Cavan pair All-Ireland Champions

Cavan’s Paul Brady and Michael Finnegan collected their third consecutive title when they defeated Mayo’s Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann in the DALKIA 40×20 Senior Doubles Final at Kingscourt on Saturday.

The Breffni pair were forced to pull out all the stops in the opening game, with Keegan and McCann putting them under severe pressure. Brady and Finnegan went 5-0 up before Mayo pulled themselves into the game, with Keegan in destructive form on the left.

Leading 18-12, Cavan looked like finishing out the first in style, but some top serving from Mayo brought them back to 18-16 before Brady and Finnegan eventually look the first. In the second game, the Cavan pair pushed into top gear, with Finnegan putting in an awesome performance.

After opening an early lead, Cavan never looked like relinquishing their crown, despite the best efforts of McCann and Keegan. The defending champions finished strongly, with the expected clinical finishing from Brady, to take the match 21-16, 21-11.

In the Ladies Senior Doubles Final, Antrim’s Fiona Shannon and Sibéal McKenna retained their title after a tough battle with Lilywhites, Eimear Ní Fhallúin and Anna Spence. The first game proved a thriller with Kildare serving to take the game at 20-18, but the experience of the Saffron women told as they got back in to take the game 21-20. In the second game, the long-time sister partnership, McKenna and Shannon, put in a fantastic display to take another All-Ireland crown on a 21-8 scoreline.

In the Minor Doubles Final, Limerick’s Seamus O’Carroll and CJ Fitzpatrick were forced to the edge by Tyrone’s Caolán Daly and Conor Grogan. The Treaty men dominated the opening game from start to finish, eventually winning out on a 21-10 scoreline, but the second game proved to be one of the most exciting of the day. Both pairing served at 20-20 on two occasions, with Daly and Grogan looking like they would bring the game to a decider, but it was not to be as Limerick went on to take the first ever minor crown for the county.

The Minor Singles Final also provided an exciting finish with Mayo’s Stephen Cooney in action against Meath’s Gary McConnell. Having lost the first 21-2, Cooney settled into the occasion in the second game, with McConnell just edging him out on a 21-19 scoreline.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the GAA’s Central Appeals Committee on Friday night, the Ulster Handball Council’s appeal was rejected and handball’s Central Council will now meet tomorrow (Tuesday) to schedule the postponed DALKIA Singles Finals, where Brady will take on Cork’s Tony Healy in the Senior Singles Final.