Juvenile stars set to shine

Clare will contest five All-Ireland 40×20 juvenile handball finals.
Colin Crehan will play Darren Doherty from Monaghan in the U-16 singles decider after the Kilkishen man scored an impressive 21-2, 21-6 win over Leitrim’s Shane Doonan in Roscommon on Saturday. Also in Roscommon, Tulla pair Niall Bolton and Colin Corbett reached the U-16 doubles final (against Pol Clarke and Patrick McRory) with a 17-21, 21-3, 11-4 victory over Colm Walsh and Conor Egan from Roscommon.
In girls U-15 doubles, Natasha Coughlan and Michelle Nihill qualified for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny (Denise Love and Aisling Maher) when they beat Aoibhe Quinn and Marianne Foody (Sligo) 15-5, 15-7. Hannah O’Brien and Áine McInerney are through to the U-17 doubles final after receiving a semi-final walkover and they will also face Kilkenny opposition, Lauren Barcoe and Mary Wall.
Brian Fahy’s U-14 singles semi-final against Ronan O’Beolain (Galway) was played on Monday night in Inverin, Galway and the Tulla man came out on top, 15-4, 15-5. Clare also contested girls semi-finals at U-14 doubles, where Roscommon defeated Clodagh Nash and Doireann Murphy 15-3, 15-9 and at U-16 singles where Alice Akers was convincingly beaten by Galway star, Ciana ni Churaoin.
There wasn’t as much success for Clare in the weekend’s adult All-Ireland semi-finals. Kilkishen’s Pat Donnellan (Golden Masters A singles) put in a strong performance but was overcome in Moycullen by home player Martin Conneely 13-21, 21-16, 17-21. Aisling Fitzgerald (Tuamgraney) was beaten 21-4, 21-5 by Mayo’s Ciara McMenamin in her home court of Ballaghadereen.
John Cawley from Shannon had his golden masters B singles semi-final postponed and will now play Denis Phelan (Galway) in Shannon on Wednesday night next (March 30) at 8pm. Jimmy Reilly of Meath awaits the winner in the final.
Tuamgraney pair Diarmaid Nash and Niall Malone also saw their intermediate doubles semi-final (against Niall McGrath and Chris Doolin) postponed and this match will go ahead this Saturday in Tuamgraney at 4pm. The winners of this tie will face a tough prospect in the final after Kilkenny duo Brian Manogue and Nicholas Anthony overcame Cavan in their semi-final.
Clare will also contest the ladies intermediate doubles final after Anne-Marie Fitzgerald and Lisa Loughnane recieved a semi-final bye. The Tuamgraney-Clooney duo will take on Wicklow’s Shauna Hillery and Sandra Barnes.