It was indeed a very busy Badminton start to the 2017 Kerry Badminton Association programme over the past week with the action rotating from Tralee to Killarney and then on to Listowel with each venue providing some sterling action.

It was Ladies and mens div 3&4 league finals night at the Presentation Gym Tralee on Wednesday night last with both ladies finals sponsored by Agri Auto Parts Tralee and Listowel whilst both mens deciders were sponsored by Speed’s Bar Moyvane .

The mens division 4 final saw treble chasing Ballyheigue take on Moyvane but it was not to be for the seaside town. In a wonderful contested first set the Ballyheigue pairing won by 24-22 but it was there that the bubble burst for the Ballyheigue treble chances as the Moyvane pairing won the two remaining sets and their other 3 pairs went on to in straight sets to give Moyvane a 4 nil victory.

Moyvane; Moyvane; Denise Collins, (captain); Eleanor Sheahan, Bridgett McCarthy, Michelle Corridan; Ballyheigue; Siobhan Corbett, Paula O’Sullivan, Sarah Leahy, Fiona Casey

Whilst Ballyheigue failed their in a row quest in that division 4 final, in the same mens decider Moyvane scaled that height to capture 3 in a row against a gallant Annascaul side which a had great blend of youth and experience on their 4 man squad. This was a hard fought contest with the North Kerry side eventually coming home by 4-1 but two of those Moyvane wins were vey close 3 set ties.

Moyvane; Padraig Kearney,Michael Collins, John Newman(Captain), Liam O’Connor; Annascaul; Aidan Evans (Captain)Alan Falvey, Cillian Falvey, Colm Moriarty

In the division 3 mens final Castleisland’s Kingdom Club did battle wit Killarney. The first two games were very hotly contested with the honours even but Killarney went 2-1 up by taking tie number 3 but Castleisland finished in a blaze of glory by winning the 3 final games to forge a 4-2 victory;

Kingdom; Brendan McGovern,Jebin John, David Graham,(Captain), Tom Clear.;Killarney;Kieron Crehan,(Captain),Jason Russell, Barry O’Connor, Liam Barry.

What an absorbing final the ladies division 3 contest proved to be with Moyvane going for 3 in a row in this grade also.

In league competition these sides have met twice already this season on the home and away basis and unbelievably in both games the sides finished level and it was sets won that decreed the winner.In their home tie Killarney came out on top after the sides finished level at 3 games each but the east Kerry side edged home by 8 sets to 7.

In the Moyvane home encounter it was the exact same score of 3 games each but this time it was Moyvane’s turn to edge in front again by the one set, 8 to 7.

What was going to happen on the neutral ground of Tralee on Wednesday night last ? Remarkably, it proved to be the exact same scoreline, 3 wins each but that odd set victory by again 8 to 7 tipped its way to Killarney but what a trilogy of matches between these two balanced sides.

Killarney; Sam Hayes,Niamh Hickey,Sandra O’Connor(captain)Jeab Workman; Moyvane, Carmel Hudson,Fran Collins(Captain), Amanda Carmody, Jeanelle Griffin

KERRY SCHOOLS
22 teams took part in the Kerry schools badminton competitions on Thursday last with 9 different schools participating.Results as follows;.
Girls U14 Winners St. Brigid’s Presentation Killarney

