March

There was more cause for celebration during the week for 3 of the New Ross Clubs under-age stars when news was received from the Leinster selectors that they had made provincial teams competing in international competitions in late March and early April.  Laura Lynch will gain her 5^th cap in the Pan Celtic tournament in Cardiff on the 29^th & 30^th March and joining Laura on the under-13 team is her club mate Robert Farrell who will be gaining his first cap.  Leinster will again face the full Welsh national team that defeated them comprehensively in Dublin in November, plus a very strong Northern Ireland and Scottish team.  Meanwhile Orla Deegan will get her first cap with the under-17 team in the ESBA U17 tournament in Nottingham from the 14^th to the 17^th April.  This 4-day tournament will feature the best junior badminton players in the British Isles and Orla has been in training with the provincial squad for several months in preparation for the event.

The local club were well represented on the recent Wexford class-2 team that relinquished their Leinster Class 2 crown when Kilkenny beat them in the provincial semi-final.  Four New Ross players Karen Hennesey, Rosemary Burke, Brideen Lynch and Ralph Stone featured on the seven-person team panel that also included Seamus Creane from Terrerath.   Wexford however may still get a second opportunity in the event as the Leinster County Affairs Committee are currently investigating the Kilkenny team formation.  It’s been a busy time of late for county team manager Michael Murphy from Campile and next up is the All Ireland class 2 group qualifier in Navan, which features the home side Meath, plus Donegal and Wexford.  New Ross recent county division 1 singles champion Orla Deegan is called into the side that also includes club colleagues Brideen Lynch and Ralph Stone.  Despite the return of Edward Cousins and Siobhan Kehoe to the Wexford team they will do well to top the group and qualify for the All Ireland finals in Galway on the 5^th April.  Meath seldom field a poor team and on home territory they will be keen to do well and Donegal have dominated the badminton inter-county scene in recent years.  Team Selection: Singles: Edward Cousins, (Taghmon) & Orla Deegan (New Ross), Ladies Doubles:  Siobahn & Deirdre Kehoe (Taghmon), Brideen Lynch & Orla Deegan (New Ross), Men’s Doubles: Liam Sinnott (Olympic) & Paul O’Brien (Taghmon), Ralph Stone (New Ross) & Alan Mackay (Taghmon), Mixed Doubles, Edward Cousins & Siobhan Kehoe, Liam Sinnott & Brideen Lynch, Paul O’Brien & Deirdre Kehoe.     

It was quite a week for 17-year-old Orla Deegan who received a late call up for the Wexford All –Ireland class-2 team for the qualifying group games in Navan on Saturday and was in action again on Sunday in the Spring Open.  The disappointment of elimination from the All-Ireland series was quickly forgotten on Sunday with victory in the under-18 girls singles and doubles events.  A two sets defeat of her doubles partner Catehrine McDonald 11-7, 11-6 in the semi-final ensured qualification for the singles final against Gemma Richie from Ulster.  Orla was always in control in this game and captured her first open singles crown in impressive style, winning in two sets 11-6, 11-6.  Her second title was secured in the girl’s doubles when partnering Catherine McDonald to defeat the Taghmon pairing of Marianne Carroll and Elaine Dunne 11-3, 11-13, 11-7.  To complete a hectic week Orla was also called into the Wexford Leinster class-2 team for the replayed semi-final against Kilkenny and she again showed her class in the singles event when picking up one of Wexford’s only two points on the night when they relinquished their Leinster title in a 4-2 defeat to their local rivals. 

Laura Lynch was also in action in the Spring Open but was below her best when exiting to Jenny Irvine in round one.  Laura was unwell in the lead-up to the weekend and despite reaching the semi-final of the plate she never really got going in any of her games.   

Also on the team defeated by Kilkenny in the Leinster championships were club members Brideen Lynch, Rosemary Burke and Ralph Stone.  Not the most successful week for Brideen and Ralph on the county scene as they were members of the squad that lost out 5-4 to Meath and 6-3 to Donegal in the All-Ireland qualifying group in Navan on Saturday.  The games in Navan began poorly for Brideen with defeats in both the ladies doubles and mixed doubles events in the morning matches against Meath.  Things improved in the afternoon against Donegal when she was involved in the games that secured two of the three points obtained by Wexford. Orla Deegan and herself won their ladies doubles in three sets and with mixed partner Ralph Stone she won her second match of the afternoon to secure the second point.  Edward Cousins (Taghmon) obtained Wexford’s other point in the men’s singles.

