Kerry Badminton Association News

By Ruth Concannon

It’s been a busy fortnight for Kerry Badminton culminating in the Lee Strand sponsored Mixed Doubles tournament held in Killarney’s Aura on Sunday the 24th of November.  Masters, Seniors and Juveniles were all in action and silverware was brought back to Kerry.

First up on Sunday the 17th of November the Kerry Senior team travelled to Dunmanway to contest the Butterfield cup against teams from Cork and Tipperary.

Having both beaten Tipperary, Cork and Kerry faced off in a winner takes all match.  Unfortunately for the green and gold, Cork came out the stronger and won the title with Kerry securing the runner up spot.

Saturday the 23rd of November saw the juveniles descend on Killarney for the first Kerry tournament of the season.  Winners from the day were:

U10 Girls

Nicole Vesko (Listowel) & Irene Carol (Listowel)

U10 Boys

Mikey O’Connor (Moyvane) & Liam O’Connor (Castleisland)

U12 Girls

Kate Nolan (Listowel) & Aine Newsome (Annascaul)

U12 Boys

Aaron Moloney (Moyvane) & Evan Daly (Iveragh)

U14 Girls

Agata Niedzielska (Listowel) & Moira Spilla (Annascaul)

U14 Boys

Conor Mulvihill (Moyvane) & Diarmuid Quirke (Milltown)

U16 Girls:

Ciara Knightly (Annascaul) & Erin Doheny (Killarney)

U16 Boys

Ethan Tritchler (Listowel) & Pablo Barranco (Killarney & Spain)

It was the adults’ turn on Sunday the 24th for the mixed tournament.  Fantastic entries from the division 5 men meant that there was a play off to see who would compete in the mixed section.  From over 40 entries Aine Knightly (Annascaul) and her partner Lorcan Briscoe (Ballybunion) emerged as the winners.

The division 4 final was an exciting three setter which saw Aoife Bowler (Moyvane) and Mike O’Shea (Killarney) claim victory 21-16 in the third.

In division 3, the much coveted Waterstone Cup, the honours went to Breda Flavin (Moyvane) and Timmy Hanrahan (Kingdom). The last final of the day decided the division 1/2 title and it went to Michelle Beazley and Aaron Tan both from Kingdom club.

Special mention to the Kerry Chairman Tom Burke who travelled to Dublin to compete in the Leinster Masters Open tournament and came home with a silver in both singles and men’s doubles.

All roads lead back to Killarney again next Sunday for the Kerry Knock-out cup, see you there!

By Colm Griffin

Knockout Cup 

Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre once again played host to a great day of entertainment of the shuttle variety on Sunday last (Dec 2nd)

The Knockout Cup was contested at Division 3, 4 and 5 level and three different clubs took the respective titles on the day.

Division 3 was contested by  Kingdom -Castleisland, Killarney and Listowel. Killarney came out on top on the day with 15 points with Kingdom – Castleisland taking the runners up spot with 12 points.

It was an impressive achievement by Killarney given the fact that some of the team normally ply their trade in Division 4 and a couple of the others on the team have only recently moved up from Division 4 to Division 3.

Division 4 was contested by four clubs Kingdom – Castleisland, Listowel, Ballyheigue and Moyvane. Listowel were going for three in a row titles but on the day came up short finishing as runners-up with 18 points.

A strong Ballyheigue team with an impressive 27 points overall took the title for the first time in the history of the club.

Division 5 was a much more hotly contested event however with 4 teams taking part including the newly formed Ballybunion Baseliners who deserve huge credit for contesting the event given that only 4 four clubs in all managed to get a team together. The other teams on the day were Annascaul, Killarney and Moyvane.

Whilst the Baseliners with 18 points finished a very creditable 3rd place only 2 points separated the top two sides. The West Kerry team from Annascaul including the redoubtable 76 year old Sean Foley came out on top with 24 points and Moyvane with 22 points were the runners up on the day.

Butterfield Cup 

A largely inexperienced Kerry team played host to the Butterfield Cup which ran side by side with the Knockout Cup last Sunday.

On the day it proved to be a straight shoot out between the Kingdom and a very strong team from the Rebel County of Cork. Unfortunately all the other counties in Munster failed to send a team to this prestigious event for the top elite players in Munster. On the day Cork proved to be much too strong for a spirited Kerry side.

Maeve Twomey and Elaine Hudson in particular put up a great fight in bringing their opponents to three sets in the 2nd Ladies doubles match but experiences like this will help these players come on leaps and bounds in the coming years.

Moyvane Tournament 

The main badminton focus next weekend moves to Moyvane for the running of the their 33rd annual club tournament.

Sponsored by Newtownsands Co-op the action gets underway from 12.15pm for the Division 5 players. Division 4 gets underway at 2.15pm, Division 3 at 4.15pm and Division 1 and 2 combined from 5.30pm.

Always a wonderful club event be sure to let your club secretary know before next Friday (Dec 7th) if you are interested in taking part this year.

League Results 

Monday Nov 26th

Suits Select Ladies Div 1 & 2 Combined League

Killarney 3 – 5 Kingdom – Castleisland

Men’s Advanced Cleaning Supplies Div 4 League (Section B)

Moyvane 2 – 4 Listowel

Tuesday Nov 27th

Men’s Advanced Cleaning Supplies Div 4 League (Section A)

Causeway 2 – 4 Ballyheigue

Wednesday Nov 28th

Ladies Agri-Auto Parts League Division 3

Moyvane 6 – 0 Listowel

Ladies Agri-Auto Parts League Division 4

Listowel 6 – 0 Kingdom – Castleisland

Upcoming Events 

Sunday Dec 9th Moyvane Tournament (Moyvane)

Saturday Dec 15th Munster Closed U-11 / U-15 (UL, Limerick)

Saturday Dec 15th / Sunday Dec 16th All-Ireland Championships Grades C & F

BADMINTON NOTES by Junior Griffin

The badminton programme of last weekend was dominated by  the end of season Munster competitions which were played in the UL Arena of Limerick and these included the rescheduled  Brewster Cup  competition on the Saturday and the Munster Club finals on the Sunday.

When the 21st millennium  commenced Kerry had a good run in the Brewster Cup competition winning in both 2001 and 2003 but since then the Kingdom have failed to capture this prestigious cup which was first played for in 1951.

Only 3 of the Munster Counties competed on Saturday last, namely Cork, Kerry and Tipperary with the Kingdom taking on the Premier County in round 1 but it was the Tipperary side that came good by winning 6-3. The Kerry wins in this match were Edel Broderick in the ladies singles; Maeve Twomey and Elaine Hudson at the second ladies doubles and Miriam Rohan with Fergal Hannon at first mixed doubles.

Unfortunately, on the same score-line Kerry suffered the same fate against Cork  with Edel Broderick again winning her singles and  then winning the first ladies doubles with  Miriam Rohan and Maeve Twomey and Elaine Hudson maintained their unbeaten  run by again winning the second ladies doubles tie.

On paper, with a full panel at their disposable,  the current Kerry squad would seem to have the talent to again regain  the Brewster Cup for Kerry but like any competition, it would take 100 per cent commitment and dedication from all concerned. Hopefully, that will be next year.

Club final day is no doubt the  biggest day on the Munster calendar and the Limerick Arena again saw a huge turnout on Sunday last where the league champions from each County at the different grades did battle to capture that elusive Munster Club title. Kerry were represented with 5 teams, 3 from Moyvane at grades  E,F & G ; Killarney at grade D and Kingdom, Castleisland at grade H.

The honours of the day from a Kerry perspective went to the  Moyvane grade E  team  who captured Munster honours by defeating  Roscrea the Tipperary champions by 4-0 in the semi-final and qualified to meet Kilmacthomas of Waterford  in the Munster final. Firing on all cylinders the Kerry side rose to the occasion and won the Munster title by 4-1.

One of the main talking points in this final was in the mens doubles decider where Donie Enright and Donnacha Moloney  represented the Kerry champions. The  Moyvane pair won the first set 21-11 but lost the second set but Moyvane set the pace in the final set .

In an enthralling game at  match point Moloney found himself flat on his back and the Waterford pair took advantage of this and smashed the shuttle twice at him as he lay on the floor but the brave Moloney not alone returned both shots but from somewhere he pulled out the match winning point at 21-17  with that second return.

Moyvane now go on to the All-Ireland series  which this year will be played in Limerick on May 13th. That Moyvane team is as follows; Amanda Carmody, Helen Brown, Denise Collins, Carmel Hudson, Timmy Noonan, Donnacha Moloney, Donie Enright, John Mulvihill.

The Killarney grade D team also put on a great performance over the day. In the Munster semi-final where they came up against Kilmacthomas, the Waterford champions. The sides were level at 2 games each but a great finish by the Kerry champions saw them come through by 4-2 but in the final they came up that bit short against Lakewood, the Cork champions and lost out by 4-2.

In grade F Moyvane reached another Munster decider when overcoming  Drum the Tipperary champions by 4-1  but fell to Corks Carrigaline on the same score-line in the final.

In grade G Moyvane lost out again  to Carrigaline of Cork in the semi-final stage  and went down by 5-2

In grade H representing Kerry were the young side from Castleisland who were playing  in a Munster club competition for the first time and in their opening encounter they went down to Effin, the Limerick champions but only just, 4-3 with Eibhlis Brosnan and Mairead O’Connell winning the ladies doubles; the mens doubles was captured by  Luke O’Loughlin and Dylan Browne and the second mixed doubles tie was won by Mairead O’Connell and Luke O’Loughlin, all 3 games won by this Castleisland side in two sets

So again best wishes again is extended to the Moyvane grade E who will be carrying the Kerry colours on May 13th.

BADMINTON NOTES

Sunday last saw the Killarney sports centre and the Kerry Badminton Association play host to the six Counties of Munster  with the staging of  the Provincial senior 2 and the Graduate championships.

Senior 2 would be the second tier in Munster badminton whilst the graduates is open to those players graded below both senior 1 and senior 2 and who have not played Inter County at class 1,2 or 3 level and this competition generally attracts a large entry from a[[ over the Province and Sunday last was no exception with over 130 players competing on the day

Last season saw Kerry players reach 6 finals and won 3 titles. Last Sunday saw the Kerry players win out the same number of Munster titles but the number of Kerry players that contested this year’s finals was far greater than last season.

It was the graduates that stole the show from a Kerry perspective with Killarney club girl Ms Niamh Hickey being acclaimed as the “ Queen of the Court”

Miss Hickey contested all 3 finals that was open to her with her first decider being the graduates final where she met Waterford’s Jo Murphy. It was the decies girl that took control of set number 1 winning by 21-10 but the brave Kerry girl really threw everything into the second set, but it was not to  be as the title was Waterford bound on the tight score of 21-18,

But it was all uphill for Ms. Hickey after that. In the all Kerry ladies doubles decider Ms. Hickey teamed up with her Killarney club colleague Samira Hayes where the opposition was supplied by  another Killarney club player, Jeab Workman, and her Castleisland partner Michelle Beazley. It was the all Killarney pairing that took the honours in two close sets 21-17;21-17.

The second title captured on the day by Ms. Hickey was in the mixed doubles decider where she teamed up with Tiernan Lawlor of Waterford with the  final opposition being supplied by Listowels Jill Redmond and Limericks Adrian Kennelly.

Ms Hickey and Lawlor won the first set handy enough 21- 7 but the Redmond/ Kennelly combination put in a brave performance in the second set before going down 21-17 but it was Ms Hickeys day as she collected Munster Crown number 2, a day she will surely cherish for a long time to come.

The third title captured for Kerry on the day was the mixed doubles crown where the Moyvane/[Listowel partnership of Donnacha Moloney and James Leane took on Limericks Gabriel Sisson and Aaron Magee .

This was a brilliant, exciting 3 set battle with the Limerick pair capturing the first set by 21-16 but the Kerry pair dovetailed well together in the second set which they won on the same score of 21-16  and the third and final set saw it Kerry’s day as Moloney[Leane came good by 21-17.

