Doubles set to take centre stage
Following the excitement of the O’Neills All Ireland Singles Finals Festival weekend attention now turns to the Doubles as this weekend sees a number of Last 16 matches take place around the country.
While the big news will be the withdrawal of the number 3 seeds and 2015 champions Meath’s Brian Carroll and Tom Sheridan there is plenty of talent remaining in what is one of the strongest doubles fields in a number of years.
The reigning champions Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy and Carl Browne taste their first action of the championship as they take on Cork’s Tadhg Carroll and Ryan Harkin in Cullohill on Saturday. It’s a tricky assignment first off for the Dublin duo as both Carroll and Harkin are fine Handballers with Carroll collecting the Intermediate Singles title last weekend so his confidence will be high. They won’t fear their opponents from the capital but you would expect the Boys in Blue to advance to a last 8 appearance.
Should they advance they will face either Antrim’s Owen McKenna/Sean Devine or Kilkenny’s Patrick Funchion/Peter Funchion who face off in Kells, Meath on Sunday. This is an intriguing tie with the experienced Antrim duo taking on the exciting Kilkenny pairing. Both will have expectations of winning this tie and it could take a third to separate these pairings.
In Dungarvan on Saturday the Cork duo of Tony Healy and Brendan Fleming take on Kilkenny’s Ciaran Neary and Brendan Burke. While Neary and Burke will be no pushover you would expect the more experienced duo of Healy/Fleming to proceed when taking into account Fleming’s form in reaching the last four of the Senior Singles and Healy’s overall experience.
Multyfarnham’s new facility play’s host to a cracker on paper as Wicklow’s Michael Gregan and Johnny Willoughby take on the Mulkerrins brothers Martin and Diarmuid in what could prove to be the game of the weekend. Martin has been in fine form of late and just a few weeks ago came within one ace of making the Senior Singles final. His brother Diarmuid is a fine handballer in his own right and this will be a very exciting pairing to watch. However the Wicklow duo are one of the most experienced Doubles pairings in the game and will be quietly confident that they will have enough in the tank to progress. Gregan’s form since his return from injury continues to improve and himself and Willoughby are capable of casuing trouble for any pairing on their day.
Broadford in Limerick is the venue where Clare’s Diarmuid Nash and Colin Crehan take on Kerry’s Jack O’Shea and John Joe Quirke who has replaced Dominic Lynch due to injury. This is a strong Clare pairing with both players in form and strong senior players on their day and they will start as favourites to advance to the Quarter Finals to meet Mayo’s Joe McCann and Vinnie Moran, last year’s semi-finalists who received a bye from Tipperary (Ger Coonan/Fergal Collins).
Elsewhere number two seeds Cavan’s Paul Brady and Michael Finnegan are already through following a win over Wexford’s Gavin Buggy and Daniel Kavanagh earlier in the week.
One to watch:Wicklow (Michael Gregan/Johnny Willoughby) v Galway (Martin Mulkerrins/Diarmuid Mulkerrins)
Too close to call:Antrim (Owen McKenna/Sean Devine) v Kilkenny (Patrick Funchion/Peter Funchion)
2017 O’Neills All Ireland Senior Doubles Championships
Saturday 25th March
Crinkle, Offaly **OFF** OIC Conor O’Brien 086 0758646
MSD Q11: Mayo (Joe McCann/Vinnie Moran) W/O Tipperary (Ger Coonan/Fergal Collins) scr.
MSD Q12: Cork (Daniel Relihan/Michael Hedigan) W/O Meath (Brian Carroll/Tom Sheridan) scr.
Dungarvan, Waterford @ 2pm OIC David Mc Andrew 087 9650987
MSD Q13: Kilkenny (Ciaran Neary/Brendan Burke) v Cork (Brendan Fleming/Tony Healy)
Multyfarnham, Westmeath @ 2pm OIC David Mulaniff 087 9006240
MSD Q14: Wicklow (Michael Gregan/Johnny Willoughby) v Galway (Martin Mulkerrins/Diarmuid Mulkerrins)
Cullohill, Laois @ 5pm OIC Eamon Doheny 087 6763200
MSD Q8: Dublin (Eoin Kennedy/Carl Browne) v Cork (Tadgh Carroll/Ryan Harkin)
Broadford, Limerick @ 6pm OIC Hannah McCarthy 086 3768995
MSD Q10: Clare (Diarmuid Nash/Colin Crehan) v Kerry (Jack O’Shea/John Joe Quirke (sub))
Sunday 26th March
Kells, Meath @ 1pm OIC Robert Fox 083 4408192
MSD Q9: Antrim (Owen McKenna/Sean Devine) v Kilkenny (Patrick Funchion/Peter Funchion)