LEINSTER SQUASH

ANNUAL REPORT

2006/2007

LEINSTER SQUASH

COUNCIL

2006/2007

President: Marian Birmingham

Vice President: Beatrice Byrne

Honorary Secretary: Ray Byrne

Honorary Treasurer: Gerry Delaney

Junior Administrator: Brian Dolan

Coaching Secretary: Gerry Callanan

Vets Administrator: Patrick Murray

Tournament Secretary: Jackie McCreevey

Referee/Marking Secretary: Marian Birmingham

Schools Secretary: Deirdre Byrne

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

When I took over the role of President of Leinster Squash, it was a real eye opener all that went with it. I would like to thank all members of the council, Gerry Delaney, Gerry Callanan, Ray Byrne, Beatrice Byrne, Deirdre Byrne, Patrick Murray, Jackie McCreevey, Brian Dolan all these people give their time on a voluntary basis running all the various events throughout the season again thank you all. Brian Dolan, our Junior Administrator, is stepping down I would like to thank Brian for his commitment over the years.

I would like to thank Suzanne Ryan our administrator for Leinster Squash for all the hard work she did over the season, I know we had a few hairy moments but we managed to survive thank you Suzanne.

At this point I want to thank all the clubs for the use of their excellent facilities, Fitzwilliam LTC, Sutton, ALSA, Mount Pleasant and I hope we can have their continued support.

Lastly I would like to thank all the players at all levels, Juniors, Seniors and Masters without whom it would not be possible.

Marian Bermingham

President Leinster Squash

LEAGUE/CUP WINNERS & RUNNERS-UP

Number of Clubs Playing in Leinster Squash Leagues 18

Number of Men’s Teams 53

Number of Ladies Teams 15

LEAGUE COMPETITION

Leinster Squash were delighted to welcome Tullamore Squash Club into the Leagues. They had great success winning Division 5 and hope to enter more teams next season. We also saw the return of Naas Squash teams who have a new venue to play out of.

League Sponsorship is always a major priority and this season we were delighted to achieve almost full sponsorship. We were very grateful to all companies who kindly showed their support by sponsoring an individual Division and by the response they received from their advertising.

Many thanks to:

BRADSHAW SPORTS SHOP ( Eoin Ryan ) Sponsors of Mens Premier

MACTEC ( Mrs Anne Clune ) Sponsors of Ladies Premier

INNER CIRCLE HEALING CENTRE( Magda Batiste ) Sponsors of Ladies Div 2

STYL-OPTIK ( Arthur Moore ) Sponsors of Mens Div 1

LEXMARK ( Ray Byrne ) Sponsors of Ladies Div 1

MEPC Chartered Surveyors ( John McKay ) Sponsors of Mens Div 2

FEXCO ( Liam Delaney ) Sponsors of Mens Div 3

LAVERY KIRBYGILMARTIN Solicitors ( Jim Flynn ) Sponsors of Mens Div 5

BYMAC BUILDERS ( Simon Byrne ) Sponsors of Mens Div 6

Should you need the services supplied by any of the above companies please do not hesitate to give them a call. Why look any further?

We would urge anyone who feels they could contribute by putting something back into the game that has given them so much enjoyment over the past number of years to consider becoming a sponsor.

We had a number of Divisions, once again, battling to the end for their titles. Thanks to all players who made this another great year. Thanks to captains for getting results in early. We must stress that it is vital that results are forwarded in full by 11 a.m. to meet with the Newspaper deadlines.