The Kerry hard luck story of the day must be that of Donie Enright in the mens graduate singles final. The Moyvane man captured the opening set by 21-16 against Gabriel Sisson, but the Limerick man turned the game around in the remaining 2 sets winning by 21-15;21-16.

There was no Kerry joy in the senior 2 competition this year but the Castleisland club girl Edel Broderick  did reach 2 finals with both going to 3 sets and she did come  home with 2 silver medals   In the singles final in which she was the defending champion  Ms Broderick  won  the opening set against  Waterford’s Lucy Fox by  21-16; lost the second by 12-21  and just lost out in a close  hard fought  final set by 21-19.

In the ladies doubles decider Ms. Broderick teamed up with Tipperary’s Celine Connors and this pair won a thrilling opener by 22-20 but the title was set for  Waterford as Tanya Morrissey and Shauna Kennelly  came good when it mattered  most and won their title by 16-21;14-21 but overall it was not a bad day for Kerry Badminton

This coming weekend will see another hectic badminton programme to be played out, commencing with the CPC.IE   sponsored  divisions 2 and 4 singles championships to be played in the Killarney Sports Arena with the start time of 7.30 sharp. It is important that all players and court helpers report in good time.

The action stays in Killarney on the Saturday where the juvenile singles championships for all 4 age groups, under 11/13/15/17  for both girls and boys will take place with the usual starting time of 11am. Again, it is important for all involved to sign in before 10.45.

The Munster section of the  All Ireland inter County series commences in the UL, Limerick Arena on this coming Sunday  where Grades B;D/F/G  will take the floor. Kerry will not have a team in Grade B but will  have a team in each of the other sections.

In fairness, all have trained diligently over many weeks past with the D panel under the stewardship of Eric Nelligan who will finalise his team of 5 ladies and 5 men from the following panel; Sinead Galvin , Sorcha  Fitzgerald, Elaine Hudson, Jennifer Keane, Maeve Twomey ;Niamh Hickey; Fergal Hannon, Jonathan Keane, James Leane, Michael Crossan;    Chris O’Donoghue and Donnacha Moloney.

The Grade G panel have been trained and coached by joint managers Amanda Carmody and Tony O’Donoghue who wishes to acknowledge the help they have received from current div 1 County champion James O’Flaherty and also William O’Flaherty.

The final selection is as follows; Bridget McCarthy (Moyvane)Paula O Sullivan, (Ballyheigue)  Ciara Hudson (Moyvane) Rita McCarthy (Listowel) Louise Behan (Moyvane) Ger O’Connor (Killarney) Liam O’Connor (Moyvane) ;Kevin O’Donnell (Ballyheigue) Liam Barry (Killarney) Brendan O’Carroll (Causeway)

Note, at the time of compiling these notes the Grade F panel was not available.

Kerry Sports Awards

There was a notable honour bestowed on the Killarney Badminton Club last week when they were declared as one of the Kerry Sports Stars of the Year  winners at the annual  function which took place in Killarney.  This honour bestowed on  Killarney was due to the great success by the club over the past season which saw them capture many honours which included  team success  at Kerry division 3 level and the jewel in the Badminton crown was winning the All Ireland Grade F title which was a notable achievement.

All in Kerry badminton, players, mentors and supporters are requested to note that the Kerry Associations annual table quiz will take place at O’Donnell’s Bar Tralee on Friday night  February 16th and the Annual raffle will take place 2 days later during the division 1,3 and 5 doubles championships in Killarney.

As the game of badminton does not have the luxury of charging admission prices to their competitions the money accrued from functions such as the table quiz and the raffle are a vital source of income to pay off  the many expenses involved around teams hall hire , shuttles and the many other expenses incurred in trying to run a County association, so the support of all is very welcome.

Bishopstown, County Cork and Ballyheigue, County Kerry were the focus of all Kerry Badminton followers on Sunday last.

The Munster senior 1 and Junior championships were held in the Cork venue whilst in Ballyheigue the local club played host to all Kerry div. 3,4 and 5 players as they ran off their annual club tournaments for those 3 divisions.

There was at least one  success story from a Kerry perspective that   emerged from the Cork venue and that was in the junior ladies doubles final

This was achieved by Killarney’s Maeve Twomey and Elaine Hudson who faced the Cork pairing of Trish Herlihy and Elaine Sheridan ,

The first set was a classic hard fought encounter with both pairs scoring point for point. It was the Cork pair who went to set point at 20-19 but a brave Kerry come back saw them level at 20 all. The sides were again level at 21 all but the never say die spirit of the Kerry pairing saw them score those two vital points to ensure the set victory by 23-21.

After that confidence booster of winning the first set the Kerry pair were always in control set number 2 and despite the best efforts of the Cork pairing the Munster title was Kerry bound on the score line of 21-12. For Miss Twomey it was second successive doubles title as last year she came good with her Killarney club member, Sinead Galvin.

These championships commenced at 10 am on Sunday and this ladies final concluded gone midnight, over 15 hours later with the mixed doubles semi-finals still to come but it is known that Kerry will have some representation in the mixed final but at what hour that will be decided this writer has no idea. Trying to play two major competitions on the one day in a four court hall just does not work out.

In the senior mens singles Kerry’s Tom Bourke, holder of 6 Munster singles titles, played some wonderful badminton  to contest the Munster final once again but it was not to be “Lucky seven” for the Castleisland  club man as he fell in 2 sets to the talented Waterford  player Azi Syed.

But Bourke would be kicking himself for letting that second set slip away as he seemed to be in the driver’s seat when leading at 16-15 but a missed  net shot  cost him dearly and he paid the ultimate penalty.

The junior ladies singles saw Killarney’s Sinead Galvin battle her way to the semi-final stage where she fell in two sets to the eventful winner Corks Laura Murphy. Indeed it was an all Cork final here as Ms Murphy defeated her Cork colleague Trish O ‘Herlihy in two sets. Incidentally,

Miss O ‘Herlihy has a Kerry link as she is now domiciled in Listowel  and is a member of the local club but has paid her affiliation through Cork

Whilst the Munster championships did battle in Bishopstown  there was no shortage of excitement in Ballyheigue with many encounters every bit as enthralling and exciting  as was served up in Cork and great credit to the home club for catering for the three divisions on view

Overall results as follows;

Div 5

Winners Mairead O’Connor (Castleisland) and Christy Deane (Annascaul)

R-up Erin Stack (Moyvane) and Cathal O Regan (Ballyheigue)

Scores 19/21 and 17/21

Div 4

Winners Josie Gilbert (Causeway) and John McDonald (Ballyheigue)

R-up Paula O Sullivan (Ballyheigue) and Tom Rice (Listowel)

Scores 7/21 and 6/21

Div 3 round robin

Winners Jeab Workman (Killarney) and Philip Thomas (Listowel)

R-up Michelle Beazley ( Castleisland) and Tim Griffin (Ballyheigue)

County Championships

In most sports, the ultimate aim of the ordinary club player is to seek the Holy Grail of capturing that elusive County title.

In Kerry Badminton that quest for County Championship glory will commence on Sunday next at the magnificent Killarney sports Centre where the singles championships for divisions 1,3 and 5, again sponsored by C.P.C.IE,Tralee, will open the Kerry programme for the 2017-2018 season.

Divisions 1 and 5 will commence proceedings at 1 pm to be followed by division 3 at 2.30 pm. Court helpers to be on caal 20 minutes before start time and all players are requested to sign in at least 15 minutes before the allotted times.

All  travelling on Sunday next are advised to make allowance for possible  traffic congestion and delays due to the National League Kerry v Donegal football encounter

The Munster Schools finals will be played in the Limerick UL arena this Thursday and representing the  Kerry schools as follows;

Girls

Under 14; St. Bridget’s Presentation, Killarney; under 16; Presentation Convent, Listowel; under 19; Presentation Convent, Listowel

Boys;

Under 14;  Mercy  Mounthawk, Tralee;  under 16; St. Michaels College, Listowel. Under 19; Pobascoil Chorca Dhuibhne

Every good wish to all schools concerned

It is indeed a busy weekend for all those concerned in Kerry juvenile badminton. On Saturday the Killarney Arena will play host to the Kerry juvenile doubles championships for both boys and girls at the 4 age groups, namely under 11/13/15/17 and a full house is guaranteed.

The following day, January 28th will see round 1 of the Munster Inter County competitions take place for the same 4 age groups and Kerry, under the supervision of coach Billy Lacey and  juvenile secretary Ms Carmel Hudson will line out a team in each of the age groups so there will be many shuttlecocks served back and forth over the weekend.

All involved in Kerry badminton, adults as well as juveniles, are requested to note and support the forth coming fund raising exercises organised  by the Kerry Association.

The sport of badminton does not have the luxury of charging entrance fees like the field games and yet the expenses such as hall hire, shuttlecocks, etc.  are very costly to both County and Club. The Kerry Association will host their annual table quiz at O’Donnell’s Bar, Mounthawk Tralee on Friday February 2nd and the support of players, parents and members would be much appreciated.

Each table of 4 will cost €40 but subscribers who may not be able to attend can donate through their clubs. The Kerry  annual raffle is now in full swing with each member being allotted cards at €10 each.

Each County team member are encouraged to dispose of five cards as the fund raised is ploughed back into County and team management so all are requested to help their Association

BADMINTON

From a Badminton perspective one can say that the shadow boxing is well and truly over with , and the real events now are about to take centre stage.

Pre Christmas badminton is mostly dominated by fringe events such as tournaments,etc but the real world post christmas sees all action from January to May with major issues like Inter County events, Kerry championships and Kerry leagues to be decided.

The first competitions that may concern Kerry players are the Munster individual championships for Grades F,G &H to be held at the Limerick U.L. sports arena on Sunday January 7th and no doubt many Kerry challengers will be making their way to Limerick in an effort to seek Munster glory.

Three nights later, Wednesday January 10th will see the first competitions played within Kerry in 2018. These will be the finals of the ladies and mens leagues competitions, for divisions 3 and 4, which commenced last October and will culminate in the Presentation Gym Hall in Tralee on Wednesday, to commence at 8 pm.

The ladies league has been sponsoref by Agro Auto Parts, of Tralee and Listowel, whilst the mens league has been sponsored by Speedys Bar, Moyvane. Indeed, the Kerry Badminton Association owe a deep debt of thanks to both firms for their continued support of these leagues.

Once again the action on Wednesday night next will be dominated by both the Moyvane and Killarney clubs with the Listowel division 4 ladies team and the Ballyheigue div. 4 mens team being the only other clubs that endevours to break the domination of the big two.

In this div 4 ladies final Listowel take on the defending champions Moyvane who broke the 3 in a row ambitions of Ballyheigue in last years decider and both of these near rivals are sure to deliver a battle royale.

What an absolute spectacle the division 3 ladies decider between Moyvane and Killarney proved to be last year and if this years final follows the same pattern, badminton enthusiasts are certainly in for an early New Year feast.

Last year it was Moyvane that were going for the treble in this ladies final but at the end of the night both sides finished level on 3 wins each but it was Killarney that captured the glory on the count back of sets by just the one set, 8 to 7, yes it was that close and it would be a brave pundit who would forecast this years outcome.

In last years div 3 mens final Killarney were looking good when leading Castleisland by 2-1 but in a rousing finish it was the brave Castleisland side who finished in a blaze of glory by winning the last 3 games and were eventual winners by 4-2.

Killarney are back in the final once again and are hoping that they have learnt their lesson from last year as they take on a talented Moyvane side.

Another mouth watering clash promised here.

In last years division 4 mens final Moyvane scaled the heights when they captured 3 in a row in that division by overcoming a gallant Annascaul side by 4-1.

Can the North Kerry side do the 4 in a row.? No doubt but they can achieve this goal but standing on the sideline is a formidable Ballyheigue side who seem to have the raw talent to thwart the Moyvane dream.

