In the 25 years since the first foundation stone of Ballaghaderreen handball club was laid, the club has amassed a myriad of both All Ireland and international titles, led primarily by the late hall-of-fame coach John Gaffney

John Gaffney Memorial Tournament 2010

Results–(More Results at 8:00 this evening) See Also WPH Messageboard for Regular Updates on Sunday


John Gaffney Tournament Winner Eoin Kennnedy with Ballaghaderreen Club Chairman Dessie Keegan and James and John Gaffney - son's of John Gaffney Sr. at Ballaghaderreen on Sunday last	Signed jersey which will go on display at the Ballaghaderreen Alley

1	Eoin Kennedy

	Friday 9pm	Kennedy
		7,14

16	Sean Devine		Kennedy
		Saturday 3pm	9, 16
9	Gavin Buggy

	Saturday 10am
		Buggy
		17 (19) 5		Kennedy
8	Brian Carroll			8,8
			Sunday 10am
5	Michael Gregan

	Saturday 11.15am	Gregan
		W/O

12	Tom Sheridan
	scr.	Saturday 4.30pm
13	Vinny Moran		Gregan
			19,20
	Friday 7.30pm
		Shanks
		20, 14			CHAMPION
4	Charlie Shanks	,		Sunday 2.30pm	Eoin Kennedy
					21-8, 21-14
3	Dessie Keegan

	Friday 7pm	Keegan
	Lisacul	13, 13

14	Diarmuid Nash		Walsh
		Saturday 6pm	12,12
11	Duxie Walsh

	Saturday 12.30pm
		Walsh
		3,15
6	Owen Mckenna
			Sunday 11.30pm
7	Robbie McCarthy			McCarthy
				14,16
	Friday 6pm	R McCarthy
		13 (20) 11-7

10	Joe McCann
		Saturday 7.30pm
15	Stephen Cooney		McCarthy


	Saturday 11am	R McCann
	Lisacul	11, 18
2	Rikie McCann

In the 25 years since the first foundation stone of Ballaghaderreen handball club was laid, the club has amassed a myriad of both All Ireland and international titles, led primarily by the late hall-of-fame coach John Gaffney. Now, one year on from his passing, the club will host its most prestigious tournament in his honour. The exciting array of players on show for the inaugural John Gaffney Memorial Invitational (sponsored by Ladbrokes and Towey’s’ Cost-Cutter) comprise 12 of the country’s top 16 players, alongside 4 quality wildcards.

Four stalwarts of the senior championship, Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy, Antrim's Ricky McCann, Armagh's Charlie Shanks, and local favorite Dessie Keegan will head the bill. Kennedy, runner-up in both the 2009 All Ireland Senior Singles Championship and Irish Nationals, will be eager to hone his game as the 2010 Championship fast approaches. However, with Ballaghaderreen’s reigning All Ireland Senior Doubles champions, Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann, in the opposite side of the draw, a smooth progression is far from certain for Kennedy.
Two legends of the game, the prolific Michael Duxie Walsh from Kilkenny and Meath’s Tom Sheridan, are also in attendance. Their participation in the tournament will surely provide some extremely interesting match-ups. Also, with two of the country’s most precocious minors Stephen Cooney and Diarmuid Nash in the mix, upsets are defiantly on the cards.

Wicklow’s Michael Gregan has been knocking on the door of a major victory for the last number of years. Narrowly beaten in last years Championship semi-final and coming within a few aces of beating American legend David Chapman at the World Handball Championship, Gregan will have no lack of motivation as this years Championship looms. Robbie McCarty and Owen McKenna, of Westmeath and Antrim respectively, are two more young stars who will be seeking to make an assault on the 2010 season. McCarty showed his potential in reaching the 2009 All Ireland 60/30 final and McKenna has been consistently pushing top senior players to tie-breakers for years.

It is a testament to John Gaffney that 4 players he personally coached, the already mentioned Keegan, McCann, Cooney alongside Vincent Moran, will participate in the tournament. Keegan and McCann have cemented their position as one of the country’s top doubles partnerships over the last few years. Last year they fulfilled a life’s ambition in winning a Senior 40/20 Championship title, defeating the holders from Cavan, Michael Finnegan and arguably the game’s best ever player Paul Brady, in the final. Cooney took home Minor All Ireland titles in all forms of the game, which has elevated him to one of the top handball players in Ireland in 2009. He is surely one of the game’s brightest emerging stars. Moran wowed the handball world in taking the 2008 Men’s-A National title in dominating style after several years in the wilderness and is sure to feature prominently in his home court.

Such a collection of high caliber players has not been seen west of the Shannon for many years. Positioned conveniently for the nation’s elite to hone their skills before the start of a new Championship season, the John Gaffney Memorial could provide the means by which Connaught handball finds its place on the map.

The matches begin on Friday evening, 15^th January, with finals on Sunday 17th. Directly before the final, a plaque commemorating John will be unveiled by the Chieftains Mat Molloy, one of John’s closest friends. Also on show on Sunday will be an exhibition match between two of the country’s top female players, Pauline Gallagher from Swinford and Ballaghaderreen's own Amy Corrigan. The club’s founder members will also be acknowledged in this anniversary year. Admission to this feast of handball is absolutely free, as are refreshments for all spectators.