This year’s 60x30 Juvenile Finals look set to be some of the most heated battles witnessed on the Irish Handball stage this year. With some nail-biting semi-finals over the past two weekends, this weekend sees the top class emerge to contest coveted All-Ireland titles.

At the famed handball club of Ballymacelligott in Kerry, Áine Casey will be playing on her own turf when she faces a determined young lady from Roscommon, Lauren O’Riordan, in the Girls U-15 Singles Final. Áine had a bye at the semi-final stage, but will have a tough battle with the athletic Rossie, who defeated Kilkenny’s Denise Doyle in her semi-final on a 21-8, 21-11 scoreline.

In the Girls U-16 Singles Final, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry) will take on the accomplished, Shauna Hilley of Wicklow. Shauna currently holds four World titles and defeated Mayo’s Amy Corrigan in her semi-final, but this meeting with Louise will be an interesting one and the Kerry handballer will provide a stern test to the cáilín from the Garden County.

Also at Ballymac, Kerry continue to show their power in the big alley with Ciara Ó Sé taking on Mayo’s Maria Corrigan. This should also be a well-contested final, with both players in search of a prestigious All-Ireland title. In the Boys U-15 Final at Ballymac, Colm Ó Luing and Séan O’Sé pair up to take on a strong Kilkenny partnership of Pauric Maher and Paul Holden.

Wrapping up proceedings at the Kerry club, Ballydesmond’s finest; Aisling O’Keefe and Catríona Casey will have a battle royal with Ciara Mahon and Mary Phelan from Kilkenny in the U-14 Doubles Final. Kilkenny have eight of the finalists playing over the weekend, showing the standard of handball the Cats are playing at the moment.
The Ballina venue in Tipperary opens proceedings with the Girls U-15 Doubles Final, where Kilkenny’s Nicola and Laura Moore take on Marie Collins and Aoife Gleeson from Clare. In a déjà vu scenario, Rebecca and Ciara Mulholland (Kilkenny) face Clare’s Lisa Loughnane and Aisling Fitzgerald in the U-16 Girls Doubles Final.

Roscommon’s Linda Connolly and Siobhán Tully then face Clare’s Aisling Hannon and Leah O’Keefe in the Girls U-17 Doubles Final. Linda and Siobhan are accomplished players with the St. Coman’s club, with continuing Clare’s run in the doubles, Aisling and Leah will provide a difficult final hurdle for the Rossies.

In the Boys U-17 Doubles Final, also at the Tipp venue, Dylan Clifford and Gerard McGrath (Kilkenny), who overcame Mayo’s Jamie Geraghty and Thomas Fleming in their semi-final battle, will take on Clare’s Alan Leamy and Trevor Vaughan, who recorded a comprehensive win over Ryan McCrystal and Séan O’Kane (Tyrone) in their semi.

In the Boys U-17 Singles Final, Kilkenny’s Chris Dawson faces Tom Hanrahan from the Deise County of Waterford. Tom had a tough semi-final battle with Cavan’s Cormac McMahon in his semi-final but emerged victorious after an 11-6 tie-breaker. Chris defeated Paul Keegan from Ballaghadereen, Mayo in his semi-final, and this meeting with the Waterford handballer looks set to be a tight affair. In the final game at Ballina, Stephen Cooney will take on another Waterford player, Pierce Galvin, following his defeat of Kilkenny’s Eoin Hennessy at the semi-final stage.

In Broadford, Limerick’s Martina McMahon faces Kildare’s lone final candidate, Elaine Egan from Leixlip Handball Club in the U-14 Girls Singles Final. Martina defeated Tyrone’s Clodagh Donaghy in her semi-final, while Elaine had a bye. Second up on the clár, Cork’s Arthur O’Neill faces the man from the West, Fiontán Ó Curraidhín in the Boys U-15 Singles Final. The Galwayman defeated Kilkenny’s Graham Clifford after a tie-breaker in his semi-final, while Arthur had an easy victory over Cavan’s Paul Woods in the second semi.

On the Doubles front, Limerick’s Padraig O’Carroll and Steven Foley face Michael O’Brien and Patrick Funchion (Kilkenny) in the Boys U-16 Doubles Final. The Kilkenny pair overcame Mayo’s Ian McLoughlin and Lee Cummins on a 21-13, 21-4 semi-final scoreline. In the final fixture at Broadford, Conor Hannan and Killian Carroll from the Rebel County take on the Cats – Mason Clifford and Peter Funchion in the Boys U-14 Doubles Final. Cork defeated Monaghan’s Padraig and Christopher McKenna to make the final stage.
At Croke Park on Sunday, Tyrone’s Niall Donaghy faces Wexford’s Dean Corrigan in the Boys U-14 Singles Final and this promises to be a gripping contest at handball headquarters.

This weekend looks set to be an energy filled two days of handball.

Roscommon's Lauren O’Riordan is in the Girls U-15 Singles Final. She defeated Kilkenny’s Denise Doyle in her semi-final on a 21-8, 21-11 scoreline.