All four finals on the night should provide all that is good in badminton.

Kerry Schools

Whilst all of the above 4 adult league finals will be played in Tralee on Wed Jan. 10th, the Killarney Sports Arena will play host to the Kerry Schools competitions the following day, Thurs. Jan. 11th

The age groups for both girls and boys in these events are under 14;under 16 and under 19 .
Up to Monday last, New years Day , schools event Ms Carmel Hudson of Moyvane had received 26 entries from schools throughout the County with the honours of the school having the highest number of teams entered going to Tarbert Comprehensive School who have a team entered in each section, which is a great achievement by the North Kerry school and great credit due to all concerned.

Remaining schools entered as follows;

Presentation Tralee have 3 teams
Mercy Mounthawk have 2 teams
Presentation Listowel have 2 teams

CBS The Green have 3 teams

Presentation Killarney have 3 teams

Castleisland Community College have 2 teams Presentation Miltown have 2 teams Killarney Community College have 2 teams Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne have 1 team.

The competitions are due to commence at 10 am.

Listowel tournaments;

The following weekend of January 13/14th will see the Listowel Club host their annual weekend tournaments. This will be the 47th annual Listowel tournament and is the longest running club tournament in the island of Ireland.

The Saturday tournaments is open to all division 1 and 2 players and also the Masters tournament for those over 45 years of age. Sundays programme caters for Kerry divisions 3, 4 and 5 only. Entry form have now been distributed to all Kerry Clubs

Despite the inclement weather, or the allure of Christmas shopping or, indeed, the North Kerry football final played in nearby Listowel, the Moyvane Community Centre was the focal point for the many badminton enthusiasts from all corners of the Kingdom of Kerry on Sunday last where the Newtownsandes sponsored 32nd annual Badminton tournaments were hosted by the local club.

Divisions 2 to 5 were catered for on Sunday last and the many supporters present were treated to a feast of top class fare with the division 3 mens section in particular providing many rip-roaring encounters, indeed just 2 points separated the top 3 pairs.

Overall results as follows

Div 5 Ml. Corridan Garage trophy Mixed doubles winners ; Fiona Buckley Moyvane and Padraig Hanrahan Moyvane defeated Molly Nolan Moyvane and Andrew Nielzieloki Listowel, 22/20 21/15

Plate winners Marella Murphy Listowel and Niall O’Hanlon Causeway defeated Eileen Roche Moyvane and Frankie Flaherty Ballyheigue 30/28

Div 4 Eileen and Tom Roche Trophy; Mixed doubles Winners Rita McCarthy Listowel and Padraig Kearney Moyvane defeated Marie Kennelly Moyvane and Brendan O’Carroll Ballyheigue 21/15 21/17

Plate; mens winners Ivan O’Brien and Noel O’Carroll Ballyheigue defeated Paul Hayes Listowel and Maurice Lawlor Ballyheigue 30/15

Div 3 Brosnans Bar Trophy Mixed doubles Winners Carmel Hudson Moyvane and Kieran Crehan Killarney defeated Jeab Workman Killarney and William Flaherty Moyvane 21/17 21/18

Div 2 Mail Road Cross Garden Centre trophy Winners Helen Browne Moyvane and Maurisz Tusinski Killarney defeated Ruth Concannon Castleisland,and Donncha Moloney Moyvane 21/19 21/19

BADMINTON
It was Tournament Sunday for the Kerry Badminton Association at the Killarney Sports Arena on Sunday last where players from all clubs affiliated to the Kerry Association did battle for the 4 tournaments contested on the day.

All four competitions certainly produced golden nuggets of all that is good in the game of badminton with divisions 4 & 5 in particular serving up 2 thrilling 3 set finals.
Results as follows.

Division 5 mixed doubles final (For the Junior Griffin Shield); Jolanta Lagin (Moyvane) and Luke O’Loughlin (Castleisland) defeating Shera O’Neill (Iveragh) and Daniel O’ Connor (Killarney) 15-21; 21=16; 21-14

Division 4 mixed doubles Shield final; Jill Redmond (Listowel) & Ger O’Connor (Killarney) defeated Rita McCarthy (Listowel) and John McDonnell (Ballyheigue) 21-19; 13-21; 21-14

Div 3 Waterstone Cup Mixed doubles Final; Amanda Carmody (Moyvane) and Timmy Hanrahan (Castleisland) defeated Sam Hayes (Killarney) and Jamie Elliott (Castleisland) 21-18; 21-13
In this competition Ms. Carmody retained the title she won last year whilst her partner, Timmy Hanrahan was victorious the previous year, in 2015.

Div. 1&2 Paddy Drummond Cup Final; This event was ran on the round robin system and after an engrossing series of games the honours fell to Jennifer Keane (Killarney) and Aaron Tan (Castleisland) on 123 points who just edged out Ruth Concannon (Castleisland) and Paddy Redmond (Listowel) who finished up on 121 points. It was, indeed a nail biting finish

The Badminton story this coming Sunday will revolve around the Munster Haynes Cup competition to be played in Bishopstown, County Cork and the Moyvane tournament which the home club will host in the local Community Centre.

The Haynes Cup, which is Munster’s oldest team event was commissioned by Mr William Haynes of Cork who was Munster Council second ever Hon. Secretary from 1931 to 1936.

It was the Limerick L.Y.P.A. Club who were the first winners of this cup in its inception in the 1930-31 season with the first Kerry winners being the Tralee K.P.H. club in 1933/34 .

It was 20 years later when the Haynes Cup crossed the Kerry border once again when in the 1953/54 season the winners were the County Club, Tralee and the cup stayed in Kerry again the following season, 1955/56, when the winners were the C.I.E. Club of Tralee.

It was 25 years again before the Haynes Cup was captured by a Kerry and this was by the Kingdom Club of Castleisland and what a wonderful odyssey this proved this proved to be for the Kerry side as they captured no less than eleven titles between 1981 and 2003 and are now the Haynes Cup trail blazers.

The second half of the noughties saw a talented Killarney side come to fore and they were three times winners in 2004, 2005 and 2008. Neighbours Abbeyfeale were Haynes Cup also way back in 1962.

Despite road works in recent times the L1015 road to Moyvane will be like a busy motorway this coming Sunday as Badminton enthusiasts from throughout the County will be making their way to the local Community Centre to play in the 32nd annual Newtownsandes sponsored annual Badminton Tournaments, which will cater for all Kerry divisions from 2 to 5.

Division 5 to commence at 12.15; division 4 at 2.15; div. 3 at 4.15 and div. 2 at 5.30. Entry forms are now with each club secretary and all players are requested to adhere to the timetables.

The Moyvane tournament will bring 2017 to a close on the Kerry Badminton front and the first major action of 2018 will be the ladies and mens league finals to be played in Tralee on Wednesday January 10th with the Kerry schools programme to be played in Killarney the following day, January 11th and that following weekend will see the Listowel Club host their 47th annual tournament on Sat/Sun January 13/14th. Indeed Listowel’s mixed doubles event is Ireland’s longest club tournament competition.

Between championships, leagues and tournaments the early months of 2018 will certainly a feast of top class badminton to the fore for all Kerry enthusiasts.

BADMINTON

All involved in Kerry Badminton can truly boast of a sense of elation after the wonderful feast of the sport that was served up on both Saturday and Sunday last at the Killarney Sports Arena over the two days.

On the Saturday it was the juveniles that took centre stage where a record breaking entry showed how strong the sport is within the County and equally so on the Sunday where the annual programme of the November Handicap tournaments saw all five divisions do battle on the day

It was both divisions 4 and 5 that opened the proceedings on the Sunday and for many of those division 5 players it was their first venture into competitive badminton but at the end of the day it was players from 3 clubs that contested the final spoils and this saw Sue Weatherell (Iveragh) and Miroslav Jesco (Moyvane overcome the Listowel pairing of Laura Sheahan and Florian Schillak in 2 sets; 21; 15; 21-19

A hotly contested division 4 contest saw a three tier Listowel representation in the decider which saw Valerie Guiney and Paul Hayes, both Listowel overcome Rita McCarthy (Listowel) and Kevin O’Mahony (Ballyheigue) in two hard sets; 21-13; 21-19.

The division 3 contest certainly gave value for money the full way through and the decider in this division was the only one of the day that went the full distance of the three sets and what a battle royal it proved to be.

The first hard fought set was captured by Michelle Beazley (Castleisland ) and Kieron Crehan (Killarney) by 21-19 but the Killarney / Moyvane partnership of Samira Hayes and William Flaherty edged out the second set by 21-17.

The third and final set was a nail biter with all four players giving their all but it was Ms Hayes and Flaherty that stole the show in another classic by 21-18 but what a contest.

When one considers that the gallant Flaherty won his first County Championship title as far back as 1984 it speaks volumes for the dedication and commitment the man has given to the sport.

The division 1& 2 decider was for the single set of 30 points and what a series of exhausting and exciting rallies served, no doubt but badminton out of the top drawer and at the final count it was the partnership of Niamh Hickey (Killarney) and Tom Bourke (Castleisland) who survived the onslaught that came from Trish O’Herlihy (Listowel) and Gio Gaudino (Castleisland) by just three points, 30 to 27. Overall it proved to be a great November Handicap competition

Juvenile Tournaments
The Kerry Juvenile Badminton committee, under the direction of secretary, Carmel Hudson and chairman, Billy Lacey opened their badminton programme for the new season on Saturday last at the Killarney Sports Arena with a series of tournaments to cater for all four age groups, namely under 11/13/15/17 years of age and the overall entry received was 150 players which is a record for a Kerry juvenile Badminton competition.

To put that in context, the entry received would be equivalent to 10 Gaelic Football teams or to over13 soccer teams which shows the strength of juvenile badminton in Kerry at the present moment.

Two new juvenile clubs, Milltown and Iveragh have been affiliated to Kerry this season and players from both clubs graced the winners podium on Saturday evening last.
Results as follows;

U11 Girls Stephanie Reid Annascaul and Isobel Stack Moyvane defeated
Grace McGovern Castleisland and Darina Ellen Burke Milltown 15/13, 15/7

(Plate) Maggie Quirke Milltown and Eimear Bradley Castleisland defeated Aoife Scanlon Moyvane and Anna Ni Chonchuir Dingle 21/19

U13 Girls Ava McKay Listowel and Grainne Leahy Abbeydorney defeated Maura Burke Milltown and Jessica O’Loughlin Castleisland 21/9, 21/9

(Plate) Fia Spillane Annascaul and Sara Hayes Listowel defeated Anne Hickey Killarney and Ciara Casey Castleisland 21/13

U15 Girls Deina Vesko Listowel and Ailbhe Gammel Killarney defeated Adele O’Brien Killarney and Madison Carter Listowel 18/21, 21/18, 21/12

(Plate) Ciara Knightly Annascaul and Ella Galvin Killarney defeated Laura O’Connor Killarney and Abbie Moriarty Annascaul 21/18

U17 Girls Aoife Bowler Moyvane and Amanda Flynn Milltown 1st place round robin

Olivia Wesolowska Killarney and Caoimhe Burke Milltown were 2nd

U11 Boys Jack Lyne Annascaul and Diarmuid Quirke Milltown defeated Safwan Rahman Killarney and Kiegan Moloney Moyvane 15/9, 15/12

(Plate) Conor Mulvihill Moyvane and Fionn Spillane Annascaul defeated Alex Donowski Castleisland and Pat Brosnan Moyvane 21/19

U13 Boys Tomas O’Sullivan Listowel and Odhran O’Neill Milltown defeated Shahir Rahman Killarney and Patrick O’Connor Moyvane 21/11, 21/7

(Plate) Evan McCarthy Annascaul and Philip Daly Iveragh defeated Eddie Healy Listowel and Shafin Alam Killarney 21/17

U15 Boys Cathal Donovan Annascaul and Cathal Sweeney Moyvane defeated Seamus Bradley Castleisland and Mathew Daly Iveragh 21/19, 21/17

(Plate) Hasib Ahmmed Killarney and Rory McDonnell Milltown defeated Dylan O’Connor Killarney and Tom Hoare Annascaul 21/14

Forthcoming fixtures
Like last Sunday, this coming Sunday should see another full house at the Killarney Sports Arena where once again all 5 Kerry division players will be catered for over 4 separate tournaments.