LEINSTER SQUASH LEAGUE

FINAL POSITIONS AT END OF SEASON 2007

MENS PREMIER Sponsored by BRADSHAW SPORTS SHOP

WINNERS: FITZWILLIAM A 208 RUNNERS-UP: WESTWOOD 166

(Sutton 155, Trinity 126, Old Belvedere 123, Fitzwilliam B 102, Mt Pleasant 94, Westwood B 89)

* * * * *

LADIES PREMIER Sponsored by MACTEC

WINNERS: FITZWILLIAM 134 RUNNERS-UP: SUTTON 106

(Westwood 58, Mt Pleasant 10)

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 1 Sponsored by STYL-OPTIK

WINNERS: WESTWOOD 150 RUNNERS-UP: FITZWILLIAM 149

(Sutton 132, Mt Pleasant 121, Total Fitness Castleknock 109, Curragh 102, Leinster 82)

* * * * *

LADIES DIVISION 1

WINNERS: SUTTON 111 RUNNERS-UP: TOTAL FITNESS MALAHIDE 99

(Fitzwilliam 87, Sandycove 32)

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 2 Sponsored by MEPC Chartered Surveyors & Auctioneers

WINNERS: FITZWILLIAM 202 RUNNERS-UP: TRINITY 173

(Mt Pleasant 159, Old Belvedere 143, Total Fitness Castleknock 120, Aer Lingus 115)

LADIES DIVISION 2 Sponsored by INNER CIRCLE HEALING CENTRE

WINNERS: AER LINGUS 161 RUNNERS-UP: MT PLEASANT 128

( Westwood 121, Leinster 115, Sutton 99, Trinity 95, Old Belvedere 81)

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 3 Sponsored by FEXCO

WINNERS: SUTTON 153 RUNNERS-UP: NAAS 147

(Fitzwilliam 127, Mt pleasant 126, Riverview 116, Total Fitness Castleknock 78, Westwood 58)

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 4

WINNERS: SUTTON 138 RUNNERS-UP: FITZWILLIAM 131

(Leinster 107, Old Belvedere 97, Trinity 93, Mt Pleasant 49)

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 5 Sponsored by LAVERY KIRBY GILMARTIN SOLICITORS

WINNERS: TULLAMORE 214 RUNNERS-UP: SANDYCOVE 182

(Old Belvedere 181, Fitzwilliam 179, Sutton 173, Leinster 163, Joe May 140, RTE 114, Mt Pleasant 98)

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 6

WINNERS: NAAS 171 RUNNERS-UP: OLD BELVEDERE 144

(Leinster 116, Sutton 105, Total Fitness Sandyford 92, Fitzwilliam 88, Trinity 80)

* * * * *

LADIES PREMIER & DIV 1 COMBINED

WINNERS: SUTTON A 101 RUNNERS-UP: FITZWILLIAM A 94

(Westwood A 75, Mt Pleasant A 65, Fitzwilliam B 50, Total Fitness Malahide 45, Sutton B 44, Sandycove A)

CUP COMPETITION

The Cup Competition commenced directly after the end of the league. The Cup Finals took place in Fitzwilliam LTC on Saturday 21^st April. Fitzwilliam LTC is a fantastic venue for such an event and Leinster Squash would like to thank them for their fabulous facilities and warm welcome. Together with the Irish Open we were witness to some excellent squash. Thanks to Jackie McCreevey for buying the beautiful Newbridge and Dublin Crystal prizes.

We are proud to announce the winners and runners-up as follows:

IVY HADDEN TROPHY

WINNERS: FITZWILLIAM A RUNNERS-UP: SUTTON A

* * * * *

LADIES DIVISION 1 & 2

WINNERS: FITZWILLIAM B RUNNERS-UP: SUTTON B

* * * * *

MENS CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

WINNERS: FITZWILLIAM A RUNNERS-UP: WESTWOOD A

* * * * *

GRAY CUP – MENS DIVISION 1 & 2

WINNERS: FITZWILLIAM C RUNNERS-UP: FITZWILLIAM D

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 3 & 4

WINNERS: SUTTON C RUNNERS-UP: RIVERVIEW A

* * * * *

MENS DIVISION 5 & 6

WINNERS: TULLAMORE A RUNNERS-UP: OLD BELVEDERE D

Report on a fantastic match between Old Belvedere and Fitzwilliam LTC: This is what we like to hear!!!!

