St Brigid’s Handball Club held their annual doubles tournament on Sunday last in St Brigid’s H.C., Curraghboy, Co. Roscommon. This tournament provides players with an opportunity to gain some extra competitive games before the Championship season kicks off. The games began at 10:30am on Sunday morning, in Curraghboy with teams from Roscommon, Galway, Mayo, Offaly, Laois, and Clare. The winners in both divisions had to play 4 matches to take home the honours. The Plate games were played in St Coman's in Roscommon town with both finals taking place in Curraghboy before a packed audience.
Ian Mcloughlin (Newport H.C.) and Seamus Connelly (Moycullen H.C.) teamed up to win this year’s Doubles tournament and in doing so took home the Pake Doyle Cup. They defeated the local, and host club pair of Philip O Connor and Paul Kelly. The Mayo/Galway pair were slow to get into their stride in this game and Kelly’s tactic of going for the flat roll at every opportunity gave the Roscommon lads a slender lead. The Mayo/Galway pair then settled in to the game and after some fantastic rallies. O’ Loughlin picked some seemingly impossible balls which swung the momentum back in their favour. Despite a late rally from the Roscommon lads, the title went to the Mayo/Galway pair with Mcloughlin’s spin serves and Connelly’s soft kills off the back wall finishing the game off.
Oisin Naughton and Darren Beatty of St Comans HC took the honours in the Plate competition defeating Galway pair of Diarmuid Mulkerrins and Pat Conway.
Frank Kenny the President of St Brigids H.C. presented the trophies while Seamus McHugh Club Secretary, and tournament organiser thanked all the players for travelling to play in the tournament and for the high standard of play on show.
Great credit must go to Seamus and his wife Teresa who only returned from their son’s wedding in Australia on Friday last and once again ran an excellent tournament with a high standard of trophies and an endless supply of refreshments for the players and supporters provided throughout the day.
Pictured above are: Philip O Connor, Ian O Loughlin, Frank Kenny, Seamus Connelly & Paul Kelly.