney v Gerry Foley (Tipp).
Friday, February 10
Galbally (8pm): ruby masters singles semi-final, John Kirby v Tony Buckley (Cork).
Saturday, February 11
Nenagh (2pm): junior doubles semi-final: Seamus Lawlor/Jimmy Close v Donnocha O’Dea/Shane Hedigan (Cork); minor doubles semi-finals, Colin Crehan/Niall Bolton v Michael Hedigan/Daniel Relihan (Cork); Barry Nash/Patrick Fitzgerald v Denis O’Neill/Pa Herlihy (Cork). Tuamgraney (7pm): ladies junior b singles semi-final, Ashling Fitzgerald v Áine Casey (Kerry).
Sunday, February 12
Tuamgraney (1pm) – silver masters B doubles semi-final, Kevin O’Brien/John Nihill v John Ryan/Seamus O’Donovan (Limerick).
Monday, February 13
Cappagh (8pm): golden masters A singles s-final, Pat Donellan v John Herlihy (Cork). Nenagh: masters B doubles s-final, Tommy Hegarty/Mike Hayes v (Tipp or Limerick).
Tuesday, February 14
Junior Singles Final, Cathal Hannon v Thomas Donegan (Limerick) or James Moakley (Cork).
Wednesday, February 15
Minor Singes Final, Niall Bolton v Pa Herlihy (Cork)