“I am sending the result of the match between Old Belvedere and Fitzwilliam in the Div 5/6 Cup, but the result doesn't tell the story. Old Belvedere lost at 4 and 5 and then succeeded in drawing level with the No 1 and No 3 - one of the games in the No 1's match having reached 14 all and was "set to one" by Old Belvedere who won that game. The final match between our James Murray and Fitzwilliam's Colm Andrews was a tight fought battle, which went down to the fifth set. Again the two players drew level at 14 all. Again Old Belvedere set the game to one and were lucky enough to win and thus go through to the second round of the cup.

This is what cup matches are all about and I just wanted to let you know that a great match was enjoyed by all, but probably a bit more by Old Belvedere.”

Brian McNally (Old Belvedere)

REFEREEING & MARKING 2007

Refereeing Report

It’s another season coming to a close, Brian Williams as Irish Squash referee secretary asked all the provinces to clean up their lists i.e. to remove non-active referees, and to upgrade some of the existing referees thus bringing up the standard. With the result we have a much shorter list. Anyone interested in becoming a qualified referee do not hesitate to get in touch with me. We had no course this season however it’s planned to hold one in September. At this point I would like to thank Brian Williams for his assistance throughout the season and a huge thank you to all the referees I have asked for the various tournaments all the usual suspects you know who you are.

Marian Bermingham

I would urge clubs to encourage players to do the course in the future, as the list of referees is getting shorter. By doing the course the player learns a lot more about the game. So don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Leinster Squash would like to thank Marian Birmingham and Brian Williams for organising and holding the courses and for arranging the referees for our tournaments.

PUBLICITY / MEDIA COVERAGE

The Irish Times Newspaper thanks to Malachy Logan and The Irish Independent thanks to David Courtney and his crew continue to print all results on a daily basis. We also have Vets results along with our Tournament results being entered on request. This is especially wonderful for the Juniors as it means so much to them.

Thanks to Shane Murray and James Proby in RTE for giving us space on Aertel. It is great to see the Sponsors names associated with their Divisions in both newspapers and on Aertel Results are updated daily on Networks 2, page 506/507. ( may vary )

SENIOR CAPTAINS & SELECTORS

The Captains and Senior Selectors have the responsibility of providing us with an up to date ranking list throughout the year. This list is changed on a constant basis following Tournaments and League results.

The Captains also take on the task of picking teams and organising the Inter Provincials and the Inter Counties Competitions.

Thanks to Ed Dunne and Emma Toolan and their crews for all their work.

MENS CAPTAIN: ED DUNNE

Selectors: Derek Ryan and Neil Byrne

LADIES’ CAPTAIN: EMMA TOOLAN

Selector: Rosie Barry

SPONSORSHIP

We are delighted to have achieved almost full sponsorship for our Leinster League Teams this season. As you will have seen from the Website, Newspapers and Aertel, along with fixtures posted in your Clubs during the season, we managed to get very valued Sponsorship for nine of our Leinster League Divisions.

Our thanks go to:

Eoin Ryan, BRADSHAW SPORTS Sponsors of Mens Premier

Arthur Moore, STYL-OPTIK, Sponsors of Mens Division 1

John McKay, MEPC CHARTERED SURVEYORS Sponsors of Mens Division 2

Liam Delaney, FEXCO Group Marking, Sponsors of Mens Division 3

Jim Flynn, LAVERY KIRBY GILMARTIN SOLICITORS, Sponsors of Mens Division 5

Simon Byrne, BYMAC Sponsors of Mens Division 6

Anne Mc Clure, MACTEC, Sponsors of Ladies Premier

Ray Byrne, LEXMARK Sponsored of Ladies Div 1

Magda Batiste, INNER CIRCLE HEALING CENTRE Sponsors of Ladies Div 2

As you can see each season brings us more new sponsors. Leinster Squash would like to thank them for their support would hope to keep them on board for next year. Sponsors are needed for all events both senior and junior and their funds not only provide prizes but also to boost the profile of the tournament and therefore put squash out there for all to see. They are essential in any sport and are giving very valued aid.

