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Donohue captains win at Paddy Grogan Memorial

Now in it’s 6th edition, the biennial Paddy Grogan Memorial continues to grow in stature as a premier juvenile event in Irish Handball. This weekend saw the top 24 juvenile Handballers in Ireland descend on Carrickmore Handball Club this week for an exhilarating weekend of top quality Handball.

From Kerry & Cork, from Wexford & Kilkenny, invited players had no hesitation on making the long trek north due to the prestige this event carries. Included were all they key All-Ireland winners of 2018 and two members of the official Team Ireland squad for the 2018 World Handball Championships, which takes place this August in Minnesota.

But the Paddy Grogan Memorial throws up new challenges that can really test the best of players due to its unique timed game format, played on a team basis. This lead to numerous shocks and close encounters much to the enjoyment of spectators.

Saturday saw the group games take place in Carrickmore & Breacadh as several underdogs rose to the occasion, dragging their teams through to Sunday’s SF’s, where Team Cork & Galway saw off Team Kerry & Clare respectively.

Next up was the U12 Final as Carrickmore’s Shea Munroe & Pomeroy’s Marty Coyle put on a great display that belied their years, and were not fazed in the slightest by the packed gallery. In the end, Munroe prevailed 15-5, 15-13.

As a special treat for the travelling young players, a special exhibition between two of the games elite wowed everyone as 5 time World Champion Paul Brady (Cavan) and current Irish #1 Charly Shanks (Armagh) showed extraordinary skill and speed levels.

But for once, the seniors were not the stars of the show as the young players took to the courts for the main Team Final. In a repeat match up of this year’s U14 Girls All-Ireland Final, Kilkenny’s Amy Brennan edged Tyrone’s Clodagh Munroe 18-15. A 24-18 win for fellow Kilkenny man Harry Delany over Cork’s Hayden Supple saw Team Cork lead 9 points at the half way stage. But then the tide turned as Billy Drennan produced a mesmerising performance to shock Monaghan’s Eoghan McGinnity 25-12 to put his team in a great position.

The final push was left to the captains, and it was Inis Mor man Peter Donohue who sealed victory for Team Galway with a dominant 24-8 win over Cork’s Conor Walsh.

Next up for most of these young players is the World Championships in a fortnight’s time.