The third annual John Gaffney Memorial Tournament hosted by the Williamstown club on Sunday last attracted a record entry of 50 boys and girls from clubs around the province. In the spirit of the late John Gaffney the event was confined to beginners and improvers of 14 years or younger. Following the opening two rounds the four semi-finalists were Daniel Lydon (Moycullen ) and Patrick Murphy (Belcarra ), Michael McAndrew (Moycullen ) and Conor Dohohue (Belcarra ), Martin Mulhern (Charlestown ) and Brendan Foody (Castleconnor ), and Conor O’Toole (Charlestown ) and Jason Earlis (Castleconnor ). Lydon and Murphy beat McAndrew and Donohue in the first semi-final while O’Toole and Earlis won the second. The final was a slightly one-sided affair with victory on the day going to O’Toole and Earlis on a 15-3, 15-6 scoreline. In a thrilling plate final played at Ballymoe, Martin Byrne (Kiltimagh ) and Conor May (Charlestown ) defeated Stephen Madden (Ballaghaderreen ) and Tony Fox (Collooney ) 13 aces to 11.
The popularity of the girls’ game in the province was underlined by the fact that the event attracted no fewer than 20 contenders from six different clubs. In another exciting final Elaine Mitchell (Williamstown ) and Jade Henry (Knock ) just did enough to see off the challenge of Heather Spellman (Williamstown ) and Sorcha Ryan (Ballaghaderreen ) on a 15-9, 15-4 scoreline, while Shauna Ruane (Belcarra ) and Dayna Finn (Kiltimagh ) beat Melanie Nally (Belcarra ) and Caoimhe Towey (Ballaghaderreen ) 21 aces to 12 in the plate final. Connacht juvenile chairman, Francis McCann, Ballaghaderreen’s Joe McCann, Dessie Keegan, Joe Dowling, and Muriel Moran were all on hand to present the various awards while much thanks must go Sean Finnegan of Williamstown and all the parents who made the event everything that the late John Gaffney would have hoped for.
A number of Mayo top handballers were in action in the qualifying round of the Irish Nationals at Kingscourt on Sunday last. T J Byrne from Kiltimagh beat Robert Fox of Meath in his first round boys’ under 15 singles event while Chris Finn (Ballaghaderreen ) lost to Patrick Havern of Down. Byrne lost out agonisingly for a place in the last 16 however as he was beaten by Conor Egan of Roscommon on a 9-21, 21-8, 11-9 scoreline. Roscommon’s Colm Walsh is also through as he beat Johnny Woods of Tyrone in three games at the same venue.
The Newport Junior club side recorded a dramatic victory over Bofield in the county final last weekend. Thirty-three aces down going into the last singles game Newport looked dead and buried but Ciaran Burke was the hero of the hour as he defeated Brendan Judge to record a six ace victory.