Div. 1&2 players will play for The Paddy Drummond Cup; div 3 players will contest The Waterstone Cup whilst both divisions 4 and 5 will each do battle for The Mixed Doubles Shield in each division.

The Waterstone Cup commemorates the memory of Archie Waterstone who founded the Kerry Badminton Association in 1936 and was Kerry chairman from 1936 to 1956 and then was elected as the first Kerry Badminton President and held that position from 1956 to1970.

The late Paddy Drummond was one of the doyens of the Tralee County Badminton Club and was a great promoter of the sport in his beloved Tralee. Mr. Drummond also acted as Kerry County Chairman during the 1960s and saw the elevation of Badminton to many towns throughout the County during his tenure..

All players who are taking part on Sunday please be registered before 12.45 pm. PLEASE NOTE; The earlier starting time

Moyvane Tournament
The progressive Moyvane Club will hold their annual Newtownsandes sponsored Badminton tournaments at the local Community Centre on Sunday December 10th with the time programme set out as follows; Div 5 to commence at 12.15 ; div.4 at 2.15; div 3 at 4.15 and div. 2 at 5.30. Entry forms are now with all Kerry County Secretaries

Ladies/Mens Leagues
Following the success of the ladies division 1&2 league last year a new mens league for the same two divisions will take place this season.

The draws for each have now been distributed to all clubs and both should be commencing over the coming days.  Both competitions will this year be kindly sponsored by Suits Select, Ltd, Tralee.

BADMINTON

Sunday last saw the commencement of the Kerry on court playing badminton season with the action ranging from the Munster Butterfield Cup competition which was played in Bishopstown County Cork and the Kerry Knockout Cup club competition which took centre stage in the magnificent Killarney Sports Arena and what a fantastic, magnificent turnout there proved to be at the Killarney venue.

No less than 15 teams representing all the affiliated clubs in Kerry contested the 3 competitions for Kerry divisions 3,4 and 5 which took a full seven and a half hours to complete

At the outset, the Club of the day proved to be the Kingdom club of Castleisland who journeyed home with no less than 2 titles under their belt.

The first honours of the day by Castleisland who captured the Gold medals was the division 5 title where their very youthful protégés,backboned by many teenagers, were Lord of all they surveyed in their section as they finished top of the pile on the scoreline of 23 sets with Killarney edging in front of Moyvane to take the silver medals on 18 points

The division 3 competition saw defending champions Moyvane take on contenders Killarney and Castleisland and In this round robin played event it was point for point but at days end it was Castleisland who garnished title number two by pipping Killarney by just the one point,16 to 15 in an absorbing contest.

The div 4 competition saw 5 clubs battle for supremacy and title holders Listowel looked to be in trouble when they lost their opening match to Iveragh by just the one set but the defending champions edged out both Killarney and Ballyheigue in successive encounters to qualify for the decider where once again their opponents were none other that Iveragh who in turn had disposed of Moyvane.

This final was a nail biting contest where each rally was fought as if life itself depended on it and going into the deciding mixed doubles encounter it was the North Kerry side who were a point in front by 7 to 6..

With 2 points on offer the title would be South bound if the Iveragh side came out on top in this final decider but it was not to be for the South as it was the defending champions who won this vital decider and came out on top by 9 points to 6, but what a wonderful start Sunday last proved to be for the new Badminton season.

Butterfield Cup.
Kerry travelled to Bishopstown , County Cork on Sunday last to take part in the annual Munster Council Butterfield Cup competition where just the 3 Counties competed, namely Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

The draw saw Cork take on Waterford in the opening tie with the the Rebels come out on top on the scoreline of 6 games to 3 so round 2 saw Kerry take on Waterford.

Normally the Kingdom would be raging hot favourites to oust the Decies, but possibly the Waterford side having the benefit of an opening game and had got acclimatized to the surroundings shocked the Kingdom by 5 games to 4 where the Kerry wins were at first mens;& second ladies doubles and at both the 1st and 2nd mixed doubles encounters.

There was certainly a mountain for Kerry to climb now if the Kingdom had any hopes of regaining the Butterfield Cup as all the advantages lay with the home side but led by the Kerry ladies the Kingdom did put in a fighting performance as they captured all of the 3 ladies ties, namely ladies singles and both ladies doubles, but those same mens games went to the Rebels even though in the first mens doubles encounter the Kerry pairing only lost out in the third and final set by 26-24 in a torrid encounter.

Kerry went on to win the 1st mixed doubles game but lost overall by another 5-4 so it must be “Whats another Year” for Kerry Badminton as far as the Butterfield Cup is concerned.
November Handicaps.

The next 2 Sundays are two of the biggest days in Kerry Badminton as far as the domestic programme is concerned as both of these days are the only time of the whole season that the players of all Kerry divisions will be in action on the same day.

Sunday next is November Handicap day and players of all divisions are requested to check their entry form to note the starting time that applies to them with the overall programme due to commence at 1 pm. All of these Kerry events will take place in the 8 court Killarney sports centre.

This coming Saturday will also see the start of the Kerry juvenile badminton programme with a series of tournaments to cater for all four age groups, namely Under 11/13/15/17. These juvenile tournaments are due to commence at 11 am, players are requested to sign in by 10.45 am

The ladies and mens leagues are now in progress and all clubs are requested to adhere to the time table as set out for each round .

BADMINTON

LET THE GAMES BEGIN; 
After many weeks of training and preparation the Kerry Badminton season will begin this coming weekend with a double programme which includes the Munster Butterfield Cup competition to be played in Cork and the Kerry Knockout Cup competitions which will be staged in Killarney.

The Kerry senior team will make the journey to Bishopstown on Sunday next to compete in the 71st staging of the Butterfield Cup competition with the opposition to be provided by the home County Cork, who are defending champions, along with Tipperary and Waterford

This competition was played in Thurles last year and there is no doubt what so ever that Kerry let the Butterfield Cup slip through their fingers .

The final game of the competition saw the Kingdom and the Rebels level on points and it was to be winner take all. With the scoreline at 4-2 in Kerry’s favour it looked to be all over and this famed cup would be Kerry bound once again but it was not to be as a fighting Cork side threw caution to the wind and they won all three mixed doubles encounters to pip the Kingdom 5-4 and by the one point 16-15 on the day.

With a home venue this year the Rebels will be fancying their chances once again but this Kerry squad have really trained hard in recent weeks and hopefully their efforts will be rewarded on Sunday next.

It is 3 years since Kerry last won this prestigious trophy and hopefully November 2017 will see it crossing the Kerry border once again.

In compiling these notes the final selection of the 5 ladies and 5 men to compete on Sunday has not been released but they would have been selected on Monday night last from the following panel of players; Edel Broderick, Marion Rohan, Niamh Flaherty, Saorcha Fitzgerald, Elaine Hudson, Sinead Galvin, Maeve Twomey, Tom Bourke, Eric Nelligan, Fergal Hannon, Jonathan Keane, James Leane, Mike Crossan, James Flaherty, Gio Gaudino. Best wishes to all concerned.

The annual Knockout Cup competitions on Sunday will commence the home 2017/18 Kerry Badminton programme of events which will be staged in the Killarney Sports Centre with the starting times of 1pm.

In all 15 teams will compete over the divisions of 3,4 and 5.
In division 3 Clubs Killarney, Kingdom Castleisland and Moyvane will compete; six clubs will do battle in div 4, namely Ballyheigue,Causeway, Iveragh,Killarney, Listowel and Moyvane and 6 clubs will also fight it out in division 5; Annascaul, Ballyheigue, Causeway, Killarney, Castleisland and Moyvane.
The defending champions in these competitions are Moyvane at division 3; Listowel at Division 4 and Killarney at division 5.
All mentors, court helpers and players are requested to report in before 1pm

BADMINTON

The October Bank Holiday weekend is almost upon us; The clocks go back the one hour so the winter season has arrived once again and we face those long dark nights.

For many, winter time can be a lonely period as they feel that they have no outlet to while away those long nights but there is an outlet for those who would like to take part in an exciting, active sport that is played throughout the whole of Ireland and that is the sport of Badminton.

Not alone is badminton an active sport, but it is also a great social outlet suitable for all ages where people meet up and can forge life long friendships.

The Irish Badminton Association was formed in 1899 and it is known that the sport was played in Kerry as far back as the first decade of the 20th century.

Indeed, in a very recent scientific survey on various sports, deemed that in the game of badminton “From a low drop shot at the net to an overhead clear or smash”, can be the most strenuous cardiovascular movement of any sport”

For anyone living in Kerry, or beyond, the following are contacts throughout the County that can give you advice if you wish to take up the sport that is acclaimed in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest of all racquet sports.

Do consider taking up the wonderful sport of Badminton for these long winter months, you won’t find the time flying by.

ANNASCAUL; Contact Lisa Sayers; 085 2734648; Venue; Annascaul Sports Hall. Club nights;8-10 pm
BALLYHEIGUE; Contact Patsy O’Connor; 087 2750380. Venue, Ballyheigue Community Centre; Club nights; 8.30-10 pm
CASTLEISLAND; Contact Catherine Hanrahan; 086 4007333; Venue, Castleisland Community Centre; Club nights; Wed. from 9 pm; Library Hall also in use twice weekly for various divisions
CAUSEWAY; Contact Josie Gilbert; 087 9167634. Venue; Causeway Sports Hall; Club night. Club night; Tues; 9-11pm
IVERAGH; Contact Mike Reardon; 087 8494746. Venue; Valentia Community Centre. Club nights; Mon 8-9pm; Wed; 9-10pm
KILLARNEY; Contact; Jennifer Keane 083 3347228; Venue; Presentation School Hall; Club nights; Mons & Weds; 8.30-10.30 pm
LISTOWEL; Contact Junior Griffin; 087 9107929. Venues-St. Michaels Gym Club nights Mon-Tues Wed; /; Listowel Community Centre Thurs; All times 8-10 pm
MOYVANE; Contact Eileen Roche; 087 6679943. Venue; Moyvane Community Centre. Club nights; ; Mons. & Weds. From 8 pm

All club officers are requested to have their members affiliated and registered without delay as the first Kerry competitions of the new season will be the team events for the Knockout cups which will be played in Killarney on Sunday November 19th in Killarney with the annual November handicap competitions which caters for players of all divisions will take place the following Sunday Dec. 3rd at the same Killarney venue.

Please note that all of the Kerry adult events that will be played in Killarney this coming season will commence at 1 pm which is one hour earlier than in former years.

DELEGATE MEETING
The rearranged County Delegate meeting, postponed from Friday night last, will now take place on this Wednesday night, October 25th, at the Grand Hotel, Tralee, commencing at 8 pm. All club delegates are requested to attend

The executive of the Kerry Badminton Association would like to take this opportunity to wish all clubs, and all their members, every success both on and off court for the coming season.

BADMINTON NOTES — (by Junior Griffin PRO)

The 81st Annual General Meeting of the Kerry Badminton Association took place at the Grand Hotel, Tralee, on Friday night last, September 22nd .

