After the sensational climax to last weekends Senior Singles Championship, this weekend the attention turns to Doubles, where by Sunday night we will know the 4 Mens & Ladies Finalist pairings for the April 11th All-Ireland Senior Doubles Finals.
Saturday is QF day, with reigning champs Paul Brady & Michael Finnegan facing Mayo duo Vinny Moran & Campbell Brennan in the days opener in Collooney. The Cavan men, going for 6 in a row, and 11 in all, will potentially meet the winners of a Clare v Dublin battle in Cullohill. That game involves Irish #2 Diarmaid Nash and partner Niall Malone, against current big alley champ Eoin Kennedy and partner Carl Browne.
That game is the first of a double bill in Cullohill, with Meath's Brian Carroll & Tom Sheridan facing Tipperary's Ger Coonan & David Moloney. The Meath men will have a huge say in where this years title goes, and have a wealth of big game experience under their belts. They have reached 3 of the last 4 finals, losing only in tiebreaks in the 2014 (21-19) and 2012 (21-20) finals to Brady & Finnegan. The last QF sees 2009 champs Dessie Keegan & Joe McCann take on Kilkenny duo Peter Funchion & Eddie Bourke in Ballinahinch.
Thats leads us to Sunday's action with a mouthwatering double bill of SF action on the cards, kicking off in St Comans, Roscommon at 2pm.
In the Ladies Championship, 5 pairings are still in the hunt. One remaining QF encounter is down for decision tonight, Thursday, where reigning champions Catriona Casey & Ashling O'Keefe face Mayo sisters Clodagh & Ciara McManamon. A win for either side sets up a Sunday SF against Mayo's Leona Ryder & Amy Corrigan who had a good 21-20, 21-16 QF win over Wicklow's Patricia Doyle & Shauna Hilley.
In the bottom SF, 3 time winners Maria Daly & Ashley Prendiville face a potential banana skin in the form of Limerick's young duo Martina McMahon & Katie McCarthy.
All-Ireland Men's Senior Doubles Championship Fixtures
Quarter Finals – Saturday 28th March
- QF1: Cavan (Paul Brady/Michael Finnegan) v Mayo (Vinnie Moran/C Brennan) in Collooney, 1pm
- QF2: Clare (Diarmaid Nash/Niall Malone) v Dublin (Eoin Kennedy/Carl Browne) in Cullohill, 1pm
- QF3: Mayo (Dessie Keegan/Joe McCann) v Kilkenny (Peter Funchion/Eddie Bourke) in Ballinahinch, 1pm
- QF4: Meath (Brian Carroll/Tom Sheridan) v Tipperary (Ger Coonan/David Maloney) in Cullohill, 2pm
Semi Final – Sunday 29th March in St. Coman’s, 2pm
- SF1: QF1 v QF2
- SF2: QF3 v QF4
All-Ireland Ladies Senior Doubles Championship Fixtures
Quarter-Final - Thursday 26th March in Broadford, 7.30pm
- QF1: Cork (Catriona Casey/Aisling O’Keefe) v Mayo (Clodagh & Ciara McManamon)
Semi Final – Sunday 29th March in Nenagh, 2pm
- SF1: QF1 v Mayo (Leona Ryder/Amy Corrigan)
- SF2: Limerick (Martina McMahon/Katie McCarthy) v Kerry (Maria Daly/Ashley Prendiville)