Mixed fortunes for Meath handballers in All-Irelands

The All-Ireland 60x30 handball finals took place last weekend with over 150 players participating in competition in a range of venues including Kells, Crossakiel, Mullingar, Kingscourt and Abbeylara. Meath were well represented in the men's open division as Brian Carroll (Kells) teamed up with Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath) to overcome Munster's Colm Jordan and Paul Hedderman. However, Carl Browne and Peter Reilly (both Kells) suffered a first round defeat to Barry Goff and Colin Keeling (both Wexford). The Wexford pair then went on to defeat Carroll and McCarthy in the Open semi-final. Tom Sheridan (Kells) was paired with legendary Kilkenny player Duxie Walsh and they went one further than Carroll and McCarthy after coming through an 11-4 tie break win over Mayo's Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann. The pair pushed hard in Sunday's final in Abbeylara but came up short on a 21-17, 21-20 scoreline. In the Golden Masters Division Jimmy Reilly and Anthony McConnell took gold back to Kells as they easily overcame Kilkenny's Seamus Reade and Paddy Reilly, 21-13, 21-12. Gary McConnell was also victorious as he paired up with Tipperary's Fergal Collins to claim the u-23 title overcoming Martin Mulkerrins and Niall O'Connor in the semi-final and clinched a 21-20, 21-20 victory over Limerick's CJ Fitzpatrick and Padraig O'Carroll. Christy McGovern and Joe Lynch (Masters), Peter Flanagan and Eugene O'Reilly (mens C), Conor Rice and Cormac Gilsenan (u-17) and James Baugh and Gary Reilly (u-17) all lost out in the qualifying rounds of their respective grades. In the juvenile ranks Evan Sheridan and Robert Fox (both Kells) were edged out in a competitive u-15 final, 10-11 in a tie break. Danny Dunne and Daniel Farrelly lost out in a round robin stage of the u-13 grade.