The O’Neill’s Ladies Senior Singles has been dominated by two players for the last four years. Catriona Casey was the champion in 2016, 2017 and 2019; Martina McMahon claimed the title in 2018.
The Munster superstars have also met in the last three finals (Antrim’s Aisling Reilly, in 2016, was the last finalist outside of that leading duo) and the smart money says there will be another Cork v Limerick showdown this year.
McMahon heads the field this year with Casey seeded second, Reilly third and Roscommon’s Fiona Tully next. None of that talented quartet will be in action this weekend, however, as the early rounds get underway.
First up tomorrow [Sat] is the meeting of Kilkenny big alley specialist Ciara Mahon and Armagh’s Megan McCann. The skilful Lurgan lady, a former Intermediate Singles winner, has come up through the ranks and looks poised to make a big splash at the top level but she faces a very stern test against Mahon, a formidable competitor who has a lot of experience to draw on.
They meet as part of a double-header with Sean Kerr v Gavin Buggy in Ballymore Eustace tomorrow. The following day in Crinkle, Cork’s Aishling O’Keeffe – a five-time Senior Doubles medallist with Casey – takes on 2014 Intermediate Singles champion Aoife McCarthy of Westmeath on the undercard to the clash of Aoife’s brother Robbie and Mayo’s Vinnie Moran.
A close match is expected here, too, with the winner earning the dubious prize of a quarter-final against Casey the following week.
Action resumes in mid-week then with an interesting match between two more of the rising stars in Munster, Clare’s Doireann Murphy and Sinead Meagher of Tipperary, who meet in Tuamgraney on Wednesday night.
Also lining out on Wednesday in St Brigid’s, Dublin are Clare’s Clodagh Nash – sister of senior ace Diarmaid and a very good player in her own right – and Kildare teenager Mollie Dagg, last year’s Intermediate winner who has been ear-marked as a potential bolter in this year’s senior grade.
Close games are anticipated across all of the early round matches. And when the shadow boxing is over, the heavyweights will enter the arena next Saturday. And that’s when one of the deepest fields ever assembled for the ladies Senior Singles will really get interesting.
For now, the question is, who will break into female handball’s own Super 8s? The next few days will tell us more.
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Saturday 22nd February
Ballymore Eustace, Kildare OIC Gavin Grace (087 4153720) At 2pm
- Men’s Q2: Tyrone (Sean Kerr) v Wexford (Gavin Buggy)
- Ladies Q1: Kilkenny (Ciara Mahon) v Armagh (Megan McCann)
Sunday 23rd February
Crinkle, Offaly OIC Kevin Cooke (087 6423846) At 12noon
- Ladies Q4: Cork (Aishling O’Keeffe) v Westmeath (Aoife McCarthy)
- Men’s Q8: Westmeath (Robbie McCarthy) v Mayo (Vinnie Moran)
Wednesday 26th February
St. Brigids, Dublin OIC Eugene Kennedy (086 3536237) At 8pm
- Ladies Q2: Kildare (Mollie Dagg) v Clare (Clodagh Nash)
Tuamgraney, Clare OIC Jim Nash (087 2313824) At 8pm
- Ladies Q3: Clare (Doireann Murphy) v Tipperary (Sinead Meagher)