Sligo

Change county

Sligo’s Cormac Finn wins his first colleges softball singles title

Ballymote’s Cormac Finn clinched his first Third Level Colleges singles title on a 15-3 score line to add to the 40x20 U21 singles title of last week. Cormac (right) is pictured with Killkenny’s Kyle Jordan (SETU).

© Sligo Champion

The Ballymote, Collooney and Drumkeeran handball clubs had the honour of hosting the Third Level Colleges softball (60x30) singles and doubles championships last weekend.

A busy schedules of events got underway on the Friday afternoon with the ladies event headquartered in Collooney and the men’s at Ballymote.

Kilkenny’s Kyle Jordan (SETU) was the top seed in the Men’s Open while Ballymote native, Cormac Finn representing DCU occupied the no. 2 slot.

The top quality field included a trio of UL representatives which included Rory Grace, Conor Holden and Evan Murphy.

Cormac Finn easily accounted for Roscommon’s Adam Coggeran in his opening match on Friday and he easily accounted for Sean Coughlan (UL) 15-3, 15-2 in his quarter-final match played on Saturday morning, to set up a tricky semi-final meeting with UL’s Evan Murphy that same afternoon.

In a brilliant exhibition of what was to come, Finn dispatched Murphy in two games 15-1, 15-11 to advance to Sunday’s final.

Kilkenny’s Kyle Jordan (SETU) was making similar progress on his way to the inevitable showdown with Finn is his side of the draw and so the stage was set for the decider with Jordan on Sunday morning.

On home ground in front of his many supporters, coaches and admirers, Cormac Finn impressively took the opening game for the loss of just two aces.

Read more

Any thoughts of a proverbial cake-walk for Finn in this final were dispelled in the second game however, as Kyle Jordan mounted the expect stern challenge.

There was little to separate these two throughout this game but Jordan did just enough to send the match to a third deciding game by winning the second 15 aces to 13.

The short break before the third game gave Cormac Finn time to reflect and compose himself.

It clearly worked as he turned in another one of his devastating performances, full of accurate kills and passing shots to clinch his first Third Level Colleges singles title on a 15-3 score line to add to the 40x20 U21 singles title of last week.

A remarkable achievement considering that he had so little time to adjust to the softball code.

In the ladies event, at Collooney, Ballymote’s Laura Finn (CAI) had a fine first round victory over Brophy (UL) in three tight games but lost out to the No.2 seed, Amy Brennan (DCU) in her quarter-final match.

That ladies final was, unusually an all-Trinity College Dublin affair with victory going to Noelle Dowling over Belcarra, Co. Mayo native Cuileann Bourke on a 15-3, 15-9 score line.

Sligo’s Darragh Murphy is one game away from a provincial Junior C 40x20 singles final showdown.

He now faces Damien McDermott of Roscommon this Wednesday in Bofield (7pm) for a place in the final against either Mark Hennegan (Mayo) or Joe Gallagher (Galway).

At it’s recent County Board meeting, it was announced that Lavin’s Menswear, Ballymote, would provide generous sponsorship for all juvenile and adult handball players representing the county in the coming year. Proprietor, John Lavin was himself a fine ball player, winning provincial Junior doubles honours with fellow-clubman, Martin Golden.

Fixtures for the forthcoming provincial 60x30 doubles championship are expected to be available this week, it is a particularly short season with a deadline of May 18 for completion of provincial finals.

Read more