Handball
Curraghboy doubles!
Newport pair Ian McLoughlin and Ciaran Burke were triumphant in the Curraghboy New Year’s Doubles tournament which was held recently.
The youthful duo overcame Lisacul’s Denis Creaton and Sean Jennings in one of the tournament’s best ever finals.
The experienced Roscommon pair were beaten in a thrilling final on a score of 31-27, having beaten Ollie Cassidy and Trevor Hannon 31-16 in the semi-finals.
The eventual winners, McLoughlin and Burke had overcome Galway pair, Seamus Conneely and Diarmuid Mulkerrins 31-14 at the same juncture.
The Plate competition was won by former Roscommon player Neil McDermott and Mullingar man Darren Carter after their opponents, Clare men Fergal Coughlan and Tom Kirby were forced to pull out midway through the final due to injury. McDermott and Carter were leading 18-10 at the time.
Meanwhile, Armagh supremo Charly Shanks won the 9th annual John Gaffney Memorial Handball Tournament which took place last weekend in Ballaghaderreen and St. Coman’s Handball Clubs.
The current All-Ireland champion narrowly overcame the former three-time Gaffney Memorial champion, legendary Westmeath man, Robbie McCarthy in a thrilling final to claim the crown in front of a full house and the hundreds watching on Facebook Live.
McCarthy dominated the first game, taking it 15-9. However, Shanks came back in the second game, taking it 15-10, and sending the match into a tie-breaker. In an epic tussle that could have gone either way, Shanks came out on top on a final score line of 11-8 to cement his position as Ireland’s number 1 player.
Golf
Quiet courses
Roscommon’s golf courses have been kept quiet due to recent poor weather but this Sunday the Midland Intermediate Alliance will host their first outing of the year in Mullingar Golf Club with tee times from 10 am to 12 pm. Call Paddy Coyne on 085-2485177 or Ciaran Malone on 086-8053203 for further details.
In Athlone, Des McLaughlin won the Open just before Christmas wit 26 points while Gerry Rowlands claimed the Turkey Competition.
Colm Cummins, meanwhile, landed the Christmas/New Year Open with 35 points and Liam Browne took the Weekend 15-hole stableford.
Darts
Harries happy!
I have to admit I called into Hannon’s Hotel last Sunday to check out (sorry) the Christmas Singles competition and was impressed with the standard on offer. It certainly went some way to satisfying a darts addiction I seem to have acquired over Christmas!
Wayne Harries took the title following a close fought final against Mick Egan, the man who had hit the most 180s on the day.
League action resumes this Friday with the following fixtures: The Forge v McDermott’s, Creaton’s v An Bothar Rua, The Hollywood Bar v The Holly Tree and Molly’s v Flanagan’s.
Basketball
Warriors winning
Western Warriors are in second place as the Lonleitros league reaches the midway point. Warriors have won six out of their seven games, beating Castlerea Cosmos, Boyle, Drumlish Draggons, Longford Falcons, Longford Torpedoes and Mohill whilst losing narrowly to league newcomers Mayo Mustangs.
The Warriors have been training hard over the past weeks and took part in an invitational tournament in Maynooth last weekend, reaching the semi-final stage.
The Warriors start 2018 with games against Falcons in Strokestown this Friday at 8 pm and Mustangs in Castlebar on next Tuesday (16th) at 8 pm.
