The winners and runners-up in each event in each grade are eligible to represent Laois in the Leinster Graded Individual Championships held in March and April. Most of the events were played in round-robin format, with each game consisting of two sets. Sets and points scored were used to determine the winners and runners-up in each event.
Grade 1: Ladies Doubles: Winners, Norma Storey and Helen Egers, Donoughmore; Runners-up, Olivia Mahon and Fiona Nevin, Killoughey. Men’s Doubles: Winners, Aubrey Cox and Willie Stevenson, Carlow YM; Runners-up, Marcus Fenton and Paddy Burke, Dunlavin. This competition was very close with the top two pairs each scoring 81 points in 4 sets. In the head-to-head, Aubrey and Willie outscored Marcus and Fenton by 5 points. Mixed Doubles was played in two groups. Aubrey Cox, Carlow YM and Laura Hanlon, Johnswell, emerged from one group and Willie Stevenson and Sylvia Campion finished on top of the second group. Willie Stevenson and Sylvia Campion defeated Aubrey Cox and Laura Hanlon in the final, 21/12, 21/13.
Grade 2: Men’s Doubles: Roy Cobbe and Robert Cox, Portarlington Parochial, finished winners ahead of Edward Shirley and Trevor Cobbe, also from Portarlington Parochial. Mixed Doubles: Winners, Audrey Coe and Trevor Cobbe, Portarlington Parochial; Runners-up, Patricia Cobbe and Roy Cobbe, Portarlington Parochial.
Grade 3: Ladies Doubles: Winners, Margaret Mahon, Killoughey, and Camilla Dunne, Rahan, Runners-up: Brenda O’Byrne, Carlow YM, and Nicole Curry, Country Club. Men’s Doubles: Winners: Paul Christie and John Looby, Rahan; Runners-up: Warren Delaney and Cormac Franks, Country Club. Mixed Doubles: Paul Christie and Mag Mahon emerged winners from Pool A and were joined in the final by Trevor Cobbe, Portarlington Parochial, and Nicole Curry, Country Club. Paul and Mag won, 21/13.
Grade 4: Ladies Doubles: Chelsea Cox and Laura Coe, Portarlington Parochial, Runners-up: Orla Maloney and Patricia McNamara, Country Club. Men’s Doubles: Liam Dempsey and Leon Coe, Portarlington Parochial; Runners-up, James Kilbride, Athy RFC, and David Quinn, Clonenagh. Mixed Doubles: The winners of the two pools, Sinead Moloney and Cormac Franks, Country Club, and Camilla Dunne and Packie Walsh, Rahan, produced a thrilling final. Camilla and Packie won, 23/21.
Grade 5: Ladies Doubles: Camilla Dunne and Philomena Walsh, Rahan, squeaked past Kate Aherne and Annette Maher, Country Club, by 2 points, to win the Grade. Men’s Doubles: Winners: Cathal Whelan, Vicarstown, and Leon Coe, Portarlington Parochial; Runners-up: James Kilbride, Athy RFC, and David Quinn, Clonenagh. Mixed Doubles: Alan Franks and Orla Maloney, Country Club, outscored Joe Delahunty, Country Club, and Bernie Lowry, Athy RFC, by 2 points to win their pool. Cathal Whelan and Chelsea Cox won the second pool. Alan and Orla were victorious in the final, 21/5.
Grade 6: Ladies Doubles: Winners: Kate Aherne and Annette Maher, Country Club; Runners-up: Eunice Jeffers and Mary Dooge, Athy RFC. Men’s Doubles: Winners: Warren Allen Sr. and Warren Allen Jr., Clonenagh; Runners –up: David Quinn, Clonenagh and Robert Kelly, Vicarstown. Mixed Doubles: David Quinn, Clonenagh, and Eunice Jeffers, Athy RFC, defeated Sheena Kennelly and Stuart Lavin, Rahan, 23/21, to clinch the title.
