Rathangan
Credit Union Singles Championships
Mens Singles Final
The final of the mens singles between the defending champion
Leonard Hanlon and John Goff took place in two venues and lasted a
week. The first two sets were played in Rathangan and it appeared to
be a very even and
competitive battle with the score at the close of play standing at 2-6, 6-2.
The match was then postponed and the the dynamic duo reconvened for part two in
Skerries where John Goff finally beat Leonard Hanlon 6-1 to the the take the
Rathangan Singles Championship. Congratulations John.
Womens Singles Final
Catherine Hackett just got the better of the clubs long time
champion Anne Marie Hanlon in a 6-0, 3-6, 9-7 which took all of two and a half
hours. In a game where both ladies played superb tennis. Anne Marie
confirmed her spring singles result.
After the match Catherine said "neither
of us were willing to accept defeat which led to some very long rallies and many
games throughout the match going to deuce, I really enjoyed it but its very hard
to win against Anne Marie"
Both Finalists played low, hard and with great accuracy from
the baseline but Catherine decisively varied her play in the last few games
making a few drop shots off her sliced backhand. Nothwithstanding that
Anne Marie played brilliantly throughout as befitted her role as club champion
for the last three years and she took Catherine right to the wire just going
down 9-7 in the end. Both Ladies are to
congratulated on the spirit the games was played in.
It was a great result for women's tennis in Rathangan.
Until this year there was no lady equipped to give Anne Marie a competitive
singles game. Now, with two players of the calibre of these finalists,
there is a chance of taking the general women's game in Rathangan up another
notch.
PD
RTC Pair take
Men's Doubles in Abbeyleix Tennis Club's open week
Following close on
the heals of the boys double sucess in Carlow last week, John Goff and Tom
Gallagher took the mens doubles last Tuesday night in Abbeyleix. The
tannery wharf men had to play at the very top of their game to bring home the
spoils. Having gone 6-1 down to the Portarlington pair early on they
played brillinatly to take the final by 13 - 9 in the end. PD
Rathangan
Juniors Sparkle in Laois League in Abbeyleix
Three Juniors went to abbeyleix to
represent RTC in the Junior Laois League last sunday and all three
excelled.
Liam Gaughan combined very well with a
Portarlington Player to reach the under 12 boys doubles final and went 3:1 up in
a first to five final. Unfrotunatley his fellow Rathangan player Luke
Dempsey and his Abbeyleix partner did not yield and fought back to take the next
four games to take the final by 5 games to 3.
Jack Kelly partnering a port player
won the under 12 mixed doubles in his very first tournament.
Our congratulations to the juniors who
are starting to develop. It is a fitting reward for the effort Jean
and Ambrose have put into coaching them. Our senior will have to try to
follow their example. Well done to all concerned.
PD
Rathanagn
Credit Union Parent and Child results
Delaney Perpetual
Challenge Cup 2008
John Goff
Congratulations
to John Goff of Rathangan TC who was runner up in the B section of
the Delaney Cup. He and his partner, Athy's Olive Farrell (nee
Ennis of Rathangan) played superbly throughout but were just held in
the final by Michael Morrissey, Birr TC and Janet Meredith of
Athy. Throughout the very close final, the large crowd showed
their appreciation for some great rallies. Rathangan's John
Goff found a new role at the net from which he delivered many
winners. His quick reflexes enabled him to play some very
instinctive returns, while he size saw him defend swaths of the
court . His partner Olive returned everything sent her
way and continously asked searching questions of the
opposition. However, in the end they had to yield to Michael
and Janet who swopped position and roles throughout the
game. Rathangan's Catherine Hackett also played
with flair and distinction in this very competitive
section.
Donal Delahaunty
and Michelle Stone of Abbeyleix ftook the C section in such style,
that they also got to take home the much coveted Deleany Cup
Trophy. In a unique final Michelle faced her sister
Sinead across the net. These three, who were also part of the
Abbeyleix team which won Division 3 of the Laois League have only
taken up the game in the last three years.
