Tension and high drama at Offaly juvenile badminton finals

Tension and high drama were the order of the day when the Division 3, 4, and 5 Offaly Juvenile Badminton Boys took to the courts in Mucklagh Community Centre. The number of games scored 15/14, 15/13, 15/12, 11/10, 11/9 attests to the level of competition. Then there was the dramatic match when the winning team came from 14/9 down to win 15/14.

Division 4

Division 4 was one of the most hotly contested divisions. Fergus Conroy and Fiachra Buckley, Killoughey, lost to Aran Kelly and Isaac Holland, Killoughey, 15/13. Aran and Isaac lost to Liam Conroy and Kyle Newton, Killoughey, 15/9. In the battle of the brothers and their partners, Fergus Conroy and Fiachra Buckley defeated Liam Conroy and Kyle Newton 15/11.

At the other end of the table, the competition was just as fierce, and points really matter in the Offaly competitions. Kian Guinan and Derek McDonagh, Boora, probably felt very hard done by, losing games 14/15, 13/15, and 12/15. They finished the competition with 1 win and 55 points in their losses. Ross Byrne and Tom Gaffey, Clara, also had a 14/15 loss, but scored fewer points in their other games, and finished on 1 win and 44 points. Joyal Bino Joseph and Jerrin Bino Joseph, Phoenix, Tullamore, gave Cillian Cronley and Scott Heffernan a fright when they scored 13 points in a tit for tat game, but Scott and Cillian finally won 15/13. Scott and Cillian, Killoughey, sit smack in the middle of the table with 3 wins and 29 points.

The boys have two months until late January to go back to their clubs and train and come back to fight for semifinal and final play-offs, and a place on an Offaly team.

Division 5A

Division 5A proved another very even division at the top. Max O’Rourke and Charlie Larkin, Rahan, lost to Aaron McQuade, Killoughey, and Bobby Duffy, Killoughey/Boora, 11/5. Aaron and Bobby lost to Sam Cornally and Adam Willis, Clara, 11/4. Sam and Adam lost to Max and Charlie 11/8. All three pairs had 4 wins. With 8 points in their loss, Sam and Adam sit on top of the group. Daithí Boyle and Telford Stuart, Rahan placed next with 3 wins. Then came another Rahan pair, Sam Bracken and Dylan Kearney with 2 wins. Finally Odhran Gralton and Josh Murray, had to be the hard luck pair of the group.

The boys had losses of 10/11, 9/11, and 8/11. For Josh, who has only been playing 4 weeks, this was a superb effort for he and Odhran who was paired with Josh when other players had to withdraw.

Division 5B

Division 5B is dominated by Páidí Corroon and William Keenan, Killoughey. The boys finished with a perfect score of 5 wins, the only pair in any of the competitions to win all of their games. Noah Quinn and Darragh Conroy, Killoughey, gave them a fright when the score stood at 10-all, but Páidí and William managed to get the shuttle to the floor for the win. Evan Craven and Conor Kenny, Rahan are in second place with 4 wins in their 5 games, losing only to Páidí and William. Safely in third are Noah Quinn and Darragh Conroy, Killoughey, with 3 wins, but if they could have scored the last point against Páidí and William, they would have forced a three-way tie for first. Joe Keyes and Adam Keyes, Rahan, scored 2 wins.

They were followed by Dylan Recks and Dexter Phelan, Clara, with 1 win. Ciaran Farrelly and his brother Aidan, Boora, have to be the most unlucky pair in the group. Ciaran played with Aidan when his own partner didn’t attend. The boys couldn’t close out a game, and lost two, 10/11. They will only improve between now and late January.

Division 3

Division 3 featured one National School player, Reece Treacy, and he and his partner, Conor McEvoy, Killoughey, are on top, just. To reach Division 3, a player must have won or been runner-up in Division 4, or play with a partner that has reached that level in Division 4, or improved to the point that they meet other skill criteria for Division 3. In the greatest comeback of the day, Conor and Reece were down 9/14 to Eoin Burke and Eoghan Carroll, Clara. With Reece serving, using very effective short serves, the boys held their nerve, cut out their mistakes, and slowly and surely scored the points to win, 15/14.

Only Stephen Russel, Country Club/Killoughey and Tiernan Donnelly, Killoughey, managed to prevent Conor and Reece from making a clean sweep in Division 3. Stephen and Tiernan won 15/11. However, Stephen and Tiernan lost to Troy Feery, Phoenix, and Brian Leonard, Boora, 9/15 to keep them at the top with Conor and Reece. Troy and Brian are securely in second with 5 wins and 6 points in their loss to Reece and Conor. Close behind Stephen and Tiernan are Jake Cornally and Dean Bracken, Clara, with 3 wins and 27 points. Eoin Burke and Eoghan Carroll, Clara are next with 2 wins and 44 points in their losses, just ahead of Michael Kilmartin and Lochlann King, Killoughey, with 2 wins and 39 points.

It’s tough to make the transition from Division 4 to Division 3, as Sean Lambe found out, especially if your partner, Jack Gleeson, is only of a Division 4 standard. Sean ands Jack, Killoughey, finished at the bottom of the table. Some of these boys will feature in the Post Primary Schools U19

Badminton raffle

Each year for nearly a decade, Offaly Juvenile Chairperson, Frances O’Connor, has, with the help of Clara Club, organised a raffle to raise money for trophies and medals or for buses to carry players to Dublin for Intercounty competitions. This year, Frances, with the help of Sandy Spollen, Clara, and Eddie Kelligher, Edenderry, conducted the draw at the conclusion of the games.

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Prizes and prize winners are as follows: 1^st Prize, an All-For-One voucher sponsored by Country Club for €75 was won by Mark Maher on a ticket sold by Róisín Maher, Killoughey. 2nd Prize, a Carlton Racket, won by Ella Neville, Killoughey. 3^rd Prize, a €50 Sports Direct Voucher, won by Donnacha O’Meara, Edenderry. 4^th Prize, a Yonex Racket, won by the Oliver Family, Tullamore. 5^th, a €30 Sports Direct voucher won by Scott Heffernan, Killoughey. 6^th prize, a €25 Dunnes Stores voucher won by Linda Martin, Clara. 7^th prize, a €25 Dunnes Stores voucher won by Meehaul McKeon, Edenderry. 8^th prize, a €20 Dunnes Stores voucher won by Noel Thompson, Rahan. 9^th prize, €25 Elvery’s voucher, won by Lucy Hanlon, Boora. 10^th prize, a case of Coco Cola and box of sweets won by the Franks Family, Country Club. 11^th prize a case of Coco Cola and a box of sweets won by Aisling Hade, Phoenix. 12^th prize, a box of sweets, Agnes Bolger, Offaly County Council on a ticket sold by Rahan club.

In a special club draw, two tubes of feathered shuttles was won by the Rahan club. This concluded the prizes.