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Minor Matters - Minor Finals Preview

Minor Doubles Finals 2017:

  • Girls MD: Wexford (Cora Doyle/Emma Sweeney) v Clare (Bridin Dinan/Ella Donnellan) 10am
  • Boys MD: Wexford (Adam Walsh/Anthony Butler) v Cork (Tadgh O Neill/David Walsh) 4pm

For Wexford they go in search of a first Ladies Minor Doubles title for the county while for Clare they will look to replicate the success of 2015 when Doireann Murphy and Clodagh Nash took the title home for the Banner county. Both sides had impressive semi final wins over Galway and Armagh respectively that will stand them in good stead. 

Wexford’s Cora Doyle appeared in her first Minor final a few weeks ago when she lost out to Armagh’s Megan McCann in the Ladies Minor Singles final but she showed on that occasion that she won’t be found wanting and will use that experience come Saturday. In Emma Sweeney she has an able partner who is one of the up and coming stars of Ladies Handball and together they will be quietly confident of victory.

The Clare duo have plenty of experience despite still being young and in Bridin Dinan and Ella Donnellan they possess two of the bright lights of Juvenile Handball over the past number of years. Together they form a potent partnership and will be determined to continue the rich vein of success that Clare Handball has had in recent times at underage level.

It promises to be a ding dong affair so get your seats early!

The Boys Minor Finals sees reigning champions Cork (Tadgh O Neill/David Walsh) take on Wexford’s Adam Walsh & Anthony Butler in the curtain raiser to the Men’s Open Final. Just 12 months ago O’Neill and Walsh tasted success when they captured the Minor Doubles title defeating Tyrone in O’ Loughlins Kilkenny and they will hope to repeat that success on Saturday.

Standing in their way are Wexford duo Adam Walsh & Anthony Butler. Butler is no stranger to All Ireland Minor Finals having won the 60x30 Minor Doubles title with partner Daniel Kavanagh last year and so that experience will stand to him on the court on Saturday. His partner this time round is St Joseph’s Adam Walsh a fine player in his own right and they had a convincing win in their semifinal over Galway’s Cian O Conghaile and Oisin O Cualain prevailing in a third game. They will be hoping to do it in two this time round.

The Cork duo by virtue of their All Ireland win in 2016 will rightly start as favourites but will need to be on top of their game to reclaim their title. O’Neill is the current Minor Singles champion and Walsh is a steady able partner who misses very little. 

Together they are a potent partnership and following a routine semifinal win over Tyrone’s Cormac Munroe and Ciaran Cuddy they will look to continue that fine form into Saturday’s final and take home back to back titles.

Whatever way it goes on Saturday Cork will be looking to win their sixth Minor Doubles title whereas Wexford are bidding for their counties third. Let the battle commence! 

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