Badminton in Offaly: Offaly Championships Finale

The Offaly Juvenile Badminton Championships came to an end in Mucklagh Community Centre. Players from six Offaly clubs, Boora, Clara, Country Club, Killoughey, Phoenix and Rahan, played for the honour of being declared Offaly Champions of their Division. The players were also playing for points for their club for the John and Catherine Duffin “Green Trophy.”

Division 3

Division 3 is for the older, more skilful boys , who have been winners or runners-up in Division 4, or who have improved to the point where they are Division 3. Conor McEvoy and Reece Treacy were marginally ahead coming into the competition with 5 wins and 11 points from the first round. Snapping at their heels were Troy Feery, Phoenix, and Brian Leonard, Boora, with 5 wins and 6 points. Coming in at third were Stephen Russell, Country Club, and Tiernan Donnelly, Killoughey. On the day of the finals, Troy and Brian lost 2 games, 14/15 to Stephen and Tiernan, and 10/15 to Eoin Burke and Eoin Carroll, Clara but they still finished with another 5 wins.

This left Brian and Troy the Championship winners who stepped up to receive their trophies with 10 wins and 30 points. Stephen and Tiernan were also big winners on the day with another 5 wins. Jake Cornally and Dean Bracken, Clara, stole a game from them on the last stroke, 15/14, and Eoin and Eoghan also took their scalp. Conor and Reece could only score 4 wins in Round 2, losing to Troy and Brian, Stephen and Tiernan, and Sean Lambe and Luke Guinan, Killoughey, 14/15. When all the wins and points were totalled, Conor Mc and Reece with 9 wins and 48 points finished ahead of Stephen and Tiernan for the Silver Medal. Stephen and Tiernan claimed the Bronze for third with 9 wins and 23 points.

The race for 4^th in the Championship and Plate Winners was even closer. Michael Kilmartin and Lochlann King, Killoughey, upped their wins from 2 in the first round to 4 in the second round, giving them 6 wins and 75 points. Eoin Burke and Eoghan Carroll, did the same, 2 wins in Round 1 and 4 wins in Round 2, to also finish on 6 wins, and surprise, 75 points.

When two pairs are equal on games and points, the head-to-head is looked at. Michael and Lochlann won the head to head, so finished 4^th in the Championship, while Eoin and Eoghan had to settle for Plate Champions. Jake Cornally and Dean Bracken, Clara, finished with 5 wins and 77 points to claim the Plate Silver Medal. Sean Lambe and Luke Guinan finished with 4 wins, all in the second round, for the Plate 3^rd Bronze. Conor Doyle and Rian Gralton, Killoughey, only played the second round, and finished with the 4^th place Plate Bronze.

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Division 4

Joyal and Jerrin Bino Joseph, Phoenix, were unable to play the final round, two new pairs, Harry Bracken and Reece Kenny, Killoughey, and Shane Fitzpatrick and Enda Maxwell, Country Club were added to the Division 4. Coming into the competition, 3 pairs, Fergus Conroy and Fiachra Buckley, Killoughey, Aran Kelly and Isaac Holland, Killoughey, and Liam Conroy and Kyle Newton, Killoughey all had 5 wins from Round 1 and were only separated by 4 points. Isaac was unable to play the second round and Aran had no other partner, so he co-opted Fiachra to also play with him. Fergus and Fiachra and Scott Heffernan and Oisín Coleman, Killoughey, were big winners on the day, with 6 wins each.

When wins and points were added from the two rounds, Fergus and Fiachra claimed the Championship Winners trophies with 11 wins and 26 points. Fiachra became a double winner at the top when he and Aran claimed the Championship Silver Medals with 10 wins and 34 points. The Bronze Championship medals for 3^rd and 4^th proved that points matter, even when you lose. Only 1 point separated third and fourth. Liam and Kyle finished in 3^rd with 9 wins and 40 points, while Scott and Oisín, and Scott’s first round partner, Cillian Cronley, finished with 9 wins and 39 points for 4^th. Both pairs received Bronze medals.

A huge gap opened between the Championship and the Plate. Harry Bracken and Reece Kenny scored 4 wins in the second round to finish with 4 wins and 32 points. Even if they had reversed the 14/15 loss to Scott and Oisín, they would still have been in the Plate as Plate Winners. Derek McDonagh and Kian Guinan, Boora, finished with 2 wins and 104 points for the Silver Medal, well ahead of Shane and Enda in third with 2 ins and only 48 points. Claiming 4^th place Bronze were Ross Byrne and Tom Gaffey, Clara.

Division 5

Division 5 for National School players that have not previously finished at the top of Division 5 featured two Pools, which meant there would be play-offs for Championship and Plate. Three pairs separated by only four points were on top in Division 5A.

