Handball- Success for Kilkenny players on the National Stage

The 40x20 Irish Juvenile Nationals were held in Kilkenny, Carlow, and Laois venues last weekend with huge number of participants in all grades from around the country.

Action got under way at 9am Saturday morning and ran all the way through to Sunday afternoon.

Kilkenny players enjoyed some great successes.

In the girls’ under-19 Singles Amy Brennan (Clogh) defeated Leah Minogue (Clare).

After a slow start losing the first game 15-3 Amy fought back brilliantly to win the second game 15-7 and the tie breaker 11-3.
In the boys’ under-15 Singles Anthony Clifford (Talbots Inch) had to fight back from trailing 13-8 in the first game to beat Gavin Kelly (Galway) 15-13, 15-8 to take home the title.

In the boys’ under-19 Kyle Jordan (Kilfane) continued his fine form to beat his old rival Cormac Finn (Sligo) 15-7, 15-7.

In the girls’ under-17B Final Aoibhe Ryan (Kilfane) had a great win and came through yet another tie breaker defeating Leah Ryan (Carlow) 14-15, 15-10, 11-8.

In the boys’ under-17 Plate final John Hayes (Kells) defeated Tomas O’Connor (Cork), in the girls’ under-17 Plate Final Emer Barron (Windgap) won and in the girls’ under-19 Plate Final Áine Duggan (Galmoy) won.

Kilkenny players reached the following finals but unfortunately lost out.

In the boys under-13 final Oisín O’Neachtain (Galway) defeated Jake O’Neill (Kells) 15-6, 15-11. Girls’ under-17 final: Jodie Keeling (Wexford) defeated Una Duggan (Galmoy) 15-10, 15-5. Girls’ under-13 final: Amy Brosnan (Cork) defeated Niamh Drennan (Kilkenny) 15-2, 15-2. Boys’ under-15B final: Ryan Linehan (Cork) defeated Rian Dowling (Talbots Inch) 15-14, 15-1.

Boys’ under-17B final: Jamie Barnes (Wexford) defeated Ronan O’Brien (Windgap) 15-1, 15-12. Girls’ under-13 Plate final: Aoibhin Fallon (Antrim) defeated Caoilinn Dowling (Clogh) 15-3. Girls’ under-15 Plate final: Orla Brophy (Laois) defeated Jennifer Saunders (Windgap) 15-6.

The Cumann na mBunscol Leinster Finals took place in Tinryland on Friday afternoon.

There were victories for Leon/Johnny Delaney (St Patrick’s De La Salle) in the boys’ under-11 doubles. The under-13 doubles was won by Abbie Flanagan and Ciara Maguire (Clogh NS) while Cathal Barron/Tadgh Kennedy (Windgap NS) won the under-13 doubles.

All three now go onto the National Cumann na mBunscol day in the coming weeks.