Armagh’s Charly Shanks is GAA Handball 40×20 Champion

Armagh’s Charly Shanks is the 2017 O’Neills All-Ireland 40×20 Senior Singles champion after defying the odds to dethrone 3-time champion, Robbie McCarthy, in Saturday’s final in Kingscourt.

At the 5th time of asking and, after falling to McCarthy in the last two finals, the Clann Eireann clubman delivered a most dominant display to power his way to annex the senior crown on a 21-4, 21-14 score-line.

Shanks becomes just the second Ulster player to claim the prestigious Gael Linn Cup, following on from Paul Brady who won ten titles and had previously denied the Armagh man in two finals.

Overall on the GAA Handball All Ireland Festival Finals weekend, Ulster came away with a total of 8 Adult championship titles, from a possible 25.

Topping that list is of course Armagh‘s win in the Senior men’s final but the Orchard County also had a major triumph in winning the Ladies All Ireland Minor Singles championship title – also a first ever for the County in that grade. Megan Cann was the player to enter the history books there with an impressive 21-11, 21-10 win against Wexford’s Cora Doyle.

There were also two titles each on the weekend for Antrim, Monaghan and Tyrone.

Jordan O’Neill powered his way to an emphatic success in the Junior B Singles championship while Ricky McCann completed an All Ireland double for Antrim with a title win in the Men’s 35+ A Singles championship, beating Wexford’s Gavin Buggy in the final by 21-11, 18-21, 21-8.

Monaghan’s double was achieved through Bawn club men Gavin Coyle and Michael Clerkin. Coyle came through a tough Junior Singles campaign and claimed the title with a 21-5, 21-18 win against Dublin’s Keith Burke in the final. Clerkin took the Solver Masters B honours with a hard-fought 19-21, 21-14, 21-6 victory against Kilkenny’s William Holden.

Kenny Curran and Eilise McCrory completed the Tyrone double on the All Ireland stage at the weekend. Loughmacrory clubman, Curran, was a 21-12. 21-12 winner against Mayo’s George Millar in the Golden Masters B decide while Breacach’s Eilise McCrory took the Ladies Junior honours with a 21-3, 21-13 victory against Kildare’s Hannah Dagg.