That first ever Badminton AGM took place at the Kerry Protestant Hall, Nelson Street,(now Ashe Street), Tralee on Wednesday November 4th , 1936

Before a well attended meeting on Friday last the following officers were elected to run the Kerry Association for the next 12 months

President; Mr. Johnny Brosnan, Kingdom, Castleisland
Vice President; Mr. Olly Conyard; Moyvane
Chairperson; Mr. Junior Griffin Listowel
Vice Chairperson Mr. Michael Corridan, Moyvane
Hon. Secretary; Ms. Brid Murphy, Castleisland
Assistant Secretary; Mrs. Marion O’Neill, Tralee
Registrar; Mrs. Peggy Horan; Killarney
PRO’s Mr. Maurice O’Shea Tralee) Mr Tom. Bradley Castleisland; ;Mr. Junior Griffin, Listowel

All players and mentors are requested to note that the first competition of the new season under the auspices of the Kerry Association will be the annual Knockout Cup team event which will take place at the Killarney Sports Arena on Sunday November 19th.

The annual Munster Butterfield Cup senior Inter County competition will take place in Cork on the same day, Nov. 19th

The of Division 2, and Division 4 Ladies and Mens Double Badminton Championships held in Killarney Sports & Leisure Centre Friday, March 3.

• Div 2 ladies doubles winners Helen Browne and Saorcha Fitzgerald Moyvane defeated Maeve Twomey Killarney and Brid Murphy Kingdom. 13-21 21-14 23-21

• Div 2 Men’s Doubles winner Donnacha Moloney Moyvane and James Leane Listowel defeated Donie Enright and Timmy Noonan Moyvane 21-15 21-19.

• Div 4 Ladies Doubles winners Paula O Sullivan Ballyheigue and Ciara Hudson Moyvane defeated Michelle Corridan and Bridget McCarthy Moyvane 14-21 21-15 21-17.

• Div 4 Men’s Doubles Winners Colm Moriarty and Aidan Evans Annauscal defeated Paudie Kearney and John Newman Moyvane 26-24 21-16

BADMINTON
It was indeed a mixed tour of Munster last weekend which saw the programme for the Kerry badminton follower switch from Killarney on the Friday night to both Drumtariffe, County Cork and the Waterford W.I.T. on the Sunday.

On the Friday night in Killarney it was the CPC.IE sponsored Kerry even doubles County Championships for divisions 1,3 and 5 which were played in the local Sports Arena and what a wonderful , electrifying feast of all that is good in the sport of badminton was served up on the night before a large appreciative audience.

The singles championships for the same divisions were played off some weeks ago and each of the 6 winners of those championships were also in final action on Friday last as they hoped to add title number two on their quest to complete .the treble of badminton county titles within their own division in the same season.

Those 6 singles winners were div. 1 mens James Flaherty ; div. 1 Ladies, Niamh Flaherty; Div. 3 mens Brendan McGovern; Div. 3 ladies, Niamh Hickey, Div 5 ladies Maria Kennelly,; Div. 5 men; Brendan O.Carroll .

The amazing statistic on those singles winners is that each reached a doubles final on Friday night last which in itself is a rare achievement with four falling at the final hurdle.

In this County which has Saint Brendan as its Patron Saint the two who completed the double on Friday night, both have the Christian name of Brendan, namely Brendan McGovern at div. 3 and Brendan O’Carroll at division 5.

Another statistic from those singles finals is that no less than 4 of the defeated finalists captured ultimate honours in the doubles on Friday night, namely Edel Broderick and Tom Bourke at div. 1; Jebin John at div. 3 and Josie Gilbert at division 5.

The ladies division 1 final saw the Castleisland Club pairing of Edel Broderick and Miriam Rohan take on Niamh O’Flaherty (Moyvane) and Sinead Galvin (Killarney).

Indeed Miss Broderick and Miss O’Flaherty recently contested the div. 1 singles final in which the Moyvane teenager came out on top.

What a first set was seen in this doubles final. Although from different clubs the Moyvane/Killarney pairing really dovetailed together and could seemingly do no wrong.

They looked to be home and dry when they went to set point at 20-15 but to give eternal credit to the Castleisland pairing they never threw in the towel and slowly but surely they narrowed the gap point by point and unbelievably they levelled the set at 20 all and it was they who captured the 2 vital set points to win by 22-20.

The second set now saw the momentum with the Castleisland pair and they led throughout and eventually took the set and title by 21-16.

The mens division 1 final saw the defending champions from Castleisland, Tom Bourke and Eric Nelligan and their opposition were the Moyvane/ Castleisland pair of teenagers James O’Flaherty and Jonathan Keane.

In the recent senior singles decider O’Flaherty had toppled Bourke from the number one spot and this tie had its own bit of bite.It was the teenagers that set the early pace and showing great partnership they took the opening set by 21-16. But the Castleisland pairing are not long time champions for nothing and in a close hard fought 2nd set they edged home by 21-17.

It was the champions who were now in control but at the same time the O’Flaherty/ Keane pairing showed what a bright future they have in the sport as they fought for every shuttle as if life itself depended on it but in sport experience is a valuable asset and the champions retained their crown by 21-13.

For both Bourke and Nelligan it is their eight Kerry doubles title win each. Bourke won his first Kerry doubles in 2003 with Billy Lacey and Nelligan collected his first with Gio Gaudino 2006 but Friday night last was their 5th in a row as a partnership.

In the recent singles final final Annascaul’s Brendan McGovern overcame Jebin John of the Castleisland club but on Friday night last they teamed up as a partnership and what a formidable pairing they proved to be.

Another pair of teenagers on the Kerry badminton scene both have natural badminton talent as this was very evident last Friday but in the other corner you had the tried and trusted Moyvane pairing of Timmy Hanrahan and Jamie Elliott However, it was the McGovern/John pairing that came good in two sets by 21-12; 21-15 to give McGovern his second title of the season with the mixed doubles yet to come.

The ladies division 3 decider saw 4 different clubs represented with Killarney’s Niamh Hickey, the recent singles winner, lining out with Castleisland’s Michelle Beazley. Their opponents were Listowel’s Michelle Kearney, holder of this crown for the past 2 years and her partner was Moyvane’s Francine Collins who was a defeated finalist in this event last year.

This was a hard fought 3 set decider which saw the Moyvane/Listowel pairing just edge out the first set by 21-18. It was Hickey/ Beazley that dominated the second set and were in front from the word go and despite a rally from Kearney/ Collins the Castleisland /Killarney pairing levelled the tie by 21-17.
It was now all to play for in that third and final set but now it was Collins/Kearney that dictated the play and they made sure of victory by taking the set by 21-10.

An early wedding present for Miss Kearney who is to wed later on in the year and this was her 3rd div. 3 doubles title in a row, winning in 2015 with Annascaul’s Lisa Sayers and last year with Niamh O’Flaherty of Moyvane who has since scaled the heights at division 1.

The ladies div. 5 decider again saw a representation of 4 clubs. On one side you had the pairing of Moyvane’s Maria Kennelly and Listowel’s Karen Lawlor and their opponents were the Causeway/Ballyheigue pairing of Josie Gilbert and Lillian Holmes.

In the recent singles final Miss Kennelly overcame Miss Gilbert so the Causeway lady was out for revenge and she duly got in in fine style.

The Causeway/ Ballyheigue pairing were Lord of all they surveyed in the opening set which they won by 21-11 and they again set a hot pace in set number 2. However , the Moyvane/ Listowel pairing made a brave fight back but Gilbert/Holmes clinched victory by 21-18 in that second set.

Causeway clinched another victory in the division 5 mens competition where Brendan O’Carroll, the recent singles winner, and Padraig Barrett were opposed by the Killarney pairing of Colm Hickey and Kumar Shanker. With the stylish O’Carroll in full flow and ably supported by the ever trying Barrett the Causeway pair won in two sets 21-10; 21-12 to give O’Carroll his second County title of the year and just one step away from annexing that coveted treble.

The second phase of the even doubles County Championships which caters for divisions 2 and 4 will take place again in Killarney this coming Friday night March 3rd. All players and court helpers are requested to note the start time of 7.30 pm so please check in on good time.

On Sunday next the action again switches to Waterford where the annual Brewster Cup competition will be played.

Kerry had a good start to the new millennium when winning this prestigious Cup, which commenced in 1951, in 2000 and 2003 but it has eluded the Kingdom since despite several second place finishes.

Hopefully the Kingdom will go the full way this year The Kerry panel for next Sunday is as follows;

. Men…Fergal Hannon,Mike Crossan, Jonathan Keane, James Flaherty, & James Leane. .Ladies　Edel Broderick, MaeveTwomey, Sinead Galvin, Miriam Ronan, & Brid Murphy.
Team manager, Billy Lacey

The Munster singles finals will take place in the U.L. ,Limerick on March 12th. These competitions caters for the winners of each Grade within each County. Best of luck is extended to all Kerry competitors..

Munster Inter County
Two Kerry teams were involved in the Munster Inter County series on Sunday last with the Grade C team involved in a straight shoot out with Cork in Dromtariffe, County Cork and the Grade E team were involved in a 4 County battle in Waterford
In Dromtariffe it was so near, and yet so far away for the Kingdom. What a battle they had with the Rebels. Cork went 3-1 up but Kerry fought back to level at 3 games each and then they went 4-3 up. Cork again levelled at 4 each and it was now all down to that vital 3rd mixed left to play but despite a noble effort by the Kerry pairing it proved to be Cork’s day as they just edged home by 5-4
The Kerry team as follows; Edel Broderick, Miriam Rohan,Maeve Twomey, Sinead Galvin, Niamh O’Flaherty, Tom Bourke, James O’Flaherty, Eric Nelligan, Fergal Hannon.

The Grade E competition was played in Waterford with 4 Counties participating, namely, Waterford, Tipperary, Cork and Kerry and what an extraordinary story revolved around the climax of this competition. Kerry commenced with a 5-4 victory over Cork whilst Tipperary overcame Waterford by 6-3; Round 2 was not a happy occasion for the Kerry camp as they never hit their true form and fell to Waterford by 6-3 whilst Tipperary defeated Cork by 6-3. It was now all to play for in the third and final round and the Kingdom did raise their game after that Waterford defeat and overcame Tipperary by 5-4. In the mean time the Decies had the biggest win of the day when they defeated Cork by 7-2 so the overall result saw Tipperary and Waterford level on 16 points; Kerry were on 13 points with Cork on 9 points. By virtue of their first round win over the home County, Tipperary were declared winners but Kerry had the unusual distinction of winning two out of their 3 games, they deeated the eventual champions, Tipperary and yet only finished in 3rd place. Such are the variations of the Round Robin system. Were the Kingdom disaappointed? Yes they were but they can also take heartfrom their overall display.The Kerry panel was as follows;
Brid Murphy, Ruth Concannon, Sorcha Fitzgerald, Mairead O’Regan, Helen Browwne, Donie Enright, Jonathan Keane,Donnacha Moloney, Timmy Noonan, Aidan McCarthy.
Joint managers; Marion O’Neill and Catherine Hanrahan

Ballyheigue tournament.
All roads led to Ballyheigue on Sunday last where the local club held their annual tpurnament which catered for Kerry divisions 3,4 and 5 with well over 70 players competing from throughout the County. The fare was top quality with many of the encounters going to the third and final set for decision
Results as follows;

Division 5 final – Donnchadh Foley [Annascaul] and Karen Lawlor [Listowel] defeated Niall Hanlon [Causeway] and Eibhlis Brosnan [Kingdom, Castleisland]
Division 5 Plate – Brendan Carroll [Causeway] and Lilian Holmes [Ballyheigue] defeated Kyle Reidy [Ballyheigue] and Deirdre McAuliffe [Listowel]

Division 4 Final – John McDonnell [Ballyheigue] and Marie O Connor [Killarney] defeated Tom Bradley [Kingdom] and Paula O Sullivan [Ballyheigue].

Division 4 Plate – James O Mahony [Causeway] and Claire Cahill [Kingdom] defeated Mike Keane [Moyvane] and Sara Leahy [Causeway].

Division 3 Final – Jebin John [Kingdom] and Amanda Carmody [Moyvane] defeated Tim Griffin [Ballyheigue] and Renee Lenihan [Kingdom].

BADMINTON
Two well known picturesque parts of Ireland, Killarney and Galway, were the focal points of the badminton world from a Kerry perspective last weekend.

