Massive weekend of Tyrone GAA Handball Juvenile Finals action with Senior semis on the way

Massive weekend of Tyrone GAA Handball Juvenile Finals action with Senior semis on the way

An action packed weekend of Tyrone GAA Handball Juvenile Championship finals portrayed the impressive credentials of the rising young stars from all around the county while also highlighting the continuing growth and passion for the game in Tyrone.
In all there were fourteen County ‘A’ Juvenile Singles Championship Finals played and almost all ties proved to be epic tussles. Packed to capacity stands were treated to brilliant handball from our rising young stars over the two days.
The two blue ribband events of the Juvenile Championships, the Under 16 singles grades, went in the end to Loughmacrory and Carrickmore. 

The Boys U16 final brought the anticipated showdown between the top two seeds, Cormac Munroe (Carrickmore) and Antoin Fox (Loughamcrory), after the duo denied Lorcan McBride and Darragh Canavan respectively in tough semi final encounters. Another rip-roaring action packed final was expected between the duo in the Blue Ribband Under 16 decider on Sunday evening and the jam-packed crowd were not disappointed as a brilliant contest ensued. It must be said that the standard of play on view from both players was of the highest order, as good as has been witnessed in the county and would have stood favourably at the business end of the national series too. Fox served up a truly superb display of power-packed shooting with an exceptional array of kill-shots and that high octane offensive play and cool composure from the Loughmacrory player saw him take the honours by 21-12, 21-15.

The blue ribband event on She’s Ace Finals Day in Carrickmore, the Girls Under 16 Singles, saw the title go to Carrickmore’s Ciara Mullan in the end, although it proved a most unlucky end to the game for her opponent,Loughmacrory’s Caitlin Conway. The latter was in brilliant form in the game and had led for much of the contest with tight serving into the left being followed by some terrific corner kills added into an array of defensive play which included ceiling and three-wall shots. Conway was an impressive 21-10 winner in the opening game and did lead by 14-7 in the second game before the talented young Carrickmore player made a rally to close the gap to 14-10. It was at that stage then that Caitlin injured her ankle, at the end of a long rally in the back right corner, and was unable to resume at the end of the 15 minute injury period thus seeing Ciara Mullan collect the 2016 honours in the grade.

CLICK HERE For all stories, news, profiles, fixtures and results from Tyrone GAA Handball

Boys Juvenile Singles Championship Finals…

The County under 10 Singles Championship has proven to be a fantastic grade for the development of GAA Handball in the county and, with 48 young players starting out in the series three weeks ago, has seen some super handball along the way. In the end it came down to a decider between Loughmacrory’s Ruairi McCullagh and Carrickmore’s Shea Munroe, with both young players having shown terrific skill along the way. McCullagh produced a most assured display for a nine year old with eye-catching use of court, fly kill shots and retrieving to run out an impressive winner on a 15-9, 15-2 scoreline.
At Under 11 level, the title was always going to go to the Loughmacrory Club with colleagues, Gary McAleer and Eoin Donaghy meeting in the final. Both young players had exhibited impressive credentials in coming through the draw but Gary McAleer was really an emphatic winner in the end in a strong championship series.
The Boys Under 12 Singles Championship brought some terrific games through the competition also and certainly seen two high quality young players, Connor Owens (Breacach) and Eoin McElholm (Loughmacrory) win through to serve up a repeat showdown of the under 10 final of two years ago. The Breacach player was in top form in game one, winning 15-7 before McElholm came back to level the match with a 15-10 win in the second. Now growing in confidence, the Loughmacrory player fired up some excellent corner kills to take the honours with an 11-2 tie-break win.
The Boys Under 14 Singles Championship brought together a repeat of the 2015 Under 13 final as Carrickmore’s Cahir Munroe faced Ceapach’s Brian McAleer. Munroe had to really dig deep in the opening game and did produce three super killshots to close out that one on a 15-13 scoreline but McAleer to level the match with a 15-14 win in the second. The tie-break also provided another frenetic affair and they were still deadlocked at 8-8 until Munroe showed great character to dig deep when it mattered and win out the title by 11-8 and a first boys success of the day for Carrickmore.
The Boys Under 15 Singles Championship brought a fourth title of the day to Loughmacrory as Diarmaid Gallagher exhibited great composure to win his first county singles title against Breacach’s Caolan McCartan in a very good game. Gallagher was very impressive in the opening game, winning 15-5, and he opened up a 13-5 lead too in the second but Caolan showed great fight to win the next ten aces of that game to level the match. However it was the Loughmacrory player who siezed the initiative to regain control in the tie-break.
The Boys Under 17 Singles Championship brought another Carrickmore v Killyclogher title showdown. Carrickmore’s Ciaran Cuddy is a player who many will be looking to having a big season in the grade and he took on Ceapach’s Tiarnan McAleer in the title decider. Cuddy began to take control early in the first and he gradually began to pull clear with some very good finishing and he took the title with a 21-9, 21-5 victory.
The Boys Under 13 Singles Championship did not go ahead on the day and is refixed for this weekend as Breacach’s Jonathan Owens and Carrickmore’s Lorcan McGarrity will meet in the decider.
 

