The legendary Paddy Walsh
Walsh’s wizardry to
win handball title
Sligo’s greatest
ever handball player Paddy Walsh is back in an All-Ireland final and it may
prove to be his sweetest yet, writes Michael McGee
Legendary Sligo handball player Paddy Walsh contests the Over
70’s singles final in Tuamgraney on Saturday.
His opponent is Cork’s Pat O’Brien. Walsh won’t have happy memories of
his last visit to Tuamgraney to play O’Brien. It was the Cork man who defeated
Walsh in the 40 x 20 singles final last April by 21-11, 21-11. Amazingly Walsh
reached the 60 x 30 final without having to play a competitive game in the
Championships.
Veteran Walsh
won his first All-Ireland title back in 1974 and thirty nine years later he is
aiming for his twenty ninth title in an amazing career. The St. Mary’s star is reportedly going well
in practice games and is training in the Drumkeeran handball alley this week
ahead of his trip to Clare. Walsh’s last All-Ireland win was 3 years ago when winning
the Ruby Masters doubles with Mick Kelly. Walsh has also won 7 Senior County
GAA titles with Collooney/Ballisodare in the 1970’s and 1 title with St. Mary’s. The septuagenarian is a hungry as ever to win
another coveted All-Ireland title. The maestro with the heart of a lion his vast experience should be enough to earn
him another historic handball title. It’s
a long way from Clare to Sligo but the return journey for Walsh may turn out to
be the shortest and the sweetest ever for Sligo’s herculean handball hero
Martin Donnelly
sponsored All-Ireland 60 x 30 championships finals
Saturday
14th September in Tuamgraney,
Clare at 4pm
Over 70 Singles: Sligo (Paddy Walsh) v Cork (Pat
O’Brien)
Earlis, Harte & Fox’s cuteness to tame
the cats
Sligo Juvenile players make the long journey
to Kilfane in Co. Kilkenny for the All-Ireland Juvenile 60 x 30 championships
semi-finals. Jason Earlis Boys U-17 singles & Stanley Harte & Patrick
Fox are all up against Kilkenny opponents. Earlis from the Castleconnor club
has made huge strides in handball in the last twelve months. In July the Sligo
teenager helped the Castleconnor club to an historic first provincial Interclub
handball title at Junior B level and followed this up two weeks ago when
winning the Boys U-17 singles Connacht title. Earlis defeated Mayo’s
Patrick Cummins in straight games in an impressive display. His opponent on
Sunday J.J. English defeated Wexford’s Bryan Kehoe in the Leinster final. If
Earlis can maintain his great form this year and keep mistakes down to the
minimum he has every chance of advancing to the final.
For Patrick Fox & Stanley Harte both from
the Collooney club have also arrived at the semi-final stage following an
inspiring Connacht campaign at U-17 doubles. Fox & Harte accounted for Mayo’s
Nathan Massey & Alan Kenny in the provincial final. The duo have the
ability of progressing further but will have to be more clinical when
opportunities arise. In the Connacht final they allowed their Mayo opponents
back into it especially in the first game but managed to regain their composure
to take the opening game. In the second Fox & Harte produced moments of
magic before seeing out the game in fine style. In Kilkenny’s Darragh O’Shea
& Mark Dowling there won’t be any second chances and Fox & Harte will have to keep their
composure and perform to the standards the duo are well capable off. Sligo
Juvenile players have been starved of success at Juvenile level for the past
number of years but Jason Earlis, Patrick Fox & Stanley Harte are all talented handballers and have the skill and determination to reach the finals.
Sunday 15th September in Kilfane Co.Kilkenny at 11 a.m.
Boys U-17 singles: Jason Earlis (Sligo) v J. J. English (Kilkenny)
Boys U-17 Doubles: Stanley Harte & Patrick Fox (Sligo) v Darragh O’Shea & Mark Dowling (Kilkenny)
Jason Earlis Boys U-17 Singles
Patrick Fox & Stanley Harte Boys U-17 doubles
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