The Killarney Sports and Leisure centre hosted the CPC.IE sponsored Kerry Associations singles championships for divisions 2 and 4 for both ladies and men.

In the mens department the exuberance of youth was very much to the fore as it was two teenagers that captured ultimate honours in both finals.

The division 4 decider was an all Annascaul confrontation between 15 year old Cillian Falvey, under 17 County championship winner last week, and his club colleague Colm Moriarty.

The first set was a close hard-fought battle with point for point exchanged but it was teenager Falvey that edged in front at the critical time to forge victory by 21-19.

Moriarty did fight a brave battle in the second set but the winning of that first set imbued the teenager with confidence and he was always in control and took his first adult title on the second set scoreline by 21-16.

This is a fantastic achievement by the Annascaul club as young Falvey retains this title which was won by another Annascaul teenager last year, Brendan McGovern and the same Brendan McGovern went on to win the division 3 title just a few weeks ago.

Certainly thanks to Mary Falvey and her cohorts, the game of badminton is thriving in the West Kerry village.

The second teenager to hold centre stage was Jonathan Keane of the Kingdom Club of Castleisland and in the opposing corner of this division 2 mens doubles final was last years finalist Donie Enright of the Moyvane club.

The opening set saw the the sides level at 4 all, 6 all and at 8 all but from there on it was Enright who set the pace and captured the set by 21-16.

Whatever the break did to the Castleisland man, it was a different Keane who took control of set number 2. From the outset he controlled this set and led at 5-1 and at 12-8.

Even though Keane was always in control the feature of this set was the long rallies in which Enright played a major role but it was teenager Keane who captured the set to level the match by 21-14.

The third set was almost a carbon copy of the second with Keane playing the ideal singles game of clear -clear and drop.

Again the fare served up by both players was a joy to behold but it was the youthful legs that lasted the pace better and despite the gallant effort by the noble Enright it was Jonathan Keane’s division 2 singles title on the third set scoreline of 21-8.

The successful Kerry grade D team of just a few weeks ago saw Killarney’s Sinead Galvin and Moyvane’s Sorcha Fitzgerald fighting the Kerry cause together but last Sunday saw both in opposition in the ladies division 2 decider.

It was the Killarney lady who always kept that step ahead throughout and she came good in the first set by 21-16.

The second set followed the same pattern and despite the best effort of the Moyvane girl it was Galvin who captured her 5th title at this grade, her first being back in 2001.

The ladies division 4 final was a contest between Christine Quirke of the Iveragh club and Moyvane’s Denise Collins. What an amazing, absorbing 1st set there was to this encounter.
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It was score for score in the early stages with the sides level at 7 all, 8 all and 9 all, but from there on the Iveragh club player took over and she soared to a 20-15 lead with just one point needed to clinch the set.

It looked all over but not to the gallant Moyvane girl. She never threw in the towel and slowly fought her way back to level at 20 all, an amazing fight back.

From 21 to 23 all the sides were still dead locked but it was the brave Moyvane player who now smelt victory and she clinched the set by 25-23

There was still nothing between the sides in the opening phases of set number 2 with the sides again level at 10 all and at 11 all, but the pendulum had now swung to the North Kerry direction and it was Miss Collins who now set the pace and captured her County title by winning the set 21-16.

Thus finished the 2017 singles County Championships with the ladies and mens doubles to commence on this Friday night for divisions 1,3 and 5.

This is normally one of the biggest nights in the Kerry Badminton Championships and all players are requested to be on call from 7.45 with court helpers to be in attendance from 7.30.

Irish Junior Cup
Galway city hosted the annual Badminton Irish Junior Cup competitions on Sunday last and the Kingdom Club of Castleisland competed in the Grade C section and the Kerry side had a great run in the event.

On the opening Saturday they defeated the local Galway Lawn Tennis Club by 7-0 and then met the Dublin side, Old Bawn, who they defeated by 5-2.

The semi final on Sunday saw Castleisland take on the Kilkenny side Johnswell and it was the Kerry side who came good by 5-2.

On the other side of the draw it was the famed Dublin Club Aylesbury who came through and this proved to be another Dublin/Kerry classic.

This proved to be another gripping encounter with the best of seven games to decide the issue. The sides were level at 2 games each and at 3 games each but it was the Dublin side who clinched that vital mixed doubles encounter by 21-16; 21-17.

The Castleisland side were Tom Bourke, Eric Nelligan, Michael Crossan, Fergal Hannon, Edel Broderick, Miriam Rohan Maeve Twomey and guest player, Celine Connors (Tipperary
The Inter County series continue on two fronts on Sunday next with Cork and Waterford being the venues.

The Grades concerned are C and E and Kerry will be competing in both. The Grade C section will be a straight play off between Cork and Kerry and this is to be played in Drumtariffe, County Cork.

The Kerry panel was not known when compiling these notes.

The Kerry Grade E team travel to Waterford where they will be doing battle with Counties Waterford, Cork,and Tipperary. This squad have trained diligently under the stewardship of joint managers, Marion O’Neill and Catherine Hanrahan and the best of luck is extended to both teams.

The Kerry Grade E panel is as follows; Brid Murphy, Ruth Concannon, Sorcha Fitzgerald, Mairead O’Regan, Helen Browne, Donie Enright, Jonathan Keane, Donnacha Moloney Timmy Noonan and Aidan McCarthy.

Ballyheigue Annual Tournament
Whilst many may be awaiting results from both Kerry teams on Sunday, for the majority all roads will lead to Ballyheigue where the host club will stage their annual tournaments for Kerry divisions 3,4 and 5.

There is no doubt but the seaside village will have a large influx of players from throughout the County on Sunday next with the starting times as follows; Division 5 at 11.45; division 4 at 2.30 and division 3 at 5 pm

Members of all clubs throughout the County are reminded that the County raffle will take place in 3 weeks time, Sunday March 19th so all sold cards should be returned to clubs as soon as possible

BADMINTON

The Killarney Sports centre was the Mecca for all Munster Badminton enthusiasts on Sunday last where the Provincial Senior 2 and the Graduates Championships, which were hosted by the Kerry Association, were played off and to put it simply and mildly, Sunday last was a good day at the office for Munster Badminton.

Good entries were received for both events and if one was to look at the various score sheets afterwards it was amazing to see the number of games that had to go to the third and final set for decision, the competition was so very close throughout.

From a Kerry viewpoint it was also a good day at the office as in the Senior 2 championship the Kingdom were represented in 3 finals and winning one, the ladies singles, and in the Graduates Kerry players reached no less than 4 out of the 5 finals played, with the Kingdom coming good in 3 of these finals and one of these deciders, the ladies singles, proved to be an all Kerry confrontation.

Sunday last saw Tralee’s Edel Broderick who plays out of the Kingdom Club of Castleisland, lose out in the Kerry Division 1 final to Moyvane teenager Niamh O’Flaherty and Miss Broderick openly admitted that she was “stuck to the ground” in that Kerry decider.

Last Sunday saw Miss Broderick again battle her way to the Munster final where she was opposed by Corks Lucy Kearns who earlier had overcame Miss O’Flaherty in the semi final.
What an utter transformation one week can make to any player .

On Sunday last Miss Broderick was absolutely fantastic. In the opening set it was point for point with the sides level at 6 all but from there on the Kerry lady went into over drive Every shot played was an education in how to play the game of badminton.

Her clearances, her drops and her drives were a joy to behold and all of these came from absolutely perfect footwork which is so essential to the sport. That first set saw the Kerry lady power her way to a 21-13 win despite the best efforts of the Cork lady.

The second set saw Miss Broderick score the first point but she immediately hit her next serve out beyond the boundary line to level the tie at one point each but it was only a temporary blemish as Miss Broderick again found her first set form and could do no wrong as she mounted up the points to lead at 8-4.

Fair play to Miss Kearns she did not throw in the towel and she fought back to give herself a chance to be just 10-8 and 12-11 down but the Tralee girl again raised her game to capture the set and Munster title on the second set scoreline of 21-16.

Miss Broderick’s day was not yet done. All though Miss Kearns was her singles final opponent they had teamed up as a pair and battled their way to the ladies doubles decider where their opponents were the Tipperary/ Waterford pairing of Celine Connors and Tanya Morrissey.

Whether the singles encounter had been that bit too much for both players but neither hit their true form in this doubles final and it was the Tipperary/ Waterford pairing that came good by 21-13; 21-9 but Miss Broderick proved in that singles final that she has the talent and capabilities to come good at a higher level.

The mens senior 2 singles final saw the other involvement of a Kerry player and this was the newly crowned Kerry senior singles champion James O’Flaherty. His opponent in this contest was Waterford’s Callum Thomas.

What an exciting 3 set final this proved to be with the Kerry champion winning the opening set by 21-14. The second set was point for point but it was the Waterford man who closed it out at the vital time by 21-16.

Set number 3 saw the Kerry champion lead at 7-4 but what a closing chapter there was to this set with the pair locked together all the way from 13 all to 17 all but a few costly mistakes cost the Kerryman dearly and it was Thomas who edged in front at 18-16 and eventually won the set and title by 21-17 but fair play to teenager O’Flaherty, he admitted afterwards that he had the title in his grasp and let it slip away but one can learn so much from games like this.

The ladies singles Graduate final was a spectacle in its own right and it involved two Kerry players with Moyvane’s Sorcha Fitzgerald taking on the Kingdom Club of Castleisland representive Ruth Concannon.

There was absolutely nothing at all between these two game players as both gave their all in this gripping contest with that opening set saw the sides level at 11, 13 and 14 all. It was the Moyvane lady who seized the initiative at this stage and led at 18-15 but the Castleisland club lady got the next 2 points to narrow the gap to just one score to 18-17 but the game Miss Fitzgerald again broke serve and took that opening set by 21-19.

The opening phase of the second set saw the pair level at 3 all but now the pendulum swung in favour of Miss Concannon and playing superb badminton she kept her nose in front throughout the remainder of that set which she took by 21-17.

So to that vital third set and the sides were still locked together at 6 all but some wonderful and skilful play by Miss Concannon saw her in control at the change of ends at 11-8 but everyone know what battlers these Moyvane badminton players are like and playing super stuff she was back into contention again at 13 all and in this enthralling contest the sides were still together at both 16 all and 18 all.

Who was to get the Glory? Who was to suffer the pain? Before a big audience both girls gave everything they had but there can only be one winner and the plaudits went the way of Miss Concannon who just triumphed over the gallant Miss Fitzgerald on the final scoreline of 21-19 but what a wonderful contest it proved to be.

But these two talented players were not yet finished . They had come together as a pair and after that extraordinary singles encounter they still had the will and energy to battle their way to the ladies doubles decider where the opposition was provided by the Waterford pairing of Natilie Brown and Rachel Walsh and this proved to be another hard battling 3 set encounter.

Could the Kerry girls go the full distance after that magnificent singles battle. Well they did win the first set by 21-17 but the Waterford pair battled back to take set number 2 by 21-18. Could those Kerry girls last out another third set?

They certainly could and did. Showing great flair they controlled that final set and won by 21-16 to give Miss Concannon her second gold medal on the day and Miss Fitzgerald had her gold to match up with her silver from that epic singles encounter.

The Graduate mens single final and the mixed doubles revolved around Moyvane’s Timmy Noonan and what a performance the flame haired Moyvane man gave in both. The mens singles decider saw Noonan take on Limerick’s Sugesh Chandran with the Limerick man winning the opening set by 21-17.

But the talented Noonan gave his all in the second set and it was point for point with the Kerryman coming out on top by 21-19. The third set was spell binding with the Limerick man setting a hot pace and he led by 6-1 and by 11-9 at the change of ends.

However, the game Noonan would not throw in the towel and he battled back to level the set at 13 all and again at 16 all; 17 all and 19 all.

