This weekend see’s the Doubles Finals in the GAA HARDBALL All Ireland Championships takes place in Thurles, Tipperary and Mullingar, Westmeath on Saturday 28th May. In the Senior decider in Thurles, Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy and Carl Browne will be going for a clean sweep of Open Doubles titles after last October’s 60x30 success and their recent 40x20 Doubles win in Kilkenny. They are up against Limerick’s CJ Fitzpatrick and Pat Murphy who will hope to go one better than in 2014 when they just came up short in the final.
First up on Saturday is the Junior Doubles final in Mullingar which is between Tyrone and Cork. The Tyrone pair of Barry Devlin and Gabhainn overcame Kilkenny’s Diarmuid Burke and Anthony Martin 21-15, 21-9 in the semi-final. While Cork’s Michael Hedigan and Donnacha O’Dea had a three game battle after they lost the first game 9-21 before they accounted for Jerome Willoughby and Chris Doyle, Wicklow on a scoreline of 9-21, 21-17, 21-8.
The action in the evening switch to Thurles at 3pm with the Intermediate Doubles final on first. Cork’s Daniel Relihan and John Hedigan, last year’s Junior Doubles winners will fancy their chances after a good semi-final victory against Wicklow’s Keith Kavanagh and Pat Quaile 21-13, 21-13. They are up against Tipperary’s experience duo of Ger Coonan and David Moloney after they accounted for Kilkenny’s William and Daniel Love 21-18, 21-10. The experienced Tipperary pair must start as favourites but expect a big fight from Relihan and Hedigan.
This is followed by the Minor Final were Mayo plays Kilkenny. The Mayo pair of Patrick Murphy and Martin Mulhern had a tight three game victory over Cork’s David and Conor Walsh in the semi-final on a scoreline of 21-17, 13-21, 21-16. While Kilkenny’s Shane Dunne and Eoin Brennan registered a conformable win over Cork’s Gearoid O’Connell and Eoghan Sheehan 21-5, 21-8. This is a hard one to call but with Murphy tasting success in this competition last year and a tight semi-final match under their belt it might prove invaluable.
Meanwhile the action finishes with the blue ribbon Senior final with Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy and Carl Browne up against Limerick’s CJ Fitzpatrick and Pat Murphy. Dublin had to get over a tricky semi-final against Kerry’s Dominic Lynch and John Joe Quirke which they did, but not after being taken to a third. Dublin won the first 21-18 but Kerry took the second 21-14 but in the end Dublin won out 21-12. Limerick on the other hand won their semi-final over two tight games by defeating the much fancied Kilkenny’s Ciaran Neary and Michael “Ducksy” Walsh 21-17, 21-15.
Both pairings have tasted success before in this competition with CJ being on the winning team back in 2012 when Seamus O’Carroll was his partner, while Eoin has won this title on no fewer than FIVE occasions with Egin Jensen his partner – his last win was in 2011. The experience Dublin pair has the added incentive of them possible holding all three Doubles titles on Saturday evening which must make them favourite, but time will tell. So if you are a Hardball enthusiast why not drop into Thurles this Saturday evening to see the best Ireland can offer, kick off is 3pm.
GAA Handball All Ireland Hardball Doubles FinalsSaturday 28th May 2016
At Mullingar, Westmeath At 1pm
- JD 8. Tyrone (Barry Devlin/Gabhainn McCrystal) v Cork (Michael Hedigan/Donnacha O’Dea)
At Thurles, Tipperary At 3pm
- ID 4. Cork (Daniel Relihan/John Hedigan) v Tipperary (Ger Coonan/David Moloney)
- MD 3. Mayo (Patrick Murphy/Martin Mulhern) v Kilkenny (Shane Dunne/Eoin Brennan)
- SD 4. Dublin (Eoin Kennedy/Carl Browne) v Limerick (CJ Fitzpatrick/Pat Murphy)
