By Paul Fitzpatrick at Croke Park
The stage is set for the Senior Softball Singles finals after a busy day of action at Croke Park.
First up was the meeting of Connacht players Cuileann Bourke (Mayo) and Laura Finn (Sligo), with Bourke turning in an excellent performance to win 21-4, 21-9.
“It hasn’t hit me yet,” said the 21-year-old Belcarra woman, who will meet Catriona Casey in the final.
“This week, a lot of hard work will be put in. It’s tough only having a week to prepare because obviously Catriona is so experienced but I can’t wait. I’m really excited now.
“It’s a long time since a Mayo person has been in a senior final so it will be great for the county. Me and Ollie Cassidy, my coach, had a good game plan going in and luckily everything went to plan.”
Casey, meanwhile, came through in a pair of 21-12 games against Westmeath’s Aoife McCarthy. Casey’s court savvy and shot-making was very impressive; McCarthy, who won the Irish Nationals, was superb off the back wall but Casey was always in control as she advanced to yet another final.
It was a second tough match in succession for the Ballydesmond star, who saw off former finalist Ciara Mahon (Kilkenny) in the quarter-final.
“I didn’t play the big alley Nationals last year or this year, last year I had a wedding and this year I was going to Minneapolis and there were so many ranking points lost there when you don’t participate at all. I’m way down the rankings so I was expecting a tough draw.
"Ciara last weekend was really tough, she always fights for every ball in every rally so it was a tough slog. Aoife was coming in as the number one seed and had momentum after winning the Nationals as well so, again, a really tough slog and I’m delighted to be in the final.”
In the first of the Men’s semi-finals, defending champion Robbie McCarthy turned in a masterclass against Senior Doubles champ Gavin Buggy of Wexford.
Mullingar’s McCarthy was simply brilliant as he held the centre of the court and forced Buggy back with powerful pass shots, mixing it up with his trademark soft kills in the front en route to a 21-4, 21-1 win.
“I feel like I’m going alright, I don’t think I’m at my best, especially fitness-wise. I’m playing okay, I still should be able to push on to another gear hopefully, I’ll just try and pick it up before the final,” McCarthy commented.
This was McCarthy’s first semi-final success in the new show court, which played very well.
“The court seems to be very warm every time I have played in there, it’s very, very warm. You really have to be at the top of your fitness to stick that.”
Asked how he stays motivated and doesn’t lose his spark, McCarthy said: “I did (lose motivation) there a couple of years ago, I had a bit of a lull and tried to find something to push me on. With the kids now, I just try to stay fit and just tip along. I don’t say at the start of the year that I want to win this or want to win that, I’m 36 this year so it’s about competing.
“Martin has six years on me, Diarmaid (Nash) has a couple of years on me, so competing at this stage is probably the main focus.”
The second Men’s semi-final saw Martin Mulkerrins advance to his second Senior Softball Singles final with a 21-9, 21-10 win over Meath’s Brian Carroll in a high-quality match.
Having only recently returned from the United States, where he is based and where he won the US Nationals and World Invitational in the 40x20 court, Mulkerrins jumped straight back into the ‘big alley’ and has picked up two excellent wins over Gary McConnell and now Carroll.
Displaying outstanding conditioning, the Moycullen man held off the Kells speedster, whose all-out attacking approach meant he was dangerous in every rally.
“I’m delighted to be back in the big court. The entries came out at the end of April, early May and Diarmuid (his brother) got on to me about it and to be honest I didn’t really look at the calendar, I just entered it.
“I think I missed a year when I was in Texas in 2013 and when I was in New Zealand in 2016 but any year I am at home, I have always supported and played the big alley every year. I think it’s a great game and it needs support.”
I suppose it would be unique, I know it’s a cliché but I honestly am taking it a year at a time, I didn’t look past Gary and I didn’t look past Brian. Robbie has won nine Senior Singles, he’s an incredible player in here (in 60x30), he’s the guy to beat and looked very comfortable there earlier as well.
“As fit as I am, he knows how to use this court as well as anybody. I think my shots will have to tighten up over the next few days but look, I love being in finals. That’s why I entered it, I said I wanted to support it but anything I enter, I’m there to try and win it as well.”
Photos by Eilish Owens