She’s Ace Juvenile GIRLS Singles 40×20 Championship Finals

The Girls Juvenile Singles finals went down for decision in Carrickmore on Saturday and the day’s action opened with the Girls Under 15 Singles Championship Final, an all-Breacach club affair as colleagues, Emer Kerr and Meabh McCrystall, met to decide the honours. Meabh took the opener by the minimum margin, 15-14, before Emer took control to pull away for an impressive win in the second and went on to take the honours by 11-9 in the tie-break. 
The youngest players on court on She’s Ace Juvenile Finals Day brought the curtain down on the Girls Under 10 Singles Championship. Loughmacrory’s Tara Curran and Breacach’s Aoife Kerr were evidently both chasing their first county singles titles and everyone was most impressed by the skills on display from the talented young duo. Aoife showed some great consistency to get vital late marks and won the title on a 15-11, 15-10 scoreline.
The She’s Ace Under 12 Singles final saw the recent World 11 & Under doubles champions against each other as Loughmacrory’s Dearbhail Fox faced up to Carrickmore’s Cloda McNamee. There really were some fabulous rallies in this contest with both players showing some terrific two-handed play and finishing but the Carrickmore players greater consistency from deep-court was decisive in the end as she took the honours by 15-6, 15-10. 
Carrickmore then made it a quick-fire double on their own court when Clodagh Munroe emerged as a very impressive winner of the Girls Under 13 Singles Championship. The rising young Carrickmore star also came back from Canada in August as a World 11 & Under singles champion and went in as a warm favourite against Dervla Farley (Breacach) and was very much on top in this contest throughout, winning 15-2, 15-5.
In the Girls Under 14 Singles Championship Final, Loughmacrory’s Mairead Fox went in as a hot favourite to continue her superb run of form, having reached the Dark Blue Division 1 Final and boasting a very solid record at national level in her grade over the past few seasons. She overcame Breacach’s Sarah Devlin in a  convincing display, bringing the first girls honours of the day to her club.
The Juvenile Doubles Championships will get underway from this weekend with the Juvenile B Singles Championships then to start in three weeks time.

Tyrone GAA Handball Juvenile 40×20 BOYS Singles Championship Finals 2016

Sunday 24th January 2016, Carrickmore & Loughmacrory:

–  BU10 Singles Final: RUAIRI McCULLAGH (Loughmacrory) dft Shea Munroe (Carrickmore) 15-9, 15-2

–  BU11 Singles Final: GARY McALEER (Loughmacrory) dft Eoin Donaghy (Loughmacrory) 15-3, 15-2

–  BU12 Singles Final: EOIN McELHOLM (Loughmacrory) dft Connor Owens (Breacach) 7-15, 15-10, 11-2

–  BU14 Singles Final: CAHIR MUNROE (Carrickmore) dft Brian McAleer (Ceapach) 15-13, 14-15, 11-8

–  BU15 Singles Final: DIARMAID GALLAGHER (Loughmacrory) dft Caolan McCartan (Breacach) 15-5, 13-15, 11-2

–  BU16 Singles Final: ANTOIN FOX (Loughmacrory) dft Cormac Munroe (Carrickmore) 21-12, 21-15

–  BU17 Singles Final: CIARAN CUDDY (Carrickmore) dft Tiarnan McAleer (Ceapach) 21-9, 21-5

–  BU13 Singles Final: Jonathan Owens (Breacach) v Lorcan McGarrity (Carrickmore) – to be refixed, details TBC

Tyrone GAA Handball She’s Ace Juvenile 40×20 GIRLS Singles Championship Finals 2016

Saturday 23rd January 2016, Carrickmore:

–  GU10 Singles Final: AOIFE KERR (Breacach) dft Tara Curran (Loughmacrory) 15-11, 15-10