If you are interested in joining the team of Sponsors or know someone who may be willing to help, please contact Leinster Squash LeinsterSquash@eircom.net / 8396299 or any member of the Council. If you would prefer to just make a donation and remain anonymous we would be more than willing to comply with your request.

KENDAR GLOBAL PROPERTIES sponsored our Leinster Squash Senior Closed Championships, this season. This Sponsorship was achieved by Eoin Ryan, once again and Sutton Lawn Tennis Club, who run this annual tournament on behalf of Leinster Squash. We are very grateful to Gary Donnelly and Kendar. As usual the sponsors provided for a very eventful tournament and an entertaining evening, which was organised by Sutton LTC. Gary was at hand to present the prizes on the finals night and was himself presented with a winning prize.

Thanks also to PRINCE for their value sponsorship of the East of Ireland. Again, this Sponsorship was achieved by Eoin Ryan.

THE LEINSTER SENIOR CLOSED 2006/07

Eoin Ryan and Sutton Lawn Tennis Club run the Leinster Senior Closed Tournaments on behalf of Leinster Squash. The Leinster Closed is run over a week allowing for matches to be more flexible and it has a great atmosphere as a results.

Leinster Squash would like to thank Eoin and the Sutton LTC committee for a great event.

KENDAR GLOBAL PROPERTIES agreed to give their support having recently been joined by Gary Donnelly (formerly of First Active and Muldowney Financial Services, previous sponsors). We are delighted to welcome Kendar Global Properties on board and hope they will be with us again next season.

Thanks to Sutton Lawn Tennis Club for their fantastic Club facilities and friendly welcome. The results are as follows:

MENS A: Winner - Nigel Peyton Runner-Up - Peter Emmanuel

MENS B: Winner - Jeremy Fornasiero Runner-Up - Seamus Hickey

MENS C: Winner - Gary Donnelly Runner-Up - Brendan Barry

MENS D: Winner - Adam McCreevey Runner-Up - Douglas Doherty

LADIES A: Winner - Emma Toolan Runner-Up - Claire O’Brien

LADIES B: Winner - Vicky Menzies Runner-Up - Jackie McCreevey

SENIOR INTERPROVINCIAL 2007

The Senior Interprovincials were held in Ballyearl on the weekend of 13^th – 14^th April.

Competition	Winners	Runners-up
Men's A	Ulster	Leinster
Women's A	Ulster	Leinster
Men's B	Ulster	Leinster

MensTeam: MENS A MENS B

1. Nigel Peyton 1. Ciaran McCoy

2. Peter Emmanuel 2. Ronan Peyton

3. Brian Byrne 3. Paul Byrne

4. Dara O’Flynn 4. Roland Budd

5. Neal Murphy 5. Neil Brannigan

Ladies Team: LADIES A

1. Emma Toolan

2. Claire O’Brien

3. Ciara Moloney

4. Roisin Brennan

5. Jody Hannon

Unfortunately it was not our year for success in the Inter Provincial. With the absence of our Top Players Derek Ryan and Arthur Gaskin to name a few the teams were under pressure to begin with. Thanks to all in Ulster for their organisation of the event and all players who travelled to compete for Leinster.

THE LEINSTER SENIOR OPEN 2006/07

The BYMAC Leinster Senior Open was held the weekend of the 17^th – 22^nd October 2006 in Fitzwilliam LTC. We were delighted to have a sponsor for this event in the name of BYMAC and Simon Byrne. Thanks to our sponsor we have been able to upgrade this event to a PSA 6,000 Dollar event due to the generosity of Simon Byrne and Bymac and are delighted to be able to witness some top class players. We must also remember that the tournament is also open to players of all other grades and we were delighted to have a Mens A,B & C along with Ladies A & B. Results below.

The PSA event ran over 5 days with all the matches being played in Fitzwilliam LTC who graciously gave us the courts free of charge.