In this years club championships  there are 46 games to be decided in 4 grades before the winners will receive their trophies at the finals in the Vocational College on Tuesday the 6th May.  As usual the competition has generated intense interest in the club and none more so than in the senior singles where last years first ever-female champion Karen Henessey will put her title on the line against the current Wexford division 1 ladies champion and young pretender to the throne Orla Deegan.   This is an eagerly anticipated game but there are many others including a repeat of last years first round meeting of Ralph Stone and Christopher MacMackin.  Christopher defeated Ralph in two straight games last time around and will be anxious to make amends for the disappointed of losing to Joe Ryan in last years semi-final.  The senior doubles competition is wide open, but Ralph Stone and the experienced Pat Furlong have been treated kindly in the handicaps and look a good bet for honours.  There is a large entry for the intermediate singles with Adrian Delaney looking like the person they will all have to beat, but he will need to be at his best because Eoin Mernagh and Andrew Wayland and many others are quite capable of causing an upset.  The Intermediate doubles like the seniors looks wide open with the prospect of some great games to be played.  Last years novice champion Clodagh McDonald is expected to do well in the Junior Singles with perhaps her greatest danger coming from the top handicapper Helen Moore.  Clodagh and doubles partner Gretta Meggs look like the ones to beat in the junior doubles, with Valerie Roche and Peter Meggs a good bet to make the final at least.  Valerie Roche is the top handicapper and favourite for the Novice singles and she and partner Mary Kavanagh could also be the champions in the novice doubles event.

Coinciding with the club finals will be the presentation for the club player of the year.  The five nominations this time around include former winner Orla Deegan (2001) and her young compatriot Laura Lynch who was a nominee last year.  Included on the short list are Brideen Lynch (also nominated in 2002) and Ralph Stone who is having a great season having been injured last year.  Noel Carton who joined the club at the start of season from Clonroche completes the nominations. 

On Friday night in the Brass Cock, home of Dunmore Badminton club the New Ross Waterford Premier mixed team put their title on the line against last year’s beaten finalists Lady Lane.  New Ross will be hoping that Noel Carton recovers from injury in time as a close and tense match is expected as the Waterford city team will be anxious to regain their title, and avenge last year’s unexpected defeat.  

The preliminary rounds of the Leinster individual championships are continuing at the moment, with the semi-finals and finals taking place on Sunday next in Dublin.  Brideen Lynch and Rosemary Burke are in the division 2 ladies doubles and Rosemary teams up with Ralph Stone in the mixed doubles.  If he recovers from injury Noel Carton will play in the division 2 men’s singles and also partners Ralph Stone in the men’s doubles.  Orla Deegan is the favourite for the division 3 ladies singles, but may have to miss the event as she is due to travel to Nottingham with the Leinster under-17 squad on the same day.  Brian Cullen and Adrian Delaney are in the division 4 men’s doubles and thirteen year old Laura Lynch has already qualified for the semi-final of the division 5 ladies singles.  Alan Lynch and Eoin Mernagh are in the division 6 men’s doubles, with Alan also playing in the mixed doubles if he can acquire a partner. 

Under-age stars Laura Lynch and Robert Farrell were away last weekend in Cardiff with the Leinster under-13 team competing in the Pan-Celtic Tournament.  Unfortunately Leinster finished bottom of the 4-team group with the honours on this occasion going to the Lothian District team from Scotland. 

There was disappointment for the large club contingent on the Wexford class-3 county team who lost to Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday last in Salthill, Galway.  It was Orla Deegan’s debut in the All Ireland finals but she showed no sign of any nerves in the ladie singles to totally outclass her opponent Emer O’Keefe in two sets 11-1, 11-2.  Brideen Lynch and Ralph Stone were in fine form in their mixed doubles and won 11-8,11-9, but there were defeats for Rosemary Burke and Brideen in the Ladies doubles and Rosemary also lost in the mixed doubles with Seamus Creane (Terrerath).  It was a particularly disappointing day for Noel Carton who failed a late fitness test on the morning of the match. 

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