–  GU12 Singles Final: CLODA McNAMEE (Carrickmore) dft Dearbhail Fox (Loughmacrory) 15-6, 15-10

–  GU13 Singles Final: CLODAGH MUNROE (Carrickmore) dft Dervla Farley (Breacach) 15-2, 15-5

–  GU14 Singles Final: MAIREAD FOX (Loughmacrory) dft Sarah Devlin (Breacach) 15-0, 15-1

–  GU15 Singles Final: EMER KERR (Breacach) dft Meabh McCrystall (Breacach) 14-15, 15-0, 11-9

–  GU16 Singles Final: CIARA MULLAN (Carrickmore) dft Caitlin Conway (Loughmacrory) 10-21, 10-14, w/d injury

–  GU17 Singles Final: CLOIDEACH DONAGHY (Breacach) dft Claire Conway (Loughmacrory) 20-21, 21-9, 11-3

CLICK HERE For full review and Picture Gallery from the Finals Weekend

Daly and McElduff eyeing repeat Senior Final showdown

The next big action in Tyrone GAA Handball will be in the Adult Singles Championship with much of the silverware set to be handed out in the next ten days.
All eyes will turn to Beragh this coming Thursday evening as the semi finals in the Mens Open Singles Championship race take centre stage and Darragh Daly and Conor McElduff attempting to set up a third consecutive final meeting in the event.
Daly is unbeaten in the singles championship since losing out in the 2013 decider to Breacach’s Barry Devlin and will be favourite to make it a fourth final in a row against former three times Senior champion, Breacach’s Shane O’Neill, in the semi final. The second semi final will see the first of two big meetings involving Breacach club players, Conor McElduff and Johnny Woods in the next fortnight. The duo are also set to meet in the Ulster Intermediate Singles Championship final and promises to be a cracking contest with McElduff going in as favourite based on his Premier league form and both players also still chasing an elusive first Senior championship success.
CLICK HERE For full information, fixtures and results of Adult Championships
Cumann na mBunscoil 4 Wall Handball Finals 2016
Allianz Cumann na mBunscol, Thír Eoghain, held their 4 Wall Handball County Finals on Tuesday 26 January in the magnificent Carrickmore Handball Alley. Primary schools from across the county competed for a number of titles in the U11 and U13 grade for Girls and Boys, at Singles and Doubles level.
Spectators were treated to a spectacle of the highest order, as the participants showcased their vast array of skills. It appeared that every ounce of energy was expended by these young Gaels in their bid to take a coveted title. Special mention must be made of Edendork P.S. who, as ‘newbies’ to this format of the game, made quite an impression on all present. It appears that their 1 Wall success from last year has been built upon, and they are now up there challenging the traditional Handball strongholds. This growth in popularity across the county is wonderful to see.
The results from the day’s competition are as follows:
U11 Boys’ Singles Champion – Eóin McElholm (Loughmacrory)
U11 Boys’ Singles Runner Up – Killian Kerr (Drumduff)
U11 Boys’ Doubles Champs – Gary McAleer & Eóin Donaghy (Loughmacrory)
U11 Boys’ Doubles Runner Up – Ruairí Kerr & Fionn McCrory (Drumduff)
U13 Boys’ Singles Champion – Conor Owens (Drumduff)
U13 Boys’ Singles Runner Up – Ronan Fox (Loughmacrory)
U13 Boys’ Doubles Champs – Conor Fox & Ruairí McCullagh (Loughmacrory)
U13 Boys’ Doubles Runner Up – Oisín Rafferty & Daithí McCallan (C’more)
U11 Girls’ Singles Champion – Dearbhail Fox (Loughmacrory)
U11 Girls’ Singles Runner Up – Bronagh Farley (Beragh)
U11 Girls’ Doubles Champs – Aoife Kerr & Rebecca McGarvey (Drumduff)
U11 Girls’ Doubles Runner Up – Molly Darcy & Raina Meegan (Beragh)
U13 Girls’ Singles Champion – Aoibhe Curran (Loughmacrory)
U13 Girls’ Doubles Champs – Aoibhean Daly & Meabh McCrystal (C’more)
U13 Girls’ Doubles Runner Up – Kate Fox & Cora McElduff (Loughmacrory)

Tyrone GAA Handball AGM

The annual Tyrone GAA Handball Convention will take place in Beragh next Tuesday 2nd February at 8pm.