The Association is delighted to announce that Eoin O'Neill has taken up the role of Operations Manager in the Racquetball Association of Ireland from February 3rd.
Eoin worked previously with Cycling Ireland and will be the first point of contact in the Association. Eoin can be contacted at [email protected] The All Ireland Overage Championships concluded with a weekend of thrilling matches, as competitors from across Ireland demonstrated skill, determination, and sportsmanship in both singles and doubles events. The tournament showcased the depth of talent in Irish racquetball, with athletes of all ages battling it out for glory. In the Men’s Singles, Johnny O’Keeney of Fermoy claimed the 30+ title, defeating Mark Murphy of O’Loughlins in a hard-fought final. Leigh O’Brien from Horeswood triumphed in the 40+ category, overcoming Michael Barnes of Arklow. Fermoy’s Noel O’Callaghan showcased his enduring prowess in the 50+ division, beating Don Lawlor of Clough/Moneenroe. Meanwhile, Arklow’s Jimmy Gannon emerged victorious in the 60+ category, outplaying Billy Walsh of O’Loughlins. The Women’s Singles events brought just as much excitement. Arklow’s Toni Neary captured the 30+ title, defeating Templeudigan’s Niamh Murphy in a high-energy match. Grace Hearn of Templeudigan secured the 40+ championship, overcoming Sharon Kearns from Gusserane in a closely contested final. Doubles action did not disappoint, with remarkable teamwork on display. In the Men’s 30+ Doubles, the duo of Mark Murphy and Noel O’Callaghan (O’Loughlins, Fermoy) defeated Johnny O’Keeney and Joe Devenney (Fermoy, Ballinrobe). The Men’s 50+ Doubles saw an all-Arklow pairing of Jimmy Gannon and Joe Farrell take the title against Billy Walsh and Don Lawlor. In the Women’s 30+ Doubles, Toni Neary and Bernadette O’Callaghan (Arklow, Fermoy) overcame Niamh Murphy and Anne Boland of Templeudigan. Meanwhile, the Women’s 40+ Doubles title went to Grace and Olivia Hearn, a Templeudigan duo, who defeated their clubmates Suzanne Fitzharris and Margaret Walsh. In the B categories, rising stars and seasoned players alike had their moment to shine. Curtis Young of Arklow took home the Men’s 30+ B title, defeating Wexford’s Leon Galvin. Jason Tennant of Davidstown captured the Men’s 40+ B title, beating Barry Murphy of Gusserane. Noelie Keogh of Ballyanne emerged victorious in the Men’s 50+ B category, outplaying Davidstown’s Andrew Egan. On the women’s side, Michelle Keogh from Ballyanne claimed the 40+ B title, overcoming clubmate Yvonne Ryan in a spirited final. The Championships were a celebration of racquetball’s enduring appeal across generations, with both experienced players and newcomers delivering exceptional performances. Congratulations to all the winners and participants for a fantastic tournament! Full Results Here The RAI is delighted to welcome Thea Coleman from Mitchelstown to two key roles within the Association.
