The fourth Ulster GAA Handball One Wall Championships will go ahead for the second year running at the new Loughmacrory One Wall Handball Arena on this weekend of Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2015.
Another big entry from across six counties will contest grades from Under 10 up to Golden Masters with the Mens and Ladies Open finals set to take centre-stage at the climax of the finals day action on Sunday 7th June.
The action climaxed in 2014 with two fantastic finals as three-times National Champion, Armagh’s Charly Shanks, overcame Tyrone’s Conor McElduff in the Mens Open Ulster Final and Down’s Lorraine Havern secured the Ladies Open honours with a final win against Tyrone’s Maeve McElduff. McElduff went on after that to deny Shanks in a thrilling Mens Open Nationals Semi Final tie-break at Breaffy Sports Arena in Castlebar but the rematch will not go ahead just yet as the reigning Ulster champion is in the USA for the annual US National Championships.
Conor McElduff will thus be a warm favourite to claim his first Ulster Mens Open Championship title with key challenges to come from Gabhain mcCrystall, and Monaghan’s duo of Darren Doherty and Terry McElvaney, while Tyrone will hold strong challenges in most ties with Pol Clarke, Johnny Woods and Patrick McCrory all hopeful of a bold showing. The Ladies Open is again likely to see a title showdown involving Down’s Lorraine Havern and Tyrone’s Maeve McElduff and no doubt both finals will attract another large crowd to the Loughmacrory venue by Sunday evening.
Elsewhere there are a host of grades down for decision as over 130 players in all will contest for championship honours. The Boys Under 18 grade looks a shootout between Tyrone and Armagh with Breacach’s Sean Kerr the favourite and Niall Allison also expected to figure prominently in that section while Armagh hold all the aces in the Girls Under 18 competition in which Niamh Coleman has stamped herself as a strong top seed based on recent form. At under 16 level in the boys another series of intense action games are anticipated in what has proven to be one of the most competitive grades of the series. Antoin Fox recently overcame Cormac Munroe by a single ace in the Mallow Tournament and they are at one and two in the seedings, the duo of course also having been separated by just a single ace in the event twelve months ago after a thrilling tie-break. Darragh Canavan, Ciaran Cuddy and Turlough Clarke will ensure that this event is far from straightforward all the same. Armagh’s Megan McCann and Tyrone’s Michaela McCartan will be on many shortlists for a string Under 16 girls title chase while at Under 14 level Monaghan’s Eoghan McGinnity and Tyrone’s Dara Curran are at the top end of the seedings list. Armagh’s Dearbhla Coleman is the favourite in the Girls Under 14 in which she faces stern home opposition from Caitlin Conway, Elizabeth McGarvey, Mairead Fox and Emer Kerr.
As usual there are a host of chances in the Under 12 grades with Breacach’s Johnathan Owens and Jack Darcy, Carrickmore’s Lorcan McGarrity and Ruairi Canavan, Loughmacrory’s Eoin McElholm, Armagh’s Fiachra O’Dhuill and Monaghan’s Sean Callan all in with chances in the Under 12 Boys competition. The Girls Under 12 event will be tough too with Tyrone’s Clodagh Munroe, Clodah Nic Con Midhe, Dervla Farley and Dearbhail Fox amongst the frontrunners.
There are of course some major games expected in other Adult grades too. The Mens B competition will have an enticing semi final line-up with Down’s Richie McNally, Tyrone’s Eamon McCrory, Cavan’s Cormac McMahon and Antrim’s Jordan O’Neill all holding chances. In the Mens C grade it looks to be one of the most wide open events of the weekend with five counties battling it out for the honours. In Masters Niall Kerr will be a hot favourite to retain his title with Chris Curran, Seamus McCrory, Mark McCartan and Kenny Curran all going in with hopes of putting in a big bid. The Golden Masters has a quality field too with Down’s Sean McNally and Brian Havern, Monaghan’s Paul Cassidy and Peter Larkin and Tyrone’s Conor Kerr all holding chances. Tyrone will also have a number of competitors in the Ladies C Competition with Down’s Mary Havern going in as favourite there.
CLICK HERE for full Fixtures and Schedules Page
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