News & Fixtures

 

The Ladies Doubles final featured Kerry and Roscommon who both were striving to win the All Ireland Senior Ladies Doubles Handball Championships for the very first time

Representing Kerry were Maria Daly & Ashley Prendiville while Roscommon were represented by the Rushe sisters Marianna, 2nd year radiography student, & Hilary, 2nd year B&L student. It was a close match throughout. Kerry straight away began to attack Hilary Rushe's right side and for a while Kerry did gain some scores from it. Marianna Rushe helped out her over worked sister on many occasions by moving over to the right to return well and stem the onslaught form the Kingdom girls. It was level at 4-4 and Kerry then opened up a 5 point advantage. Marianna Rushe & Maria Daly were having a great battle on the left side and the Roscommon girl fought hard to pull back the Kerry lead to 9-8. Ashley Prendiville then came into her own with a number of aces to Hilary Rushe’s right side. Daly also delivered a number of important winners from the back of the court and the Kerry girls looked well on the way to take game 1 when leading 17-8.Roscommon roared back into contention with the Rushe sisters rewarded for their battling display when closing the gap to 17-15.Kerry re grouped and with Daly again finding weaknesses in Hilary Rushe’s right corner delivered a number of aces that seen Kerry take the opening game by 21-15.

The second game proved there was very little between the teams with scores level on no less than 4 occasions at 3,9,10 and 16. Hilary Rushe finally stood up and be counted and began to kill the ball better. And with the large vocal support from Roscommon making themselves heard it paved the way for an exciting final. The Rushe sisters combining well making it difficult for Kerry to get any soft scores. At 19-16 ahead Roscommon were in the driving seat but Kerry were gifted a score when the Rushes got their calls mixed up with Daly serving the ball straight down the middle. Yet there was time for more drama with Kerry managing to save game ball against them and reducing the lead to 20-19.The Roscommon fans breathed a sigh of relief when the Rushes finally getting the all important game ball to bring the enthralling contest to a tie breaker.

Kerry took an early 8-2 lead in the final game but the Roscommon sisters refused throw in the towel and against all the odds staged quite a remarkable recovery and amazingly drew level at 15-15.The tension was building all over the Kingscourt arena with Roscommon now to the fore 18-15 up. Now it was Kerry girls turn to reply in true Kingdom style hit back to level at 18-18. Maria Daly tossed her hand out at a vital time and Roscommon took advantage and just needed 1 point for the Connacht Champions to make history. Yet there was time for more drama with Prendiville putting Kerry on 20. On game ball Prendiville dived in bravely to keep the ball in play and Daly put away the return for an amazing victory for the Kerry girls leaving Roscommon’s bid crestfallen. It was an historic first victory for Kerry at this level and only the fourth county to have won the Ladies Championship since its inception in 1992.