Busy Time Ahead For Handball

Wednesday 18.01.2012

Club

Following another notable campaign for Tyrone handballers in 2012, which culminated with a successful trip to America for some of the younger talent in the county over Christmas, the local 40×20 season is close to getting into full swing with Ulster championships beckoning in underage and adult competition.
The leading Tyrone juvenile players have been training hard in preparation for the forthcoming Ulster series and the county will have high hopes of success in various grades once again this year following the announcement of a strong squad of players in both the boys and girls competitions, from under-12 through to under-17.
The Tyrone challenge for honours in the boys division will be spearheaded by players like Sean Kerr, Niall Allison and Johnny Woods, who all picked up national honours in 2011, while Eilise McCrory, Maeve McElduff and Aoife Kelly are among the leading Tyrone girls who will be striving for further glory in 2012.
As well as the Championship squad being finalised, there are further development squads named for boys under-12, under-13 and under-15. These players will be receiving extra coaching in the coming weeks.
The Tyrone Boys Team for Ulster Juvenile 40×20 Championships 2012…
U12 Singles – Cormac Munroe; U12 Doubles – Anton Fox & Ronan Curran; U13 Singles – Turlough Clarke; U13 Doubles – Ciaran Cuddy & Tiernan McAleer; U14 Singles – Sean Kerr; U14 Doubles – Matthew McCartan & Shane McCrystall; U15 Singles – Aaron Owens; U15 Doubles – Pauric Mullan & Jack Campbell; U16 Singles – Niall Allison; U16 Doubles – Johnny Woods Ryan Mullan; U17 Singles – Martin Kennedy; U17 Doubles – Matthew McSorley & Luke Kelly
Tyrone Girls Team for Ulster Juvenile 40×20 Championships 2012…
U12 Singles – Michaela McCartan; U12 Doubles – Emer Kerr & Ciara Mullan; U13 Singles – Elizabeth McGarvey; U13 Doubles – Clodagh Donaghy& Michaela Curran; U14 Singles – Eilise McCrory; U15 Doubles – Patricia McDonald Lucy McGeary; U16 Doubles – Maeve McElduff & Aoife Kelly; U17 Singles – Zara Girvan; U17 Doubles – Michaela McNamee Michaela McGuigan
Tyrone U12 Boys Development Squad…
(Coaches are Chris Curran and Mark Mc Cartan in Loughmacrory on Sunday 12-2 pm)
Lorcan Mc Bride, Michael Gormley, Darragh Canavan, Padraig Begley, Ruari Slane, Darragh Curran, Darragh Mc Callan, Patrick Curran, Caolan Mc Cartan
Tyrone U13 Boys Development Squad…
(Coaches are Maurice Kelly in Carrickmore on Thursday night at 6.15-8pm)
Ryan Mc Caul, Nathan Mc Crory, Conor Teague, Conor Kelly, Darragh Loughran, Loughlin O Donnell, Jarkin O Donnell, Jack Mc Callan
Tyrone U15 Boys Development Squad…
(Coaches are Kieran Teague and Brendan Kennedy in Killyclogher Tuesday night 7-9 and Friday night Pomeroy at 7-9pm)
Cathair Curran, Ryan Curran, Turlough Meenagh, David Mc Loughlin, Conor Mc Nelis, Aiden Woods, Jack Devlin, Gerald Duddy, Owen Teague, Tiernan Mc Crystall, Ronan Lagan, Ronan Mc Guigan, Owen Quinn
Ulster Adult Championships…
Tyrone will feature strongly in a number of adult grades in the 2012 Ulster 40×20 Championships in the weeks ahead and many of the main competitions will swing into action before the end of January.
Some of the Masters competitions are already underway and there will be outings in the Masters singles this weekend for Sean McCrory and Finbarr Fullen, while Kenny Curran will be involved in the Silver Masters singles on Saturday. Niall Kerr, meanwhile, will launch his Masters A singles title challenge in early February.
Darragh Daly and Shane O’Neill will fly the Tyrone flag in the Ulster Mens Open this year, which starts on the last weekend of January, while Ruairi Kelly, who had a great season in the one wall court last year, is currently unavailable through injury and Padraig McGlinchey is in Australia. Another promising player who is ruled out for the 40×20 season through injury is Conor McElduff.
Tyrone’s hopes of glory in the junior championship will be pinned on Ryan Daly, Barney Corcoran, Conor Duff, Conor Grogan and Michael Donnelly who will all be on first round duty on Saturday week.
At minor level Tyrone’s three-pronged challenge for honours will be provided by Gabhainn McCrystal, Pol Clarke and Patrick McCrory, while Lisa McAleer will be striving hard to win the Ulster ladies intermediate singles title in February.

LOUGHMACRORY AGM…
Loughmacrory handball club staged their annual general meeting on Sunday evening in the GAA clubrooms, and there was a very positive outlook for the future as the following committee was elected for 2012.
Chairman: Kieran Kelly, Secretary: Martin Toner, Asst. Secretary: Ciara Fox, Treasurer: Pat O’Brien, Asst. Treasurer: Lisa McALeer, PRO: Kenny Curran, Youth/Children’s Officer: Conal Curran, Asst Youth/Children’s Officer: Mark McCullagh. Committee Members: Paul Curran, Conor Duff, Paul Donnelly, Ciaran Meenagh, Shane McCullagh, John McCullagh, Finbar Fullen, Ryan Keenan, Edele Curran, Aoife Kelly.
There is a busy programme of underage coaching now underway in the club and there will be a special registration evening for new and existing club members on Friday 27th January. The local St. Teresa’s Primary School will feature on the GAA Handball Show on TG4 on Monday night.