Accepting the beautiful trophies and the Delaney Cup from Peggy
Delaney, Donal thanked all the Athy Tennis Club for putting on the
wonderful competition saying he thoroughly enjoyed playing here each
year. Brian
Kelly Club captain presented over the procceds of the day the La
Cheile group of St. Vincents Hospital Athy
Rathangan's Tom
Gallagher, Pat Gaughan and Ronnie Heffernan were both just pipped
for the knock outs, while Padraig Doyle enjoyed a day off. The
Rathangan Players would like to congratulate Athy for their welcome
and look forward to taking part again next
year. PD
Rathangan
Credit Union Ladies Singles
Championships
Winner Catherine bt Anne Marie 6-0, 3-6, 9-7
Good luck to Ronnie & Claire in the Plate
Knock
Out
Section
Semi Final (by 2nd
Oct)
Final (by 7th Oct)
Winners
Section A Catherine
Hackett
bt 6-1,
6-2
Catherine
Hackett
Runners
up Section B
Ruth
Conlon
V Catherine
Hackett
Winners
section B
Anne Marie
Hanlon
6-0, 3-6, 9-7
V bt
6-2,
6-2
Anne Marie
Hanlon
Runners
up sect A Gemma
Kiernan
All Cup Knock out
matches best of 3 sets
Singles PLATE
3rd
Section A
Aine
Doyle
V
btn
9-4 by
Ronnie
Heffernan
4th
Section B
Ronnie
Heffernan
V
3rd
section B
Claire
Breen (bye)
All
Plate Knock out matches first to 9 games (or if preferred by both players best
of 3 sets)
Rathangan
teams shine in Athy
The Athy Business League,
sponsored by Albert Dunne Car Sales, took place over the last two weeks at Athy
Tennis Club.
It was well supported with almost
80 players taking part. Twp rathangan teams took part and both reached the
finals.
In the “B” Section, the
team of Tom Gallagher, John Goff, Catherine Hackett & Claire Breen had to
come through some very tough matches against Portarlington & two teams from
Athy, to reach the final.
Rathangan played Abbeyleix in the final and after an hour & half of
superb games of tennis, Rathangan came out victorious by 19 games to 15.
Special thanks must go to
our two subs during the tournament – Richie Ryan & Ann Marie Hanlon.
In the “C” Section, the
team of Padraig Doyle, Peter McDermott (Athy), Aine Doyle & Mary McCrann
played some excellent tennis during the championship to reach the final.
Unfortunately for them, they came up against a very strong Portlaoise
team, who beat them by 21 games to 13.
RTC
Singles Championships
for
Rathangan Credit Union Trophies
result
Leonard
Hanlon, the 2007 Singles Champion met the 2008 Champion,
John Goff, for the second consecutive year. They
both had to fight hard to make the final. John had
beaten Ciaran Dempsey in the semi's while Leonard had to
deal with Ciaran's father Ambrose.
On
a dry but windy afternoon with
both Leonard and John playing terrific shots and
defending well, the rallies went on for an age.
The writing was on the
wall that it was going to be a long match when it
took Leonard 20 minutes
to claim the first game. At that rate the
contest might have had to be played over two days, like
last year when the second leg was played in
Skerries. However the
contest soon took a decisive turn
and with John
just gaining the upper hand winning the next six games
to take the first set 6-1.
In
the end it took all of 80 minutes of energy
sapping end to end tennis to decide the
contest. John eventually emerged
the winner in 2 sets: 6-1, 6-2.
However, the bare result does not reflect the closeness
of the contest nor the quality of the play. Both
Leonard and John played superb tennis and used every
inch of the court.
The final is a good reflection on the level of tennis
being played in the club.
Well done to everyone who took part in the competition.
The full result is posted in the men's competition
section.
PD
29th
Nov 2009
Double
Doubles Wins for Rathangan
Mary
McCrann joined Ronnie Heffernan and Ritchie Ryan to
win the Ladies and Mixed doubles sections at the
Annual Abbeyleix Open Doubles Tournament.
Rathangan Tennis Club send down
five teams to Abbeyleix to take part in their Annual Doubles
Competition, which went on over the past two weeks.
This is a very special year for Abbeyleix Tennis Club, as
they are celebrating their centenary year.
This proved to a fantastic tournament for Rathangan,
with four of the teams reaching the finals.
On the first weekend Mary
McCrann and Ronnie Heffernan not only surprised
themselves by reaching the final but also won it 6-2,
6-1, against Abbeyleix in the C Section Ladies Doubles.
In the C Section Men’s’
Double, Tom Gallagher & Ritchie Ryan lost to a very
strong team from Kilminchy.
On the second weekend in the
Mixed Doubles C Section, Mary McCrann & Ritchie Ryan
had a superb 2-1 win over Kilminchy.
This was Mary’s second win over the two
weekends, in what has been a terrific season for both
her & Ritchie, who has won the Kevin Tiernan Cup in
Rathangan.
In the B Section Final,
Rathangan’s Catherine Hackett & John Goff came up
against a very determined and skilful Abbeyleix team.
In a match that lasted almost two hours,
Abbeyleix deservedly just shaded it 2-1.
Well done to everyone who took part in what has to be the
most successful tournament that a small club like
Rathangan have taken part in.
With two wins & 2 beaten finalists, we all
look forward to seeing what will happen in early
November when Abbeyleix continue their Centenary
celebration with a Singles Championships.
John
Goff
-
Last updated
13 July 2010