By Junior Griffin
The bell tolled for the end of another Badminton competitive season last week with the completion of the CPC.IE sponsored mixed leagues over two nights in two separate venues and the playing of the Paddy Sugrue tournaments at the Tralee Sports complex on Sunday last.
Before one of the largest crowds ever seen at a Kerry leagues finals night, Ballyheigue was the venue for two league deciders on Tuesday last April 3rd and this programme saw defending champions Killarney take on Moyvane in the division 2 decider and the final pairing in division 5 saw Kingdom, Castleisland take on Moyvane.
Each Badminton match consists of seven games with whoever wins 4 games being declared the County Champions for that season.
The seven games are made up of 1 each ladies and mens singles,1 each ladies and mens doubles and 3 mixed doubles.
A badminton encounter is played for 21 points but a game must be won by 2 clear points with the maximum score being 30 points which means that a game must conclude at the very most by 30-29.
Tuesdays nights division 5 decider saw Moyvane and Castleisland do battle after a long campaign over many months with clubs taking part from throughout the County
Moyvane got the winning start with Aoife Bowler coming good in 2 sets but Castleisland levelled the encounter with Josh Horan winning a thrilling 3 set battle against Moyvanes Bryan Kiely.
Indeed the Moyvane man looked all set for victory when he took what looked like a commanding 3 point lead late in the third and final set but the Castleisland man showed great courage to fight back and levelled the set and then forged to victory by 23-21.
That victory by Horan seemed to be a source of inspiration to the rest of the Castleisland team and from there on they surged to victory despite the ladies doubles tie being another heart-warming 3 set battle but the next four games saw the Kingdom side come out on top to give the club an overall 5-1 success, their first County title in this grade since 2007.
The Castleisland manager was Tom Bradley with his daughter Maire being one of the winning team members and, incidentally, his wife Mary was one of the 2007 winning team so the badminton blood does run freely in this family. Teams as follows;
Kingdom, Castleisland; Catriona Browne, Mairead O’Connell (Capt),Maire Bradley, Josh Horan, Wilson Pais, Luke O’Loughlin, Dylan Browne. Team Manager; Tom Bradley
Moyvane; Erin Stack (Capt.) Aoife Bowler, Marie Nolan, Fiona Buckley, Brian Kiely, Padraig Hanrahan, Mariuz Jesco, Radek Choromanski Joint team managers; Amanda Carmody, Eileen Roche
The Killarney v Moyvane division 2 final turned out to be an absolute thriller despite what the final score line might suggest.
The defending champions from Killarney set a hot pace taking both singles and ladies doubles in two sets but what a feast of top class badminton was served up in the following three games, all of which had to go to three sets for the final decision with Niamh Hickey and the evergreen Paudie Twomey clinching victory for the champions to ensure that the title stayed in East Kerry with the final score giving Killarney a 5-2 victory over a gallant fighting Moyvane side . Teams as follows;
Killarney; Peggy Horan (Capt.), Sinead Galvin, Jennifer Keane, Maeve Twomey, Niamh Hickey, Paudie Horan, Paul Kingston, Mariuz Tsunski,; Team manager; Peggy Horan
Moyvane; Amanda Carmody, Saoirse Fitzgerald (Capt), Helen Browne, Carmel Hudson, Timmy Noonan, Donnacha Moloney, Donie Enright, Team manager; Donie Enright
The action switched from Ballyheigue to the spacious Castleisland Community the following night, Wed. April 4thfor the division 4 league decider between Moyvane and Ballyheigue.
This talented Moyvane side have dominated this division for some time and were going for their 3 in a row. With 4 courts available in this ideal badminton venue, all courts were utilised from the start with both singles and both even doubles commencing at the same time.
From the outset it was a Moyvane domination with the champions winning all four games to guarantee their club the three in a row, but the mens doubles turned out to be a thrilling match with the Ballyheigue pairing of John McDonald and Colm Carroll giving as good as they got but just losing out in an explosive encounter to the experienced Moyvane pairing of Padraig Kearney and Liam O’Connor by 21-9; 19-21; 17-21
Moyvane; Bridget McCarthy, Ciara Hudson, Louise Behan, Michelle Corridan Tim Flaherty (Capt), Padraig Kearney, Liam O’Connor, Barry O’Callaghan Joint Managers; Fran Collins and John Mulvihill.