OFFALY
After the second round of the Offaly Doubles, first leg, the race for the John and Catherine Duffin team trophy is extremely tight, with only 2 points separating Killoughey and Country Club, but not as tight as the race for the top of the Division 5 Boys League. Conal Teehan and Chris Bergin, Country Club and John Owens and Adam Condron, Killoughey, each defeated the other 5 contestants in Division 5 by similar scores. In the crunch game between themselves, John and Adam scored a 22/21 win over Conal and Chris. Brian Dunne and Bernhard Klee, Boora; Cormac Quinn and Ben Old, Ballycumber; and Jack Quinn and David Scully, Ballycumber, are in a 3-way tie for third place with 3 wins apiece. Other pairs in Division 5 are Cormac Dunne, Boora and Ciaran Condron, Killoughey, and Callum Moore, Country Club and Cian Daly, Ballycumber.
The upset of the day occurred in Division 4. Enda Moloney and John McCabe, Country Club, were cruising through their matches, conceding points in the low double digits when they met Patrick Minnock and James Mahon from Killoughey. The pairs exchanged points during the early phase of the game. At 6/5, with James serving, the Killoughey pair got a run on Enda and John, and when they finally missed, the score was 14/5. Enda and John came back with two points to leave the score 14/7. James and Patrick scored three more points, 17/7. Enda and John managed 2 more points before James and Patrick ran out the match 21/9. John McCabe and Enda Moloney still top the table with 5 wins and 1 defeat. Tied for second with 4 wins apiece, are two Ballycumber pairs, Patrick Cosgrave and David Ayres and P. J. and Lorcan Kelly. Fighting for 4th place are the Boora/Killoughey pairing of Donal Grogan and Michael Ryan and James Mahon and Patrick Minnock, Killoughey. Two more Killoughey pairs, Eoghan Phelan and Alan Guy and Anthony Flanagan and Stephen Rowney complete the league line-up.
Division 3 was dominated by the Rahan pair, Ciaran Buckley and Brian Hickey. They were pushed to the limit in their game against John McCabe and Enda Moloney, Country Club, but with the score level at 20-all, Ciaran and Brian managed two points for the win. Michael Murray and Adam Tierney, Killoughey, managed to score 17 points against Ciaran and Brian, but that was the closest anyone else came to them. Adam Tierney and Michael Murray and Killoughey club-mates Micheal Phelan and Mikey Ryan are tied for second with two wins apiece. Enda Moloney and John McCabe and Patrick Cosgrave and David Ayres fill the lower places.
The competition was played in the Clonaslee Community Centre. The next round will be the Division 3, 4, and 5 girls on 9 December at 2.00 pm in the Clonaslee Community Centre.
Offaly Adult Leagues are scheduled to begin this week. Offaly are scheduling three leagues, 4, 5, and 6. Kinnity, Country Club and Rath will do battle in Division 4. Division 5 pits teams from Country Club, Rath, Killoughey and Rahan against each other. Ballycumber joins Country Club and Rahan in Division 6.
SOUTHWEST LEINSTER
Several rounds of matches have been played in the Southwest Leinster Leagues. The following scores have been reported to Loftus Warren, Honourable Secretary. Grade 1: Portarlington Parochial 6, Carlow LTC 2; Ballycommon 5, Carlow LTC 3; Portarlington Parochial 5, Carlow YM 3. A match between Portarlington Parochial and Killoughey was cancelled, due to conditions in Killoughey Community Centre. Grade 2: Gurteen 7, Johnswell 1; Portarlington Parochial 6, Carlow LTC, 2; Gurteen 6, Carlow LTC 2; and Portarlington Parochial 4, Johnswell 4. Grade 3 (2) has one game played, Baltinglass 6, Carlow YM 2. Grade 4:Carlow LTC 6, Athy RFC 2; Carlow LTC 4, Rahan 4; Annacurra 6, Athy RFC 2. Grade 5: Bough 7, Clonenagh 1. Grade 6: Carlow YM 7, Bough 1; Bough 5, Portarlington Parochial 3.
Clubs have received forms for the Southwest Leinster Graded Individuals. These Championships will be played in local Halls during the end of December and early January culminating in the Grand Finals on Saturday, 19 January, 2008, in Carlow Lawn Tennis Club. Forms are to be returned to Loftus Warren, Honourable Secretary, by Friday, 7 December. This competition is open to graded and registered individuals that are not playing in a Southwest Leinster League. Forms can be obtained from Loftus Warren, 11 Ashville, Athy.
Lead photo: Grade 1 finalists - Aubrey Cox, Laura Hanlon, Sylvia Campion, Willie Stephenson