With world ranking points on offer we saw over 25 professional players from 11 countries competing for this title. This gave Ireland 4 local spots in the qualifiers and one wild card in the main draw along with Arthur Gaskin qualifying due to his world ranking. In total this meant 6 Irish players got exposed to International Calibre players on home soil. Once more Derek Ryan kept the Leinster flag flying becoming the only Irish Player to qualify for the main draw.

Its hoped that next year we can stage a similar event perhaps with a ladies WISPA event alongside.

Leinster Squash would like to thank Gerry Callanan who is responsible for getting this Tournament upgraded and for organising and running the event. We would also like to thank the referees for their time. 

Round 9/16
Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda (Egy)	Beat	Omar Abdel Meguid (J) (Egy)	11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4
Jason Barry (Rsa)	Beat	Jago Nardelli (Eng)	11-7, 11-8, 11-3
Jonathan Harford (Eng)	Beat	Ahmed Gamal Swaify (Egy)	8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
John Rooney (Irl)	Beat	Marton Szaboky (Hun)	11-2, 11-7, 11-9
Stuart Crawford (C) (Sco)	Beat	Arthur Gaskin (Irl)	11-2, 11-6, 11-6
Derek Ryan (Irl)	Beat	Jan Koukal (Cze)	11-10 {2-0}, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8
Yann Perrin (Fra)	Beat	Campbell Grayson (Nzl)	7-11, 9-11, 11-10 {5-3}, 11-8, 6-1 (Retired)
Luca Mastrostefano (Ita)	Beat	Mohamed Elkeiy (Egy)	11-1, 11-1, 1-11, 1-11, 11-1
Quarter-Final
Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda (Egy)	Beat	Jason Barry (Rsa)	11-5, 11-8, 11-7
Jonathan Harford (Eng)	Beat	John Rooney (Irl)	11-3, 11-6, 11-10 {3-1}
Derek Ryan (Irl)	Beat	Stuart Crawford (C) (Sco)	11-3, 6-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7
Luca Mastrostefano (Ita)	Beat	Yann Perrin (Fra)	11-8, 3-11, 11-6, 11-5
Semi-Final
Jonathan Harford (Eng)	Beat	Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda (Egy)	11-7, 11-8, 11-6
Luca Mastrostefano (Ita)	Beat	Derek Ryan (Irl)	11-6, 10-11 {0-2}, 11-4, 11-3
Final
Jonathan Harford (Eng)	Beat	Luca Mastrostefano (Ita)	11-10 {4-2}, 11-7, 4-11, 11-1

Our thanks to Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Gerry Callanan and the Squash Council for running this event. Thanks once again to all referees and markers for their help during the event.

The results are as follows:

MENS A: WINNER: Arthur Gaskin RUNNER-UP: Nigel Peyton

MENS B: WINNER: Ronan Peyton RUNNER-UP: Sam Olwill

MENS C: WINNER: Michael Conroy RUNNER-UP: Richard Clement

LADIES A: WINNER: Zoe Barr RUNNER-UP: Jennifer Dillon

LADIES B: WINNER: Jenny Moore RUNNER-UP: Tracey Walsh

INTERCOUNTIES (ENGLAND) 2006/07

INTERCOUNTIES TEAM:

1. Derek Ryan

2. Arthur Gaskin

3. Nigel Peyton

4. Brian Byrne

5. Neal Murphy

6. Ciaran McCoy

STAGE ONE

The Leinster Squash team were promoted in the UK Inter County Championships in November. A strong team of Derek ' Slice' Ryan, Arthur 'ah man' Gaskin, Neal 'No Nicks' Murphy, Brian ' Coma' Byrne and Nigel 'The Hurricane' Peyton started the weekend with an impressive 5 - 0 win over the host county Buckinghamshire. The score does not reflect the very tight matches at numbers one, two and three with the mornings best win coming with a dramatic 3 - 2 fightback win by Nigel 'The Hurricane' Peyton over the Bucks number three. Derek 'Slice' Ryan used his experience as a world top 10 player to overcome fellow professional and ex English junior international Thomas Phipps in a tight four set match. The unusually active Brian 'Coma' Byrne had a swift three set win at number four and Arthur 'Ah Man' Gaskin and Neal 'No Nicks' Murphy completed the mornings matches with more wins for Leinster.