Thea has been co-opted onto the Executive Committee as Junior Development Officer and will also serve a three-year term as National Junior Coach. RAI President Susan Farrell expressed her excitement about Thea’s appointment, stating, “Thea will be an invaluable asset to the future of junior racquetball in Ireland.” We are excited to see Thea’s contributions to these vital roles and the positive impact she will have on the development of junior players. Welcome aboard, Thea! The 8th Women’s Irish Open Racquetball Tournament took place on January 11, 2024, at the Fermoy Community Youth Centre and Mitchelstown. There were some excellent games played, highlighting the depth and skill within women’s racquetball in Ireland. In the Women’s Open Singles final, Antonia Neary (Arklow), defeated Elaine Murphy (Templederry) in a hard-fought match, 3-1. The Women’s Open/B/C Doubles final was a gripping contest that went the distance. The local duo of Thea Coleman and Megan Coleman (Mitchelstown) defeated Antonia Neary and Caylee Hogan (Arklow/Mitchelstown) in a thrilling 3-2 victory, much to the delight of the home crowd. In the CD Singles division, Niamh Murphy (Templeluidigan) claimed the title over Cara Delaney (Galmoy). Abbie O Meara (Fermoy) and Kathleen Conway (Castlebar) shared the bronze medal, showcasing strong performances throughout the tournament. The Novice Singles final saw Megan Coleman (Mitchelstown) secure her second title of the day with a victory over Grace Hearn (Templeluidigan). Eva Horgan and Mary Hogan, both from Mitchelstown, earned bronze medals for their efforts in this highly competitive division. The Novice Plate was won by Olivia Hearn (Templeluidigan), who defeated Edna O Mahoney (Fermoy) in the final, demonstrating impressive skill and determination. In the D/Novice Doubles category, Sophie O Flynn and Mary Hogan (Mitchelstown/Mitchelstown) claimed the title over Fiona Kyne and Anna Murphy (Castlebar/Castlebar). The Under 14 Singles final featured a battle of emerging talents, with Eva Horgan (Mitchelstown) overcoming Emily Delaney (Galmoy) to secure the title. Sophie O Flynn and Sadhbh Donegan, both of Mitchelstown, earned bronze medals. The Under 14 Plate was claimed by Lucy Murphy (Castlebar), who defeated Grace Delaney (Galmoy) in the final. A special mention goes to Anna Murphy (Castlebar), who was named Sports Person of the Tournament for her outstanding sportsmanship and dedication throughout the event. The 8th Women’s Irish Open was a celebration of skill, camaraderie, and passion for racquetball. Congratulations to all the participants, organizers, and supporters who made the event a resounding success. We look forward to seeing even more talent on display in future tournaments. Full Results Here Johnny O’Keeney (Fermoy) completed a three in row of Men’s Open Singles titles at the Ballinrobe Open on Sunday last. O’Keeney having previously won the division in 2022 and 23 defeated Noel O’Callaghan (Fermoy) 3 games to 2 in the final. The shock result of the tournament came in the quarter final when current All Ireland Singles Champion, Keelan O’Gorman(Araglen) lost out to Dara McNamara of Mitchelstown. O’Gorman made amends by winning the B Singles with 3-1 win over Kevin Jennings(Castlebar) and the Open Doubles with partner, the aforementioned Dara McNamara. There was win for Colm O’Keefe(Arklow) in Men’s CD Singles and Conor O’Callaghan(Fermoy) in the Novice Singles defeating for Kilkenny hurling great Tommy Walsh from the Tullaroan club.
Unfortunately, this tournament did not have a Women’s Open Singles division and only four women competed in the Women’s CD Singles division won by Niamh Murphy(Templeudigan). Five athletes competed in the Women’s Novice Singles which was won by Aoibheann Hanrahan of Castlebar. Full results can be found here. Seventy seven junior athletes entered the All Ireland Junior Championships for boys and girls at Under 10, 13, 15 & 17 played in Fermoy, Mitchelstown and Kilworth, Co Cork. There was only 2 withdrawals on the day.