The Division 4 Mixed League Badminton Finals took place Castleisland Community Centre. This is the victorious Moyvane Division 4 Mixed Team. L/R, Louise Behan, Maria Kennelly, Liam O’Connor, Ciara Hudson, Barry O’Callaghan, Timmy Flaherty, Padraig Kearney, Michelle Corridan, Breda Lane, Bridget McCarthy. Photo by Tom Bradley
Ballyheigue; Paula O’Sullivan, Kathleen Gilbride, Siobhan Corbett, Lilian Holmes, Kevin O’Mahony, Colm Griffin, John McDonald, Colm Carroll. Joint Managers; Edel Broderick and Patrick Corridon
PADDY SUGRUE TOURNAMENTS;
The Paddy Sugrue tournaments were played in the Tralee Sports Centre on Sunday last with all the proceeds, which realised almost €1200, being donated to the Tralee and District branch of the Chernobyl Childrens fund.
There was a great entry received on the day with the overall results as follows;
The Paddy Sugrue Badminton Tournament took place Tralee Sports & Leisure Centre on Sunday. This is the Division 5 Winners Eibhlis Brosnan Kingdom Castleisland & Pat Brown Ballyheigue accepting the winners trophy from Tom Clear Organiser along with Runners Up Maria Nolan Moyvane & Christy Deane Annascaul & Lucy Barry Committee member of Chernobyl Childrens Fund. Photo by Tom Bradley
Div. 5 Mixed Final; Eibhlis Brosnan (Castleisland) and Pat Browne (Ballyheigue) defeated Marie Nolan (Moyvane) and Christy Deane (Annascaul) 16-21; 21-16; 22-20
Div. 4 Mixed doubles Final: Josie Gilbert (Causeway) and Mike Reardan (Iveragh) defeated Susan O’Connell (Iveragh) and Oliver Carmody (Moyvane) 21-16; 21-12
Div 2&3 Mixed doubles Final; Samira Hayes (Killarney) and Brendan McGovern (Castleisland) defeated Catherine Hanrahan (Castleisland) and Patrick Corridon (Ballyheigue) 21-17; 21-15
The members of the Tralee Chernobyl Childrens committee wish to sincerely thank all badminton players who competed on Sunday last as well as those who gave private donations, all very much appreciated.
On the Munster Badminton front the Brewster Cup will take centre stage on Saturday next, April 14th to be played in a Tipperary venue which is as yet unnamed.
This competition was originally fixed for March 4th last but the snow at that time but paid to all sporting fixtures that weekend. Kerry , under the management of Billy Lacey, will be represented by the following selection;
Edel Broderick, Miriam Rohan, Maeve Twomey, Sinead Galvin, Elaine Hudson, Michael Crossan, Jonathan Keane, Fergal Hannon, Donie Enright, A.N.Other.
Best wishes extended to all involved.
Interprovincials;
The annual Interprovincials were played in Dublin last weekend and there was an unprecedented double Munster success over the two days as the Southern Province won, not 0ne, but two titles. These were the under 17 title on the Saturday and the junior title on the Sunday and there was a strong Kerry connection in both victories.
The under 17s on the Saturday proved to be a straight shoot-out between Leinster and Munster which saw Munster take a 3-1 lead but Leinster drew level at 4 games each and the title was South bound with the Munster pair clinching that vital rubber game to win this title 5-4 for the first time in almost 30 years and one of the vital cogs last Saturday last was Moyvane Club youth Chris O’Donoghue, who still only at the tender age of 15 years, would seem to be facing a tremendous badminton future having already been capped for Ireland at the under 13 level and is now on the under 15 Irish squad.
Never in the history of Irish badminton, which was founded in 1899, has a Munster team won a junior Interprovincial title but the dawning of a new day came on Sunday last when history was made by this current Munster squad as they defied history and all the odds to defeat the kingpins of Irish badminton, both Leinster and Ulster, on the one day and one of the shining lights of this team was Castleisland Club girl, the recently married Edel Broderick.
Firstly Leinster were downed by 6-4 and then Ulster bit the dust by 7-2 with the Kerry lady excelling in her ladies doubles encounters.
So, heartiest congratulations to young O’Donoghue and Ms. Broderick. You both did Kerry Badminton proud in Dublin last weekend.
The Munster Club finals will take place in the UL , Limerick Arena on Sunday next with each of the Kerry League winners taking part. Best wishes are extended to all our teams.
A reminder to all Kerry Badminton enthusiasts that the annual County Social and Rewards night will take place at the Rose Hotel Tralee on Saturday night May 19th. Tickets, at €35 each must be booked through your home club so it is advisable to book in good time.