Ailbhe Gammell Jade Potts Vivien Reczetar Tara Donnellan Jenny Cronin

2nd Presentation Tralee

Eimear O’Sullivan Sophie Reidy Kerrie O’Connor Patricia Gutteridge

Girls U16 Winners Presentation Listowel

Ciara Hudson Eva Brown Hannah Healy Niamh Canty

2nd Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne

Katelyn Reid Jenna Ferriter Nicole Lewis Deirbhile Sheehy

U-19 winners

Tarbert Comprehensive

Niamh O’Flaherty Moira O’Flaherty Aoife Bowler Louise Leahy

2nd Presentation Listowel

Marie Kennelly Laura Sheahan Rebecca Mason Madison Carter

Boys U14 Winners St. Michael’s College Listowel

Sean Mahoney Jack McElligott Phillip Healy Oisin Moloney

2nd Tarbert Comprehensive

Chris O’Donoghue Jack O’Connor Nikolai O’Callaghan Aidan Swan

Boys U16 Winners Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne

Killian Falvey Colm Moriarty Conn O’Regan Dylan Geaney

2nd CBS The Green Tralee

Seamus Bradley Kevin Griffin Seamus Knightly David Smith

Boys U19 Winners Tarbert Comprehensive

Liam Greaney Micheal Collins Christopher Keane Micheal Fogarty

2nd Presentation Miltown

Brendan McGovern Niall O’Brien Shane O’Sullivan Owen Moyniyhan

LISTOWEL TOURNAMENTS

The Listowel Badminton club hosted their annual tournaments on Sat/Sun last in the local community centre with the open division 1 &2 contests on Saturday and the Kerry division 3,4&5 players on court on the Sunday.

With just short of 140 entries over the two days the Listowel executive were more than pleased with not alone their largest entry for some years but the standard of play over the two days was certainly out of the top drawer.

The feature event of the Listowel weekend is the open mixed doubles competition on the Saturday which commenced in 1972 and this year the club commissioned a new cup to honour long serving member Mr. Junior Griffin and the first time winners of this new cup were Niamh O’Driscoll (Cork) and Tom Bourke (Kerry) By winning on Saturday Bourke at six wins is now top of the leader board in front of Ritchie Nevin (Tipperary) and David Lalor (Galway).

Indeed, it was a most successful weekend for Bourke as he was also victorious in the mens doubles decider

Overall Listowel results;

Div 1&2 Mixed doubles final for the Junior Griffin Perpetual Cup; Niamh O’Driscoll (Cork) and Tom Bourke(Kerry) defeated Niamh Flaherty (Kerry) and Paul Kingstown (Cork) 21-15; 18-21; 21-14

Div. 1 & 2 Ladies doubles final (Round Robin ) for the Vincent Murphy Shield; Niamh Flaherty (Kerry) and Karen O’Sullivan (Cork) defeated Edel Broderick and Mairead O’Regan (both Kerry) 103 points to 100

Mens doubles div. 1 &2 final Tom Bourke (Kerry) and Paul Kingston (Cork) defeated James Flaherty and John O’Brien (both Kerry) 21-15; 21-14

Masters (over 45) mixed doubles final for the Jimmy Halpin Trophy; Susan O’Connell and John O’Brien (both Kerry) defeated Bernie Rowe (Kerry) and Bob Evans (Cork) 30-19

Div. 5 mixed doubles final; Maire Bradley (Castleisland) and Padraig Hanrahan (Moyvane) defeated Agnes Niedzielska (Listowel) and Brendan Carroll (Causeway) 21-16; 13-21; 21-15

Div. 4 mixed doubles final for the Halpin Food store Shield; Bernadette Rowe (Listowel) and John McDonnell (Ballyheigue) Walk-over; Paula O’Sullivan (Ballyheigue) and Stephen Delaney (Listowel) Scratch. The latter pair had to concede at 11 all in the first set due to an unfortunate injury to Delaney

Division 3 Mixed doubles final for the Mary Keane Perpetual Shield; Jeab Workman (Killarney) and Brendan McGovern (Annascaul) defeated Jeanelle Griffin (Moyvane) and Kieron Crehan (Killarney)

21-11; 21-13

MUNSTER CHAMPIONSHIPS

It will be all action on the Munster Badminton programme in the Killarney Sports Centre on Sunday next where both the Munster senior 1 and the Munster Junior championships will be played off. These events which are to be hosted by the Cork Badminton Association will commence at 10 am. Every success to all Kerry players.

KERRY BADMINTON EVENTS

All involved in Kerry Badminton are requested to note the forthcoming events The CPC.IE sponsored Kerry singles division 1,3 and 5 County Singles championships will take place in Killarney on Sunday January 29th. Entry forms with Club secretaries.

The Kerry Badminton Associations annual Table Quiz will take place in O’Donnell’s Bar Tralee on Friday night February 3rd. All clubs are requested to support this night out by filling 3 tables on the night. Each table of 4 will cost €40 For the future of Kerry Badminton all involved in both juvenile and senior badminton are asked to back this night.

Please note an important change on your fixture list; The Ballyheigue Club’s annual Badminton tournament which was fixed for Sunday February 5th has now been switched to Sunday February 26th. Kindly mark this change on your Badminton diary.