Nash aiming for Munster hat-trick

TUAMGRANEY handballer Diarmuid Nash will be aiming to capture his third provincial title in recent weeks when he plays Brendan Fleming in the intermediate singles final this Thursday evening at Ballydesmond at 7pm. Nash has already won the Munster senior singles title.

There was more success for Nash and his doubles partner, Niall Malone, when they won the Munster Intermediate Doubles final in Cappagh on Wednesday last, beating Cork brothers Niall and Brendan Fleming, 21-18, 21-15.
The Clare duo are now due to play the Connacht champions next weekend in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Malone is also in singles action this weekend with an All-Ireland senior singles championship clash with Cavan kingpin Paul Brady this Saturday in Kingscourt at 2pm.
Aisling Fitzgerald, Tuamgraney, won her Munster Ladies’ Junior B Singles final in Galbally on Saturday when she beat Laura Keevers, 21-9, 21-6. The Coughlan brothers, Fergal and Ger, were in the Masters A Doubles final, also in Galbally, but went down to Cork pair Stephen Palmer and Kevin Buckley.
The Munster championships are now coming to a close and focus shifts to the All-Ireland semi-finals, which take place over two weekends (March 19/20 and April 2/3). As well as Nash’s senior win, Clare have already secured seven Munster titles: Ladies Junior B Singles (Aisling Fitzgerald); Ladies Junior B Doubles (Sarah Loughnane and Paula Loughane); Golden Masters B Singles (John Cawley); Golden Masters B Doubles (John Cawley and Teddy O’Hanlon); Golden Masters A Singles (Pat Donnellan); Golden Masters A Doubles (Pat Donellan and Mike Kelly) and Intermediate Doubles (Diarmuid Nash and Niall Malone).
The two outstanding finals up for grabs are tonight’s intermediate singles final and an all-Clare and all-Tulla junior singles final between Cathal Hannon and Aidan Lynch, which was postponed due to an injury to Lynch and may yet be played before All-Ireland semi-final date.
While All-Ireland semi-final fixtures are yet to be confirmed, the following grades involving Banner County players are scheduled for next weekend: Golden Masters singles (A and B); Ladies Junior B Singles (all Connacht venues) and Intermediate Doubles (Munster venue).
A host of Clare’s rising handball stars were in action over the weekend as the Munster juvenile championship semi-finals were played at a number of venues. Munster finals involving Clare players will take place this Saturday at 12pm in Tulla and O’Callaghan’s Mills. Clare are through to Munster finals in the boys’ U-12 singles (Tiernan Agnew); U-12 doubles (Gary Cooney, Owen Shanahan); U-13 doubles (Jack Hayes, Shane Hunt); U-14 singles (Brian Fahy); U-14 doubles (Fergal Coughlan, Jamie Keane); U-15 doubles (Jacob Loughnane, Ciarán Cooney) and U-16 singles (Colin Crehan).
They are also through to girls’ Munster finals in the U-12 singles (Ella Donnellan); U-14 doubles (Clodagh Nash, Doireann Murphy); U-15 doubles (Natasha Coughlan, Michelle Nihill) and U-16 singles (Alice Akers). In U-17 doubles, Hannah O’Brien and Áine McInerney have a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final.
On the domestic scene, the last of this year’s adult county league finals was won by Clarecastle when they defeated Shannon 96-79 in Division 3 in Clooney on Friday. The winning team was John Sweeney (captain), Jeff Coughlan, Pakie Healy, Michael Casey, Martin Sweeney and Adam Healy.