They still were not divided as they were again locked together at 20 all with whoever could get those 2 points in front to clinch the title but, regretfully, it was not to be the Moyvane man as it was the Limerick man who just stole in front in another epic to gain victory by 22-20.

Noonan’s day was not yet over. In the mixed doubles he was drawn with Waterford’s Natilie Brown who had earlier lost out in the ladies doubles final with her partner Rachel Walsh.
Noonan and Brown battled their way to the mixed final where the opposition was provided by none other than Miss Walsh and her regular Waterford partner Gavan Dunford.

This was a tough one to call for Noonan and Brown as their opposition was a tried and tested partnership but showing great flair in a score for score hard fought opening set it was the Kerry/Waterford pairing that came good by 21-19.

Noonan had now found his range and showering the shuttle to all corners of the court and ably abetted by Miss Brown who excelled at the net play the Kerry/ Waterford pairing came good to win the set and title by 21-14 to give both players a gold and silver medal each on the day.

Overall, a satisfying day for Kerry Badminton.

Munster Inter County
The Badminton spotlight switches to Limerick’s U.L.Arena on Sunday next where the Inter County Competitions for Grades D,F and G will take place. The Grade D competition would see a combination of division 1 &2 of the old grading system players; Grade F would be Division 3 players whilst Grade G would be the division 4 players.

Regretfully no panels were released at the compiling of these notes but best of luck is extended to all the Kerry players.

The Kerry Association wish to sincerly thank all who supported their annual quiz in Tralee on Friday night last. The night was an unqualified success with tables from all over the County and all sponsorship received from all quarters is much appreciated with Mr. Dominic Scanlan ,Listowel being a most entertaining quiz master

BADMINTON
County Championship Titles!!!

The mention of those three simple words to any sportsman, or woman, raises the blood levels and fills every athlete with inspiration and enthusiasm as they battle to reach their own holy grail.

There is no doubt but the CPC.IE sponsored Kerry Badminton Singles County Championships for divisions 1,3 and 5 played at the Killarney Sports Centre on Sunday last saw some of the finest badminton played in the Kerry Championships for quite some time and in the process at the division 1 level another bit of Kerry badminton history was made by the O’Flaherty family of Moyvane as the teenager brother and sister , James and Niamh both won the senior titles for the very first time.

Indeed, Niamh at 16 years of age is as far as the known records are known is the first ever player to win the ladies crown at such a tender age.

In the opposing corner on Sunday last was former title holder from the Kingdom Club of Castleisland, Edel Broderick. From the outset Miss Broderick did not know what hit her as the bubbling teenager chased every shuttle as if life itself depended on it and despite the best efforts of the former champion Miss O’Flaherty edged home by 21-18.

The second set was almost a carbon of the first with youthful exuberance being the telling factor and the top prize for ladies badminton in Kerry was garnished by Miss O’Flaherty on the second set score of 21-16.

The mens division 1 decider was a repeat of last years final which saw champion Tom Bourke just edge out teenager James O’Flaherty in 3 sets and those who witnessed that match last year felt the quality would never be surpassed but what an exhilarating,absolutely classic final the huge attendance witnessed on Sunday last.

In one corner was the 10 time champion within the last eleven years, Tom Bourke and once again in the other corner was the pretender to the throne, eighteen year old James Flaherty of Moyvane.

Both players threw everything at each other in that nail biting first set of 21 points, and the sides were level with each other at 20 all with whoever would get a two point lead would take that opening set. But they were still tied at 21 each, at 22 each and 23 each but those years of experience at this juncture served Bourke well and he clinched the set by 25-23.

The second set was tentative as both players sought the opening but they were still level at 4 points each.

Both led at different times but again they were all square at 12 points each but it was the teenager who slowly stole a point or two in front at the critical point of the set which he eventually the match by clinching that second set by 21-18.

It was now all systems go for that match winning third set which saw the defending champion lead by 2 nil and 4-2 but at the changes of sides it was O’Flaherty that led at 11-9 and he was never again headed as he kept his nose in front at 13-10, at 17-14 and at 19-16.

A brief rally by the defending champion saw him come within two points of the teenager at 20-18 but after another heart warming rally James O’Flaherty captured his first ever senior singles Kerry title as he clinched victory by 21-18

It was some victory by the 18 year old but spare a thought for the outgoing champion. Tom Bourke has been an outstanding servant to Kerry and Munster badminton and has been a wonderful ambassador for the sport throughout his career, but like Roger Federer a few hours earlier, don’t write him off yet.

There is no doubt but there is badminton talent in abundance between these O’Flaherty siblings and the mind boggles at what they could possibly achieve on the Kerry Badminton circuit and beyond over the next 30 years or so.

The division 5 singles events which ran in conjunction with the senior championships saw more exciting contests with the division 5 ladies decider between Moyvane’s Marie Kennelly and the Causeway Club secretary Josie Gilbert.

It was the Causeway lady who came good in the opening set by 21-14 and that was the same scoreline in set number 2 but this time it was the Moyvane lady who came out on top. The impetus was now with Miss Kennelly and she made no mistake and took the set and title by 21-12.

The division 5 mens final saw Causeway take on Annascaul and it was the top seeded Brendan Carroll of Causeway that upheld his rating by overcoming Annascaul’s Donnacha O’ Foghlu in two straight sets by 21-8; 21-11 to give the Causeway following a great boost.

The mens division 3 decider saw another Annascaul representive in the personage of Brendan McGovern who took on the Castleisland Club player Jebin John. Strange to relate in the recent mens division 3 league final both of these players were on the same winning team as McGovern was on loan to Castleisland but on Sunday last the West Kerry teenager was representing his own club and the title was his in two sets by 21-17 in a close first set and winning the second by 21-12.

This is a wonderful success story by McGovern as last season he was the division 4 winner and it is a rarity for players to be successful in different divisions in successive years.

The last final of the day was the division 3 decider and this proved to be an all Killarney confrontation which saw Samira Hayes take on Niamh Hickey. What a wonderful contest this final proved to be with just seven points between the sides over the three thrilling sets.

It was Miss Hayes who took the opener by 21-18 but in both the remaining sets it was score for score but it was Miss Hickey who edged in front on the same score in both sets by 21-19.
So ended the first day of the 2017 championships with the div. 2 & 4 championships also in Killarney on Sunday February 19th. All players are requested to enter in time, entry forms are now with club secretaries.

This coming Friday will see the Kerry Badminton Association hold their annual quiz in O’Donnell’s Bar, Mounthawk, Tralee.. All clubs are requested to support this quiz and more especially, all those players who are selected on Kerry team squads.

All teams cost the County Association a lot of money, so adult team members as well as the parents of the juvenile team players are invited to support the quiz or sponsor a table.

MUNSTER CHAMPIONSHIPS
Munster Badminton returns to the Killarney Sports Centre on Sunday next where the Munster senior 2 and the Munster Graduates championships will be played off with both events to be hosted by the Kerry Association. Many ask the question who is eligible to compete in the graduates?

From a Kerry perspective any player who has not played at a high level for their County would be eligible. in fact Kerry players up to division 3 should consider playing, such competition from outside players can only help ones game. Details if required from Jennifer Keane at 083 3347228. Hope Kerry will be well represented at these events on Sunday next

BADMINTON
Killarney and Limerick were the Badminton attractions on last weekend when the Munster senior 1 and the Munster Junior Championships were played in Killarney whilst round 1 of the Munster juvenile Inter County Championships were played off in Limericks UL Arena.

The Munster junior championships was not a bad competition at all from a Kerry perspective as out of the five events to be played for, namely ladies and mens singles, ladies and mens doubles and the mixed doubles, Kerry players contested all 5 finals played; were successful in one; lost one close 2 setter; and each of the other 3 had to go to the third set for decision.

There was no joy this year for Kerry players in the senior 1 championships but overall there was no joy at all in these senior championships. The old song queried; Where are all the flowers gone”

The question for the Munster championships of 2017 begs the question “Where are all the ladies gone?”

Due to a shortage of the female species there was no ladies singles, no ladies doubles and therefore no mixed doubles, not a good day at the office for the Munster seniors.

The Juniors, however, was a most entertaining championships with many wonderful encounters for the crowd to enjoy.

The Kerry success came in the ladies doubles where the Killarney club pairing of Sinead Galvin and Maeve Twomey had a great 2 set win over the Cork/Waterford pairing of Jo Murphy and Shauna Kennelly. For Mrs. Galvin in particular this was a gratifying success as earlier she had fallen to Miss Kennelly in a ladies singles cracker.

The early stages of both sets of this ladies doubles final followed the same pattern, score for score early on but in both sets the Kerry power told and they captured that Munster title by 21-12; 21-13.

In the early stages of that ladies singles decider it was point for point right up to 6 all but Miss Kennelly took control from there on and captured the set by 21-10.

It was a different Galvin in set number 2 , no doubt from the promptings of Tom Bourke who was in her corner and from the word go she was in control of the set winning by 21-16.

Mrs Galvin commenced the third set and what did she do, she served out of court to give her opponent point number 1 and amazingly the Killarney lady hit a right bad patch by powering the following 6 points out of court also to go 7-1 down.

It was indeed a bad start but to her credit she never threw in the towel. She was 11-3 down at the change of sides but she fought back to come within a point of her opponent on three occasions at 15-14; at 16-15 and at 17-16 but the effort told its toll as the Waterford lady again took control and won the set and title by 21-16 but the Killarney lady showed wonderful courage to battle back

The mens singles final saw Listowel’s Fergal Hannon take on Tipperary’s Robbie Ingram. A very hard fought first set saw the Kerryman triumph by 21-19 but the Premier County man took over the second set winning by 21-14.

What an absolute spectacle the third set proved to be with the sides level on no less than 7 times. Hannon on a few times seemed to be in control but on a number of times he threw some short serves that cost him dearly which brought the Tipperary man back into the game.

At 19 all it was nail biting stuff but Ingram closed out the game to win the set by 21-19 to capture the singles crown.

Hannon was also involved in the mens doubles final being partnered by his Listowel club member, James Leane.

The Kerry pair were always fighting an uphill battle in the first set against the Tipperary/ Waterford pairing of Aidan Barry and Gary Alcorn going down by 21-11 but the Kerry pair raised their game in the second set and seemed to have the set won with the shuttle clipping the net cord but it came back to favour the opposition who levelled the tie at 20 all before going on to win the set and title by 23-21.

The last final of the day was the mixed doubles decider which saw Maeve Twomey of Killarney joining forces with Cork;s Paul Kingston and their final opposition were the Cork/Tipperary pairing of Ann Murphy and Aidan Barry

Twomey/Kingston won the opening set by 21-14 but the Cork/ Tipperary pairing controlled set number 2 winning by 21-11. The deciding set was hard fought with many exciting rallies but Murphy/Barry hit the front at the critical juncture and captured the title on the third set score of 21-14 but overall it was not a bad day at all for the Kerry competitors.

Munster Juveniles.
The Intercounty juvenile team competitions took place in the U.L. Arena on Sunday last. Kerry had 4 teams entered but at the end of the day there was no joy for the Kerry teams.The under 11 team reached the semi final before bowing out to Waterford whilst the under 15 team did likewise losing out their semi-final to Cork but both the under 13 and under 17 teams fell out early on in their respective events.

Kerry singles County championships

The serious stuff within the confines of Kerry Badminton commences in the spacious Killarney Sports Centre on Sunday next .

It is the opening series of the CPC.IE sponsored Kerry Badminton County Championships for 2017. The allure and honour of winning a County title is the ultimate ambition of every sports person and those involved in the game of Badminton are no different.

The opening phase next Sunday caters for both ladies and men in divisions 1,3 and 5. Entry forms have been distributed to club secretaries and it is hoped that all who fancies their chances to win a singles title will participate on Sunday next.

A reminder to all clubs. The annual table quiz will take place in O’Donnell’s Bar Tralee on Friday Feb. 3rd. The support of all clubs is most important

With the Christmas festivities now over for another year all Kerry Badminton enthusiasts are geared up for what is undoubtedly the business end of the season.

