Tennis officially entered the winter season last weekend with the annual Open Veterans’ Tournament of County Kilkenny, sponsored by AIB Bank.
Over 150 players provided tennis of excellent quality in ideal weather conditions. The tournament attracted players from many counties in the country – Carlow, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, Dublin, Louth, Galway, Tipperary and as far north as Belfast.
Local players also played their part in adding to the success of the event. Tommy Rochford, Robert Cummins, Ivan Cahill, Donnacha Harkin, Roger Ryan, John Fortin, Mary Nolan, Christina Heffernan and Mary Verling all took part.
Apart from the on-court proceedings, the weekend was marked by ancillary activity in the clubhouse, which proved to be an enjoyable facet of the weekend.
The Veterans’ tournament – more popularly christened ‘The Vets’ – caters for players from the relatively young 35-year-olds to the seasoned players enjoying the fruits of their senior years.
In the over-35 Men’s Singles, Tommy Rochford kept the Archersfield flag flying in his battle with Willie Reynolds. In spite of Tommy’s sterling performance, Willie proved to be the winner in an interesting match.
In the Men’s Doubles of the same age group, the Kilkenny club also made an impact as Robert Cummins and Donnacha Harkin joined forces to take the title.
Mary Nolan also proved to be an accomplished exponent, as she took the runner-up spot in her match with Ann Coveny.
Harry and Catherine McCarthy, both former members of the club, were also playing some fine tennis. They were rewarded with the runner-up position in their final against Ger and Margaret Cusack.
As for the numerous other events in the tournament, the following were the prizewinners:
Over-35 Ladies’ Doubles: Winners Claire Bergin and Katherine Morrissey
Runners-up Madeline Kelly and Sheila Lonergan
Over-40 Ladies’ Singles: Winner Deirdre McSherry
Runner-up Niamh Kennedy
Over-40 Ladies’ Doubles: Winners Patty Briggs and Niamh Kennedy
Runners-up Ann Naughton and Una Ryle
Over-45 Men’s Singles: Winner Des Dillon
Runner-up Joe Donovan
Over-45 Men’s Doubles: Winners Des Dillon and Willie Guiry
Runners-up Joe Donovan and Paul O’Callaghan
Over-40 Mixed Doubles: Winners Martin Ormonde and Patty Briggs
Runners-up Paul O’Callaghan and Melanie Spivey
Over-50 Ladies’ Doubles: Winners Norah Glynn and Geraldine Wynne
Runners-up Michelle Linnane and Jill McCormack
Over-55 Men’s Singles: Winner Dick McCarthy
Runner-up Donal McGoldrick
Over-55 Men’s Doubles: Winners Larry Power and John Shannon
Runners-up Donal McGoldrick and Michael Murray
Over-60 Mixed Doubles: Winners Brendan Boylan and Michelle Linnane
Runners-up Derry Vereker and Lucy Ryan
