With the One Wall Handball season now firmly underway there is again a great deal happening on the GAA Handball scene in Tyrone in the month ahead while the County has again enjoyed success on the International circuit in the past week.
Breacach’s Conor McElduff undoubtedly secured the biggest title win of his handball career to date when he teamed up with Cork’s Killian Carroll to win the Canadian Nationals Mens Open Doubles crown. In defeating current US Pro number 1, Luis Moreno, the player who provided a classic world mens senior final with Paul Brady in 2012, and his partner, the young Irish pairing made history at the event. McElduff has surged up the pecking order in the Irish handball scene in the past couple of seasons and this latest success marks him down as a major contender for all the top honours in the year ahead.
Ulster One Wall Championships in Loughmacrory
The Breacach player will of course be amongst a host of Tyrone players who boast impressive credentials as the second ever Ulster One Wall Championship Tournament will go ahead in Loughmacrory’s fantastic new complex on the weekend of 28th/29th June 2014. The action promises to be very exciting in 2014 with the very best players from across the province of Ulster converging on Loughmacrory for the two day event, which will see players in action (all singles) from Under 12 up to Golden Masters (50+). The event took place for the first time in 2013 at St. Ciaran’s College, Ballygawley, and in the two main events saw triumphs for Darragh Daly (Tyrone) and Lorraine Havern (Down). Daly overcame Armagh’s rising star, Conall McCavitt, in the final of the Mens Open and Havern defeated Maeve McElduff (Tyrone) in the Ladies Open decider. The return to the One Wall game in Ireland for the first time since 2011 of Charly Shanks provides added excitement and the two Open fields look highly competitive while the hugely competitive juvenile grades will ensure a brilliant weekend of action. All official updates can be checked on the Tournament page at http://events2c.com/event/ulster-one-wall-championship-tournament/
The Loughmacrory Community will launch the highly impressive new £1 million project facilities on Saturday 28th June 2014 and the Ulster One Wall Handball Championships, taking place from 10.30am on Saturday 28th, in the new Outdoor fully covered One Wall Handball and Multi-use Facility will form a major part of this weekend.
There have also been a few eye-catching successes for Tyrone players in the various Club One Wall Tournaments around the country in recent weeks. At the Williamstown Tournament in Galway, Loughmacrory’s Caitlin Conway emerged the winner of a very strong girls Under 14 grade with wins over Kildare’s Mollie Dagg and Galway’s Niamh Heffernan in the latter stages of that event.
This weekend will see a host of Tyrone players make the journey to Mount Talbot in Roscommon for the annual national ranking tournament. Clodagh Munroe and Dearbhail Fox will be fancied to do well in the Girls Under 10 and Cahir Munroe will be among the favourites in the Boys Under 12 competition. Mairead Fox will have a major say in the Girls Under 12 while Cormac Munroe and Antoin Fox are seeded at one and two in the Boys Under 14. Caitlin Conway will again have big title claims in the Girls Under 14 and the same applies to Elisa McCrory in the Girls Under 16 event. Conall Monaghan and Niall Allison are in the Boys Under 18 competition while Tyrone’s top contenders for the Open titles are Darragh Daly in the Mens and Maeve McElduff in the Ladies open. Another big weekend of one wall action ahead at the impressive Roscommon club facilities before the action then moves onto the Ulster One Wall Championships and One Wall Nationals in Breaffy Sports Arena on 4th-6th July 2014. A reminder that the deadline for entry to the One Wall Nationals is Friday 13th June 2104. Online entry can be made at gaahandball.ie
Feile na nGael comes to Tyrone
Meanwhile, prior to the action in the Ulster One Wall Championships, Tyrone will play host to the annual Féile na nGael national competition on 21st and 22nd June 2014. The full schedule of fixtures and planning has been released for the upcoming Féile na nGael festival for handball and Tyrone clubs will play host to a number of grades. The Division1 and 2 Boys in Carrickmore, Division 6 Boys in Killyclogher and the Girls Division 1 in Beragh and Girls Division 2 in Loughmacrory. Breacach will also compete in the Division 5 Boys in Scotstown, Monaghan. Full preview and information on this event will be provided next week.
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