Kiernan, Martin and O’Mara take handball league titles

Handball

The concluding stages of the Cavan 40x20 Winter Handball League took place at Kingscourt HC last Saturday.

Pride of place went to Carrickmacross clubman Oran Kiernan, who took top honours in Division 1. Multyfarnham’s Alan O’Mara took gold in Division 2, with Kingscourt’s Conrad Martin won Division 3; the Division 4 final stages are down for decision this week, with Ryan Andrews through to the final and due to play Ryan Carey or Niall O’Reilly.

In the top flight, Kiernan – a teacher in Muff NS and a member of the Monaghan senior hurling panel who won the B Singles at the World Championships last November – defeated Tyrone’s Conor Duff in straight games (15-5, 15-12) in the semi-final.

In the final, Kiernan met Kingscourt’s Cormac McMahon, who had come through Corduff’s Ciaran Brennan in a tiebreaker in the semi-final earlier in the day.

McMahon came out shooting in the first game and stunned Kiernan with a 15-3 win but the Monaghan man came roaring back to take the second 15-7 and, with the duo tied at 6-all in the tiebreaker, Kiernan (25) pulled away to win 11-7.

In Division 2, O’Mara defeated Kingscourt’s Jack O’Reilly in the semi-final, with teenager Charlie McCormack edging past Corduff left-hander Barry Finn in a very tight 11-10 tiebreaker in the other semi.

In the final, there wasn’t much between them but the steady O’Mara was able to up his game at the key moments, coming from behind to win both games (15-12, 15-12).

In Division 3, Kingscourt Stars footballer Conrad Martin defeated clubmate Neville Carolan in the semi-final, with former Stars midfielder Gavin Sheenan getting the better of Conor McMahon.

In the final, Martin’s power and ability to finish rallies consistently proved crucial, despite Sheenan’s impressive retrieving, as Conrad took the title in straight games.

The semis and finals attracted a good crowd to Kingscourt.

The league, now in its third year and attracting close to 60 players over a three-month duration, was again organised by Eddie Halligan and Michael Smith.

Meanwhile, the fixtures for the Ulster 40x20 Doubles Championships were released last week, with the Singles to follow.

Cavan are represented by Dominic Sheridan and Peter McCabe (Diamond Masters A Doubles), defending champions Cormac McMahon and Conor Owens (Junior A Doubles), Jack O’Reilly and Niall McMahon (Junior B Doubles), Paul Brady and James Brady (Masters A Doubles) and Eddie Halligan and Paul Fitzpatrick (Masters A Doubles).