Handballers reach All Ireland finals

While Cavan is gripped by Fleadh fever at present, spare a thought for the county's handballers, who have been enjoying huge success recently. St Pat's players cleaned up at the Abbeylara One Wall tournament last weekend, Paul Fitzpatrick winning the Open Doubles (with Armagh's Conall McCavitt) and Cathal Sheridan and Eddie Halligan taking the B Doubles. That pales, however, compared to the championship wins enjoyed by James Brady, Patrick Clerkin, Stephen Smith and Thomas Edward Donohoe recently. Brady and Clerkin are through to the final of the 60x30 Junior Doubles, the first time a Cavan pair have reached the decider in the grade since Pat Donagh and Patsy Hand back in 1985. Brady has also advanced to the All Ireland singles final and will take on David Hickey of Tipperary this Sunday at 11am in Mullingar. Before that, however, is the not-so-small matter of the All Ireland 60x30 U14 Doubles final. Stephen and Thomas Edward defeated Tyrone in the Ulster final before recording a dramatic All Ireland semi-final win against Galway last Wednesday night. Pitted against a strong pairing of Cian O Congaile and Diarmuid Mulkerrins, St Pat's lost the first 15-14 but bounced back to win the second and third games 15-8 and 15-13. They will face Wexford in the All Ireland semi-final this Saturday at 1pm in Abbeylara. To reach the last two in the A grade of such a prestigious All Ireland championship - which was last won for Cavan by Michael Finnegan and Raymond Cunningham in the late 1980s - is a remarkable achievement for the Crosserlough and Denn dual players.