The pre Christmas programme is generally dominated by tournaments and other minor events, but once the cold chill of January hits the air the serious side of the Kerry and National Badminton programme roars into full flight and will go right up to the time when the Buds of May start blooming again.

This coming week is indeed a busy one on the Kerry front. This Wednesday night Jan. 11th will see the finals of the division 3 and 4 ladies and mens leagues which commenced last October and will take place in the Tralee Presentation Gym to commence at 8 pm..

Both ladies finals are sponsored by Agri Auto Parts, Tralee and Listowel, whilst both mens deciders are sponsored by Speedy’s Bar, Moyvane.

Indeed, the Kerry Badminton Association and all clubs affiliated to Kerry wish to pay tribute to both companies for their continued sponsorship of these competitions.

In the division 3 ladies final Moyvane will be going for 3 in a row as they do battle with Killarney whilst in the div. 3 mens decider Castleisland’s Kingdom Club will take on Killarney.

Both the division 4 finals will see two more clubs seeking the glory of 3 in a row title wins. In the ladies final, champions Ballyheigue are opposed by Moyvane whilst the div.4 mens decider which is a repeat of last seasons show down will see champions Moyvane once again being opposed by the West Kerry Club Annascaul.

If last seasons deciders are anything to go by, the Presentation Gym is the place to be on Wed. night.

Kerry Schools

The Kerry Schools finals will take place in the Killarney Sports Centre this Thursday, January 12th, and are set to commence at 11 am.

Due to the Christmas holidays the number of participating schools for this year was not available when these notes were being compiled but if it is anything like last season, it certainly is going to be a mammoth days badminton.

On that day last January no less than 27 teams competed in the 3 age groups assigned; .under 14-16 and 19, with 13 girls teams and 14 teams of boys , with 4 players on each team, and there was overall 12 schools represented on the day.
And that was not the end of the story..

One of the under 14 boys team,Tralee C.B.S.,The Green, not alone won Kerry on the day but also went on to win both Munster and All Ireland glory and this feat was one of the highlights of the Kerry Badminton season last year.

Hopefully such an achievement can be replicated over the weeks ahead.

Listowel Tournaments

The Listowel Club will be the main focus of Badminton this coming weekend when the local club will host their annual tournaments over the Saturday and Sunday.

The Saturday programme which is also open to players from outside the County, will cater for division 1 &2 players over 3 separate competitions which comprises of ladies and mens doubles and mixed doubles.

Indeed this is the 46th annual holding of this mixed doubles event which over the years has seen winners from all 4 Provinces as well as from Scotland and is the longest running club tournament in Ireland.

The fourth event on the Saturday is the Masters competition which caters for those who are 45 years or over. Saturday will commence with the ladies and mens doubles competitions at 10.30 am.

The Sunday programme caters for Kerry divisions 3,4 and 5 and these divisions are generally very well supported from all corners of the County. Division 5 will commence at 11.45 am; Division 4 at 2.30 pm and division 3 at 4.30 pm.

The Listowel Club wish to announce a new innovation that they will hold over both days. This is what they will call.SOS, a Serve Our Shuttle competition and this will be open to all attending, non players as well as players, even the non badminton fraternity are invited to try their luck. Come along and see what it is all about.

Munster Badminton

The serious side of the Badminton season will well and truly commence in Killarney on Sunday January 22nd where the Munster Senior 1 and the Munster Junior Badminton Championships will take place.

Entry forms are now with club secretaries. A reminder to all Kerry players, the CPC.IE sponsored Kerry Badminton County Championships are only just a few weeks away.

These are the ladies and mens singles County Championships for divisions 1,3 and 5. To all singles hopefuls, Christmas is over, start training and be fit and raring to go for the last Sunday of January.

ONE of the great Irish novels was first printed in 1879 and this was “Knocknagow” by Charles Kickham.

One of the main features in this book was the hammer throwing contest between the local Captain and Matt the Thrasher.

To win this contest Matt got his inspiration from looking at his native place and quoted those immortal words “For the honour and Glory of the little Village”.

In the Badminton context, these famous words could also be attributed to the members of the Moyvane Badminton Club after their amazing, unbelievable achievement of being named the all Ireland Badminton Club of the year for 2016 on Saturday night last, and no doubt, on their arrival home on Sunday evening from the Hilton Airport Hotel in Dublin, those words of Matt the Thrasher sunk deep into the hearts and souls of every Moyvane player and mentor as they drove into their native village.

When one considers there are 400 clubs affiliated to Badminton Ireland, and for a small rural club like Moyvane with a population of under one thousand people to achieve such an accolade is like a fairytale, but fairytales do come true.

There was a huge turnout in Dublin on Saturday last for the Badminton Ireland Awards night and the event was compered by Mr. Con Murphy of R.T.E. In his address Mr. Murphy remarked that the only thing he knew about Moyvane was that the former Irish Soccer manager, Mr. Eoin Hand had settled down there.

The other 2 clubs in contention for the award were Oranmore of Galway and the Fair Play Club of Dublin and the many Moyvane members present went ecstatic when their club was announced as the overall winner with the trophy being presented by Badminton Ireland President Mrs. Betty Thompson of Cork.

The beginnings of Moyvane Badminton is indeed a humble story. It started with the juveniles in the old Marian Hall under the tutelage of people like Madge Groarke and William Flaherty.

Due to the low ceiling in this hall it was not deemed suitable for adult play. The new Community Centre opened in 1984 and people such as Anna Marie Corridan and Pat Flaherty decided to try and commence badminton but there was no money available.

The first sponsorship they got was from local publican Eileen Mulvihill at Brosnan’s Bar who purchased their first net for them .Indeed , many meetings were held in Brosnan’s later on and Eileen always provided tea and sandwiches for them at no cost.

On the October Monday Bank Holiday the same year after purchasing a few tins of paint the centre was lined out for Badminton after Anna Marie, who became the first club secretary, and Pat first visited the Listowel Hall to get the proper court measurements.

Fund raising was arranged at Christmas and a second net was purchased.

Such was the modest beginnings of the current Moyvane Badminton Club.
No doubt but rural areas like Moyvane can bond that bit more than the urban areas when they wish to realise a dream and over the years since, Moyvane have been blessed with many willing workers like their current officers such as Michael Corridan, Chairman; Eileen Roche, secretary and Carmel Hudson, Treasurer, but one of the real secrets of the Moyvane success story is the willingness and dedication of their players.

Since they captured their first league title at division 5 in 1993 the Moyvane club have come a long way but one wonders did they ever envisage in their wildest dreams that on a Saturday night in Dublin in the year of 2016 that they would be crowned the All Ireland Club of the Year. Dreams, like fairytales, do come true.

Munster Juvenile C/ships

The Munster close under 11/15 Badminton championships took place at the U.L., arena, Limerick on Saturday last but there was no outright joy for the Kerry competitors.

Moyvane’s Christopher O’Donoghue did very well to battle his way to both the boys doubles and the mixed doubles finals.

In the boys doubles final Christopher teamed up with John O’Sullivan of Cork but they went down in two sets to a Cork pairing by 15-7; 17-11.

In the mixed decider Christopher was partnered with Lucy Fox of Waterford. They captured the first set by 15-12 and went so near in set number two before going down by the narrowest of margins 14-15 and lost the third set by 15-11.

The New Year;
Kerry Badminton will commence in 2017 with the ladies and mens league finals in the Presentation Gym, Tralee on Wed. January 11th to commence at 8 pm.
The following day, January 12th ill be a busy day in the Killarney Sports Centre where the Kerry Schools finals will be played off.

That weekend will see the the annual Listowel tournaments take place with the division 1& 2 competitions plus the Masters,over 45, on the Saturday and on Sunday it will be the turn of Kerry divisions 3,4 and 5.

Entry forms have been sent out to all club secretaries.

To all players and mentors in Kerry Badminton, have a Happy Christmas and an enjoyable New Year; and your resolution for 2017; do check your fixture lists and play as much Badminton as possible

BADMINTON

Limerick’s U.L. Arena was the centre of attention for Munster Badminton enthusiasts on Sunday last where the individual championships tor Grades F.G and H were played off and from a Kerry view point it was not a bad day at all, especially in the Grade F events.

There was no Kerry finalist in either the Grade G & H competitions but of the 5 finals played in grade F, Kerry players contested 3 of these with outright success coming in one event which was the mixed doubles decider.

In this event Moyvane’s Timmy Hanrahan teamed up with Killarney club player Leab Workman and they really gelled well together to forge an excellent 2 set victory.

The first set was hard fought and extremely close before the Kerry pair came out on top by just the 3 points, 21-18 but it was all Kerry in set number 2 as they took an early command and came out winners by 21-13.

The game Hanrahan was also involved in the mens doubles final where he was partnered by his club colleague Jamie Elliott. Their final opponents were the local U.L. club pairing of Wilbert Sison and Tony O’Connor.

This proved to be a hard fought 3 set battle with the Kerry pair coming out on top in the first set by 21-11 but the Limerick pair found their rhythm in the second set and won it by 21-16 and went on to capture the title in the third and final set by 21-14 despite the best efforts of the Kerry pair.

The third decider with a Kerry involvement was the mens singles final which saw Brendan McGovern of Annascaul do battle with Limerick’s Tony O’Connor.The Kerry youth in a close first set went down by 21-17 but he really showed his class and talent in the second set which he won by 21-15.

The third set, however, was the one who settled the better in that third and final set as he built up an 18-11 lead but McGovern showing typical West Kerry fighting spirit slowly narrowed the gap and amidst tremendous excitement he levelled the set at 19 all.

What a wonderful come back but it was not to be as O’Connor regained his composure just at the brink of defeat and he closed out those vital 2 points to edge out the wonderful McGovern by 21-19 in that classic third set but overall it was not a bad day for the Kerry contingent.

Munster juv. c/ships
The UL Arena will once again be the focus of Munster badminton on Sunday next where the Munster close under 11& under 15 juvenile championships will be played.
Kerry will have many entrants for these events and best wishes are extended to all.
The Kerry ladies and mens division 3 and 4 leagues, both sponsored by Speedys Bar, Moyvane are nearing completion with the finals fixed for the Tralee Presentation Gym on Jan.11th.

The state of play at the moment is as follows;
Div. 3 ladies; Moyvane have won their 3 games and are awaiting the winners from the Killarney v Kingdom, Castleisland encounter
Div. 3 men; Killarney have won their 3 games and await either Moyvane or Kingdom
Div. 4 Ladies; Moyvane have won section 1 with Ballyheigue coming out on top in section 2.
Div. 4 Men.; In section 1 Moyvane B have 4 games whilst Annascaul have won 5 matches with one game left to play. In section 2 Moyvane have won 4 games . Both Listowel and Ballyheigue have won 2 games each with 2 games left to play.
All outstanding games to be completed before Christmas.

All Ireland rewards;
Badminton Ireland will host their annual rewards and presentation night in Dublin this coming Saturday . This in Badminton is akin to the All Star night on the G.A.A. front
and is usually a gala and glitzy affair and there could be a Kerry success story on the night.

One of the main features on this night is the Club of the year award and out of almost 300 clubs in the Country the short list has boiled down to just 3 and one of those is a Kerry club, namely Moyvane from North Kerry.

The Moyvane citation for the season just gone by is indeed a healthy and a formidable one.

In the Kerry championships they garnished many titles but it was on the league front that they really blazed their trail.

In Kerry they captured the division 2,3 and 4 league titles and these 3 teams also went the full way in the Munster title race and the crowning glory came in Dublin on May 8th last where their Grade F team captured All Ireland glory by winning through for National honours.

Blocking the Moyvane quest for glory are Oranmore from Galway and the Fair Play Club from Dublin, but all Kerry Badminton followers are hoping that another All Ireland title will wing its way to Moyvane and Kerry on Saturday night next