Crehan set to shine on world stage

AS the curtain falls on handball’s 40×20 season, the focus turns to the 60×30 and one-wall courts for the summer months before attention switches back to the smaller court to begin preparations for this October’s eagerly-awaited world championships which will be hosted in Dublin.
The last major event of the adult 40×20 year, the Irish Nationals, were held over the weekend alongside the junior trials for the worlds. The whole event was held in Kingscourt, County Cavan and surrounding Ulster venues and while a number of Clare players travelled, the big winner over the weekend was Kilkishen’s Colin Crehan. The recently crowned All-Ireland minor doubles champion kept up his brilliant form by securing a place on the official Irish team for this October’s world tests. Crehan won the 17-and-under section of the trials, sealing his squad place with an emphatic 21-6, 21-13 win over Monaghan man Darren Doherty in the final.
Tuamgraney’s Diarmaid Nash competed in the men’s open singles and after defeating Vinny Moran (Mayo) in Round 1, lost out narrowly in the last eight to All-Ireland doubles finalist Brian Carroll from Meath. Carroll was himself knocked out by eventual winner Robbie McCarthy, who made it two in-a-row as he defeated Nash in last year’s decider. The Westmeath man also took the added prize of a place on the official team for October’s Championships. Current World and All-Ireland champion Paul Brady missed the nationals with a back injury. Antrim’s Ashling Reilly won the ladies’ open singles title and will also be part of the Ireland team, as will Kilkenny legend Ducksy Walsh, who won the masters at the nationals, defeating Meath’s Tom Sheridan in the final.
This Saturday sees the National Cumann na mBunscoil Handball Day at Kingscourt, where three young Banner County stars will take to the court to play three matches each. Tiernan Agnew, representing Kilmurry National School, is Munster boys’ U-13 singles champion and will face Kilkenny, Galway and Monaghan opposition.
In the boys’ U-11 doubles, Munster champions Mark Rogers and Conor Downes (Scariff National School) will play against Wexford, Monaghan and Galway players. The action in Kingscourt starts at 11am on Sunday with the added attraction of the men’s senior doubles trials for the official Ireland team for the wWorld championships.
The last of this year’s county adult league finals was played last week when Shannon scored a comprehensive victory over Tuamgraney in the Division 3 decider in Newmarket. Earlier in the year, Kilkishen took the Division 1 title while Tulla won Division 2 and Clooney were crowned Division 4 champions.
As mentioned at the outset, attention will now turn to the big alley for the summer months and in preparation for the upcoming Munster championships, the Clare Junior B Doubles Championship kicks off this week. County trials in other grades will commence over the coming fortnight.