Search Results for 'Jennifer Fahy'

Overall it was a great weekend for Mayo’s handballers young and old, male and female, and a one hundred per cent record in all competitions, two All-Ireland titles and the possibility of two further titles this Saturday.

It was a good week for Ballaghaderreen handballer Dessie Keegan who partnered Joe McCann to reach the last four of the all-Ireland senior doubles championship with a comfortable 21-8, 21-7 victory over Munster’s only challengers, C J Fitzpatrick and Paul Hedderman of Limerick.

Frank Macken, fresh from his All-Ireland singles success of last week, added the doubles title with partner Aidan Bell in the All-Ireland golden masters’ doubles final at a packed Williamstown on Saturday afternoon last, once again facing Clare contenders Pat Donnellan and Stephen McInerney as the opening match of a two match card at the Galway venue, got off to a great start.

The good news story of the week came by way of Ballinrobe handballer Frank Macken, who finally got his hands on a richly deserved All-Ireland medal. Williamstown on Saturday afternoon last was the setting for Frank’s finest hour as he and a fine attendance settled in for the All-Ireland golden masters B singles final against the well-regarded Pat Donnellan for Clare. Macken started well and was never really troubled in the opening game and he secured this one impressively 21 aces to 12. The second was a much tougher affair as Donnellan began to find his feet and the Clare man was making life difficult for the Galway based garda. Macken trailed for much of the game but his superior fitness and determination saw him take the lead at 17 aces to 16 although this on went down to the wire, as a relieved Macken added the second on a 21 aces to 17 scoreline. The win was well deserved and hard-earned but the hours of work put in yielded the desired result on the day. Macken has a decent chance of a second title this weekend as he teams up with Claremorris native Aidan Bell in the doubles final against Donnellan and Stephen McInerney once again at Williamstown this Saturday from 3pm.

The next series of All-Ireland finals gets under way at a number of venues this weekend. Amy Corrigan teams up with Newport’s Leona Ryder as they bid for the ladies’ minor doubles title when they take on Cork duo Catriona Casey and Lisa Aisling as the third match at Thurles this Saturday. The opening match is the Connacht v Leinster girls inter provincial team of 10 tie which has an 11.30am start. Much of the defending champions Connacht team is made of up Roscommon and Galway youngsters with Mayo’s Jennifer Fahy playing an important part in the province’s bid to retain the trophy. The winners meet a strong Munster side in the final the same afternoon at Thurles.

Mayo duo Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann made a somewhat disappointing exit from the All-Ireland senior doubles championship as they lost out to Wexford duo Barry Goff and Colin Keeling in three games at Thurles on Saturday evening. There were hopes that the pair would at least threaten for a place in the last four of the doubles championship, and they started with great intent. This was rewarded with a fine 21 aces to 13 win in the opener that set them up nicely for victory. However matters took a turn for the worse after that initial good showing and Keegan, who had been unwell during the week, was unable to maintain the intensity of the first game and the duo paid the price, losing this second game heavily, 21 aces to 5.

There were no real surprises in the two provincial senior finals at Ballaghaderreen on Saturday afternoon as all-Ireland senior doubles champions Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann maintained their unbeaten run to take the provincial title at the expense of fellow club mates Vincent Moran and Campbell Brennan. The champions were in devastating form in a very one sided opener and they won it for the loss of just two aces. Moran and Brennan finally got around to playing some handball in the second and the duo, to their credit, made a real fight of it and it looked like the game could go either way at one stage. However Keegan and McCann did just enough to see off the challenge as they won the second 21 aces to 17. Marianna Rushe ran out the expected easy winner of the ladies’ senior singles final with an easy two games to nil victory over fellow St Coman’s contender Leona Doolin.

The young girl handballers of Connacht retained this year’s interprovincial team title at the All-Ireland finals at the weekend.