Daithi Boyle and Telford Stuart from Rahan had finished Round 1 with 2 wins and 17 points, but did not return for the second round so could not participate in the play-offs. Sam Cornally and Adam Willis, Clara were on top with 4 wins and 8 points followed by Max O’Rourke and Charlie Larkin, Rahan, 4 wins 5 points and Aaron McQuade, Killoughey and Bobby Duffy, Boora and Killoughey, with 4 wins and 4 points. Round 2 saw a big shake-up in the order. Aaron and Bobby won all their games, defeating Sam and Adam, 11/5 and Max and Charlie 11/7. This left Aaron and Bobby in first place and a Championship semifinal berth. Sam and Adam, 7 wins 13 points and Max and Charlie, 6 wins and 18 points went into Championship quarter-finals. Odhran Gralton and Josh Murray, Killoughey, and Sam Bracken and Dylan Kearney, Rahan, were into Plate quarterfinals.

Noah Treacy and Oisín Mahon were new entrants in Division 5B. At the top were Páidí Corroon and William Keenan, Killoughey, the only undefeated pair in the first round. The boys finished the second round undefeated for 10 wins and a Championship semifinal spot. With four wins in each round, Evan Craven and Conor Kenny, Rahan, finished with 8 wins and 10 points for a Championship quarterfinal spot. Joe Keyes and Adam Keyes, Rahan, with 5 wins and 27 points claimed the last Championship quarter-final spot. Noah Quinn and Darragh Conroy, Killoughey, and Ciaran Farrell and Aidan Farrell, Boora, filled the last 2 Plate quarterfinal spots.

Division 5 Play-offs: The play-off started with the Championship Quarterfinals. Evan Craven and Conor Kenny, met Max O’Rourle and Charlie Larkin in an all Rahan match. Evan and Conor finished on top, 15/7 for a Championship semifinal spot v Aaron McQuade and Bobby Duffy. Max and Charlie went into a Plate semifinal. Sam Cornally and Adam Willis, Clara played Joe Keys and Adam Keyes, Rahan, in the second quarterfinal. Sam and Adam, 15/6, qualified to meet Páidí and William in the second Championship semifinal. Joe and Adam qualified for a Plate semifinal. In the Plate quarterfinals, Odhran Gralton and Josh Murray, Killoughey, defeated Ciaran Farrell and Aidan Farrell, Boora, 15/8 to meet Max and Charlie in a Plate semifinal. The last quarterfinal featured Sam Bracken and Dylan Kearney, Rahan, and Noah Quinn and Darragh Conroy, Killoughey. Noah and Darragh won 15/6, to meet Joe and Adam in the Plate semifinal.

The Championship semifinal between Aaron and Bobby and Evan and Conor had to be one of the best matches of the competition. The sides went up point for point. First one was up, then the other. At 14-all, all the spectators watching the match were on the edge of their seats. Aaron and William made a mistake, Evan and Conor won 15/14 to earn a place in the Championship final while Aaron and William had to settle for the play-off for 3^rd and 4^th. Páidí and William continued undefeated in their semifinal with a win against Sam and Adam that wasn’t as dramatic as the first semifinal, but a win is a win. Páidí and William were set to meet Evan and Conor for the Championship title. Sam and Adam had to play Bobby and Aaron for 3^rd and 4^th.

In the first Plate semi-final, two young Killoughey players, Odhran and Josh defeated Max and Charlie in a surprise results, 15/10. The second semifinal proved the upset of the day. Noah and Darragh defeated Joe and Adam 15/1. The Plate final was to be played between Odhran and Josh and Noah and Darragh, while 3^rd and 4^th was between Max and Charlie and Joe and Adam. The two games for 3^rd and 4^th in the Championship and Plate were next up. In the Championship, Aaron and Bobby outscored Sam and Adam 15/4 to claim the 3^rd place Bronze medal, leaving the 4^th place Bronze to Sam and Adam. In the Plate, Max and Charlie hit their stride and defeated Joe and Adam 15/4 to finish with the 3^rd place Plate Bronze. Joe and Adam received the 4^th place Bronze.

In the Plate Final Odhran and Josh outscored Noah and Darragh 15/6 to receive the Plate Winners trophies. Noah and Darragh received the Plate Silver medals. The Championship final was another cracker of a game. Páidí and William had already defeated Evan and William twice in pool games. In this game they struggled, and as the match progressed, they became frustrated and made uncharacteristic mistakes. Evan and Conor played steadier. The score crept up. Neither side dominated. When the final shuttle hit the floor, Evan and Conor celebrated their 15/13 win and claimed the Championship Winners trophies and Páidí and William suffered their first defeat of the competition and received the Championship Silver Medal.

The John and Catherine Duffin winner was announced. Known through-out Offaly as the “Green Trophy,” clubs are given 1 point for each game they win in all four rounds of the doubles competition. Killoughey finished on top with over 100 points. Rahan was runner-up.

Coming events

Plans are underway for the National Schools competition. The date is set for 22 February in Mucklagh Community Centre. Letters are out to schools requesting participation. The U14 Post-Primary Schools competition is scheduled for Cistercian College Roscrea on Thursday, 5 February.