Two clubs made clean sweeps of the medals in two divisions, Arklow in Boys Under 17 and Clogh/Moneenrore in the Boys Under 15 singles. Joseph Farrell winning the Under 17 for Arklow and Jack Carroll(Clogh/Moneenroe) winning the Boys Under 15 Singles. Their teammates took the silver and bronze medals in each division. A double gold for the Galmoy club in Co Kilkenny with sisters Abbie and Cara winning the Girls Under 13 and Girls Under 17 Singles. The other gold medals were were Great McCormack and Lucy Murphy from Castlebar in the Girls Under 9 and Under 11 Singles while Hannah Noonan)(Fermoy) won the Girls Under 15 Singles. New club to junior racquetball Horeswood, Co Wexford saw their top Under 9 athlete, Jack O'Brien win gold. Callan's sole entry in the competition, Jake Greene won the Boys Under 13 Singles. Fermoy's Sean Noonan was the winner of the Boys Under 11 singles. ![]() This past weekend, Fermoy in Co. Cork played host to an exciting racquetball tournament, showcasing talent across multiple divisions. With fierce competition and impressive displays of skill, the event concluded with several notable victories and player promotions. In the Men’s Open Singles, Fermoy's Patrick Hanley took home the title, defeating his clubmate Johnny O’Keeney. In the Women’s Open Singles, Aisling Hickey from Rossmore secured a strong win over Majella Haverty of Castlebar. The Men’s B Singles saw Darragh McNamara of Mitchelstown overcoming Damien Kavanagh from Arklow. In the Men’s C/D Singles, Thea Coleman (Mitchelstown) defeated Jay Barnes (Arklow), earning herself a promotion to the C1 grade in the Men’s division. In the Women’s C/D Singles, Kathleen Conway from Castlebar triumphed over Niamh Murphy of Templeudigan, earning her promotion to the C1 grade. Joseph Farrell (Arklow) defeated his clubmate Jay Barnes in the Men’s Novice Singles, also securing promotion to D grade. The Women’s Novice Singles title went to Anne Boland of Templeudigan, who bested Mary Hogan from Mitchelstown. In the Men’s Novice B Singles, Curtis Young (Arklow) overcame Daniel White (North Sligo). Among the juniors, Ryan Lawlor from Clogh won the Under-16 match, defeating Jake Greene of Callan. In the veteran categories, Alan O'Meara (Fermoy) claimed the Men’s 40+ Singles title, while Don Lawlor (Clogh) took the Men’s 50+ Singles, and Jimmy Gannon (Arklow) won the Men’s 60+ Singles. In the doubles competition, Men’s Open Doubles saw Patrick Hanley and Dwayne Magner (Fermoy) triumph over Johnny O’Keeney and Joe Devenney (Fermoy/Ballinrobe). In the Men’s C/D/Novice Doubles, Kilkenny's Ken Cottrell and Billy Walsh teamed up to defeat Arklow’s Jimmy Gannon and Colm O'Keefe. Finally, in the Women’s C/D/Novice Doubles, Fermoy’s Ciara Noonan and Abbie O'Meara clinched victory against Cara Delaney and Caylee Hogan from Galmoy and Mitchelstown. Congratulations to all the players for their outstanding performances and well-deserved promotions! ![]() Due to unforeseen circumstances the Foundation Level Coaching Course that was set for November 2nd 2024 has been cancelled. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. ![]() The Annual General Meeting of the Association was held in the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore, Co Offaly on Sunsunday 8th of September. Clubs represented were Arklow, Ballinrobe, Ballyanne, Cavan, Castlebar, Clogh/Moneenroe, Fermoy, Kilkenny, Tullaroan. The following committee was elected for the coming year. President: (2-year term) Susan Farrell (Arklow) Treasurer: (2-year term) Antonia Neary (Arklow) Junior Development Officer (2-year term) VACANT Communications & Media Officer (1 year term): Kathleen Conway (Castlebar) Women’s Officer: (1 year term) Elaine Murphy (Templederry) Registrations Secretary : (1 year term) Michael Kelly (Ballinrobe) Designated Liaison Person: (1 year term) Antonia Neary (Arklow) National Children’s Officer: (1 year term) Sean Lyng (Ballyanne) Anti-Doping Officer: (1 year term) Jimmy Gannon(Arklow) General Secretary: (2-year term) Michael Haverty(Castlebar) next election 2025 Tournament Secretary: (2-year term) Jimmy Gannon(Arklow) next election 2025 Development Officer: (2-year term) Patrick Hanley (Fermoy) next election 2025 We welcome new member Elaine Murphy from Templederry Racquetball Club, Co Tipperary on the committee as Women's Officer for 2024/25 A new online Referees Course was sanction by the AGM and will be available shortly. It will be compulsory for all players graded Open & B from the 1st January 2025. ![]() The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held on Sunday 8th September 2024 at 11.30am in the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore, Co Offaly Each affiliated club is invited to send two delegates to this meeting. Please register your attendance online at https://tinyurl.com/bde5zkw9 The agenda of the meeting can be viewed here The Annual Report of the Association 2023/24 can be viewed here |
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