Clare handball successfully hosted a weekend of ladies’ competitions at clubs across the county. The largest number of entries to the She’s Ace tournament resulted in top-class fare. Over 100 players participated, with Clare having 60 entrants. The event featured an U11 fun competition as well as a Mothers and Daughters doubles competition.
Martina McMahon from Limerick, fresh from the World Championship and Golden Gloves, proved too strong in a keenly fought final against Roscommon’s Fiona Tully. Clare’s Leah Minogue finished second in her group and bowed out at the semi-final of the Plate section.
With strong Clare entries, the Ladies B competition was keenly contested. Chloe Philpott from Kilkishen held out for the honors, defeating Clare Conway from Tyrone. The Kilkishen player, who partnered her mother Susie, also won the Mothers and Daughters doubles.
Claire Minogue triumphed in the 17 and U final against Stephanie Walsh from Galway to the delight of the home crowd in Tuamgraney. The home club had double delight as Anna Madden won the 13 and U final against another local, Sinead Doyle. All games were played to a very high standard, and with TG4 in attendance to stream the event on YouTube, it provided great exposure for female handball.
In Juvenile A, semi-final pairings are almost complete for the county finals. These will be played over the bank holiday weekend, with 20 finals across both girls’ and boys’ categories from U-12 to U-17. The competition will be keenly contested, with the winners going on to represent Clare in the Munster competition. The boys’ pairings are complete, with just an U-12 semi-final remaining, and all girls’ semi-finals will be completed this weekend, with games scheduled for Saturday evening in Clooney-Quin and Tulla.
The Gael Linn County finals will also be played over the weekend. This event features an under-13 pair (one boy and one girl) from the same club team, who compete in two singles games (girl vs. girl and boy vs. boy) before teaming up for a doubles game. The aggregate score from all three games decides the winner. Clare was hugely successful in this competition last year, with Tuamgraney winning the Gael Linn All-Ireland and Kilkishen winning the Solas grade. This year, there are four entries in the Clare competition: Tuamgraney (Iarla Kelleher and Anna Madden), Toonagh (Jack Casey and Orlaith Flanagan), Clooney-Quin (Ben Fahy and Anna Brooks), and Kilkishen (Darragh Donovan and Kate Madden). Games will take place in Tuamgraney on Sunday evening.
The Southern Classic, a prestigious men’s invitational ranking tournament, will be held in Cork. Clare will have Diarmuid Nash and Sean Coughlan playing in the open singles. Meanwhile, the Irish Singles Championship will take place in Belfast over the bank holiday weekend, with numerous Clare players attending.
Finally, the Munster handball convention will take place this weekend in Adare, Limerick. Clarecastle’s Tommy Hegarty is heading into his second year as chairperson. Clare also has Michael Hogan as Children’s Officer, Paula Carr Whelan as Promotions Development Officer, and Orla Considine as Assistant Juvenile Secretary.