The Afternoons session would make or break the weekend for the Leinster team. With the early travel and two matches on Saturday, no team wants to go into Sunday morning needing a win to stay in the competition. A determined Leinster team started well with Neal 'No Nicks' Murphy getting an early win. Having stayed awake all day Brian 'Coma' Byrne lost no time winning in straight set to get Leinster off to a great start. The top three matches all took their time but all the Leinster players Derek 'Slice' Ryan, Nigel 'The Hurricane' Peyton and Arthur 'Ah Man' Gaskin putting Leinster through to a comprehensive victory.

The weekend’s promotion complete the Leinster team then proceeded to down town Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire to continue the ambassadorial roles required in top level Leinster squash. The rest of the night 'stays on tour'.

All the team would like to thank Leinster squash for their support. The promotion weekend in Newcastle in March will be a real chance for Leinster to progress into the top divisions of UK squash. We hope the success of Ulster and Leinster teams in this event may enthuse Connacht and Munster to consider entering teams into this competition.

Report by Neal Murphy

INTER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006/07

Stage 2

FINAL PLACINGS

MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Division 2 North: 1. Leinster (P) 2. Ulster (P) 3. Oxfordshire 4. Northumbria 5. Staffordshire 6. Buckinghamshire 7. Lincolnshire 8. Worcestershire

Congratulations to Leinster on their promotion to 1^st Division following their win this season.

Leinster Squash would like to thank Neal Murphy for all his work organizing the trip and liaising with the Intercounties Organizers to ensure a smooth running event

LEINSTER JUNIORS 2006/07

We have come to the end of another season of squash and a very successful one it was for our Leinster juniors. I was particularly pleased to see us take three Interprovincial titles from five starts, and runner-up in one. Unfortunately our U/17 Girls and U/19 Mixed teams did not get a chance to show their strength as the other Provinces could not field teams in these events.

On the domestic scene Fiona Murphy won the U/13 Girl’s Competition in Munster, Johanna Lawlor won the Leinster event at U/15, Sarah Murphy the U/17 in Munster. Roisin Brennan dominated the U/19 scene by winning the only two events on the calendar, the Leinster Open and the Irish Nationals. It continues to disappoint us that the U/19 girls competitions continue to struggle due to a shortage of players.

On the Boy’s circuit, David Ryan won the Leinster and Connaught U/13 events while Jack Macken won in Munster. We struggled to get on the podium at any of the other age groups during the season until Adam Mc Creevey came good in the Leinster Open Championships..

On the International scene I would like to congratulate Jack Macken, David Ryan, Ben Logan & Fiona Murphy on making the U/13 Home International team. The team defeated Scotland and finished a very creditable 3^rd in the tournament. Congratulations also to Briany Dunbar, Adam Mc Creevey, Max Gillanders, Daniel Harkin & Katelyn Doran on their selection to the U/15 team. At U/17 level congratulations to Colm Dolan & Sarah Murphy on being selected for the Europeans in Budapest later this month. The U/15 teams struggled at the Home Internationals but hopefully the news from Budapest later this month will be better. Best of luck to all concerned.

The U/19 team traveled to Belgium for the Europeans and finished 14^th. Congratulations to all who made the team, which unfortunately had no Leinster representation.

The Irish Junior Open, which has been played in Belfast for the last number of years was transferred to Dublin in 2006 due to a clash with the Women’s world Championships which were played in Belfast at the same time. A large entry of home based and international visitors made for a very successful tournament. I would like to thank Westwood and Sportsco for making their premises available to stage the competition and also thanks to Shane Broadberry who sponsored the competition and came along to present the prizes.

