The 2017 June Bank Holiday weekend will play host to the Singles Finals of the GAA Handball Hardball Championships. At 1:00pm Sunday 4th the battles will commence in Lahorna, Co. Tipperary. The Senior decider will see Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy seek his 9th Senior Singles Hardball title against the reigning champion, Limerick’s CJ Fitzpatrick, who will be gunning for his 2nd accolade.
Firstly though, we move to the Junior Final of Kerry’s Jack O’Shea against Carlow’s Martin Mullins. The Kerry man will be brimming with confidence after he overcame last year’s finalist Meath’s Peter O’Reilly in a three-game thriller in the semi-final on a score line of 21-18, 17-21 & 21-13. On the other side of the draw, Mullins will be no push over as he proved his worth after a three-game marathon semi-final of his own, emerging victorious against Mayo’s Ian McLoughlin. As the semi-final results suggest, this game will be a close one and is too tight to call.
Next to the Minor Singles Finals where last year’s finalist, Mayo’s Patrick Murphy, will play Cork’s David Walsh. Murphy received a walk over in the semi-finals due to an injury sustained by Cavan’s Cillian O’Reilly. Meanwhile, Walsh knocked out one half of the 2017 Minor Doubles Hardball Champion pairing, Kilkenny’s Eoin Brennan, in spectacular fashion in his semi-final with a score line of 21-17, 21-19. Murphy will be seeking a win this weekend after losing out in the Minor Doubles Hardball Final last weekend, and after losing out in the Minor Singles Hardball final last year. However, he will be hard pushed to force a win against Walsh if he continues the form that he displayed in this year’s semi-final. One might give the advantage to the Mayo man due to his experience of playing hardball on the main stage.
This leads us to the main event of the weekend; The Blue Ribband Senior Singles All – Ireland Hardball Championship Final between Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy and Limerick’s CJ Fitzpatrick. In the semi-finals, the Dublin man advanced after he defeated Kerry’s Dominic Lynch on a convincing score line of 21-12, 21,2.
Not to be out done, after a shaky start in the first game, Fitzpatrick defeated Kennedy’s Doubles partner Carl Browne in his own semi-final with scores of 21-20, 21-4.
After what was a gripping final last year, Fitzpatrick can no longer be called the ‘underdog’, he proved what he’s made of and that he has nerves of steel after coming back from losing the first game to win the 2016 All – Ireland on a score line of 17-21, 21-17 & 21-16. However, having lost out to Meath in the Senior Doubles Hardball All-Ireland decider last weekend, Kennedy will be vying for a big win this weekend. Can Fitzpatrick hold on to his crown, or will Kennedy’s experience weigh in and allow him to add another win to his already decorated career? To witness this historic event, make sure you’re in Lahorna Handball Club, Co Tipperary this weekend by 1:00pm.
Sunday 4th June:
Lahorna, Tipperary OIC John O’Neill (087 6308440) At 1pm
JS Final. Kerry (Jack O’Shea) v Carlow (Martin Mullins)
MS Final. Mayo (Patrick Murphy) v Cork (David Walsh)
SS Final. Limerick (CJ Fitzpatrick) v Dublin (Eoin Kennedy)