As has been the case for the last number of years, junior squash is indebted to a small few venues and people for ensuring the events run smoothly. Without the facilities offered by Westwood, Mount Pleasant, Alsaa, Sportsco & Sutton there would be no tournaments at all. Equally without the services of a very small number of volunteers who turn up time & time again to organize and run the tournaments, competition for our enthused juniors would be very limited indeed. Leinster are very fortunate at present to have an excellent crop of under 13’s in particular coming through the system largely due to the effort and commitment of Eoin Ryan in Sutton. If we want to develop the game to the next level, then it is essential that more nucleuses like Sutton are established in the province.

I would like to conclude by wishing all those traveling to Budapest later this month every success in their matches.

BRIAN DOLAN

 Leinster Junior Administrator

JUNIOR INTERPROVINCIALS 2007:

CORK

23^rd – 25^th March

Leinster Squash selected the Junior Interprovincial Teams based on the results throughout the season and compulsory Events. The Interprovincial Championships gives the players a chance to compete as a team rather than against each other. This is a wonderful experience and players make friends for life during this weekend. Our Juniors travelled to Cork to compete in the Inter Provincials and we are delighted to announced their huge success again this year.

Many thanks to Lee Healy and his crew for their work in making the event such a success.

Results as follows:

Event	Winners	Runners-up
BU13	Leinster	Ulster
GU13	Munster	Connacht
BU15	Leinster	Munster
GU15	Leinster	Ulster
BU17	Ulster	Leinster

I had the pleasure of traveling with the Junior Interprovincial Teams this year both as a mother and organizer. Leinster Squash made the decision that all U/13 and U/15 year old should be accompanied by a parent and we found this to be very acceptable and successful. Unfortunately our U/17 Girls and U/19 Mixed teams did not travel, as the other Provinces were unable to field teams. We would like to thank Deirdre Byrne who traveled in Brian Dolan’s absence and all the managers for their help throughout the weekend.

Congratulations to all junior whose behavior was excellent both traveling down on the 5 hour bus journey and a while representing Leinster on court. We should be very proud of our juniors, they are a great crew.

Suzanne Ryan/Leinster Administrator

Junior Interprovincial Teams are as follows:

BOYS U/13 1. Jack Macken MANAGER: SUZANNE RYAN

2. David Ryan

3. Ben Logan

4. Eoghan Turley

5. Oisin Logan

6. Cillian Dunne

GIRLS U/13 1. Rebecca Gordan MANAGER: PETER LAWLOR

2. Laura Kiernan

3. Rebecca McDermott

4. Katherine Marsh

5. Griffin Gillanders

BOYS U/15 1. Adam McCreevey MANAGER: MAURA TURLEY

2. Max Gillanders

3. Daniel Harkin

4. Conor Lavin

5. Conall Murphy

6. Daniel L’Estrange

GIRLS U/15 1. Johanna Lawlor MANAGER: LIZ JORDAN

2. Katelyn Doran

3. Bronagh Jordan

4. Aoife Jordan

5. Sarah Lawlor

6. Elaine Ware

BOYS U/17 1. Alan Tighe MANAGER: PETER LAWLOR

2. Seamus Harmon

3. Richard May

4. Eamonn Bourke

5. Cian O’Brien

6. Enda Holohan

GIRLS U/17 1. Laura Casey

2. Sarah Murphy

3. Mellissa NiBhroin

4. Gina Salvetta

MIXED U/19 1. Rory Byrne

2. Eugene Devereux

3. Brian Parker

4. James Judge

5. Roisin Brennan

6. Claire O’Brien

LEINSTER JUNIOR OPEN 2007:

Leinster Junior Open

Esb Sports Co & Mt Pleasant

1^st – 3^rd December

The Results as follows:

BOYS U/11 WINNER: Stephen Quigley

RUNNER-UP: Oisin Logan (Leinster)

GIRLS U/11 WINNER: Griffin Gillanders (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Rhona Digan (Leinster)

BOYS U/13 A WINNER: David Ryan (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Jack Macken (Leinster)

GIRLS U/13 WINNER: Labhaoise Dunbar

RUNNER-UP: Breanne Flynn (Leinster)

BOYS U/15 WINNER: Adam McCreevey (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Briany Dunbar

GIRLS U/15 WINNER: Johanna Lawlor (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Rachel Power

BOYS U/17 WINNER: Theodore Anderson

RUNNER-UP: Colm Dolan (Leinster)

GIRLS U/17 WINNER: Niamh O’Hare

RUNNER-UP: Cathryn Abernethy

BOYS U/19 WINNER: Gordon Harpur

RUNNER-UP: John Roberts

GIRLS U/19 WINNER: Roisin Brennan (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Sarah McCracken

IRISH JUNIOR NATIONALS 2007:

GALWAY

2^nd – 4^th February

BOYS U/11 WINNER: Stephen Quigley

RUNNER-UP: Oisin Logan (Leinster)

BOYS U/13 WINNER: Michael Craig

RUNNER-UP: Jack Macken (Leinster)

GIRLS U/13 WINNER: Breanne Flynn (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Laoibhse Dunbar

BOYS U/15 WINNER: Briany Dunbar

RUNNER-UP: Adam McCreevey (Leinster)

GIRLS U/15 WINNER: Catheryn Abernethy

RUNNER-UP: Jennifer Hegarty

BOYS U/17 WINNER: Neil Martin

RUNNER-UP: Theodore Anderson

GIRLS U/17 WINNER: Gemma Owens

RUNNER-UP: Niamh O’Hare

BOYS U/19 WINNER: Gordon Harpur

RUNNER-UP: Chris O’Kane

GIRLS U/19 WINNER: Roisin Brennan (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Sarah McCracken

LEINSTER JUNIOR CLOSED 2007:

The Leinster Junior Closed

ALSAA Squash Club and Sutton LTC

2^nd – 4^th March.

The Results and Prizes awarded are as follows:

BOYS U/11 WINNER: Stephen Lavin

RUNNER-UP: Kevin Hughes

PLATE WINNER: Stephen O’Connor

PLATE RUNNER-UP: Daniel Gordon

GIRLS U/11 WINNER: Griffin Gillanders

RUNNER-UP: Aoife Turley

BOYS U/13 WINNER: Jack Macken

RUNNER-UP: David Ryan

PLATE WINNER: Shane Hennessy

PLATE RUNNER-UP: Gavin Comerford

GIRLS U/13 WINNER: Breanne Flynn

RUNNER-UP: Fiona Murphy

3^rd PLACE: Katherine Marsh

4^th PLACE: Rebecca McDermott

BOYS U/15 WINNER: Adam McCreevey

RUNNER-UP: Max Gillanders

GIRLS U/15 WINNER: Johanna Lawlor

RUNNER-UP: Katelyn Doran

BOYS U/17 WINNER: Alan Tighe

RUNNER-UP: Seamus Harmon

BOYS U/19 WINNER: Brian Parker

RUNNER-UP: Eugene Devereux

Congratulations to all participants and thanks to them for a wonderful and entertaining weekend. Leinster Squash would like to thank Aer Lingus and Sutton LTC for the use of their excellent facilities.

PRINCE EAST OF IRELAND JUNIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS:

The East of Ireland Championships continues to be an enormous success. Run by Eoin Ryan in Sutton LTC it welcomes players from all over. Once again there was a huge entry and a fantastic weekend of Squash. The quality and standard of squash being played at junior level is unbelievable, from U/11 to U/19. Irish Squash and all individual Provinces need to take advantage of this situation and nurture this potential for the future of our Squash in Ireland.

Result of all sections are as follows:

BOYS U/11 WINNER: Cillian Dunne

RUNNER-UP: Oisin Logan

GIRLS U/11 WINNER: Griffin Gillanders

RUNNER-UP: Rhona Digan

BOYS U/13 WINNER: David Ryan

RUNNER-UP: Daniel L’Estrange

GIRLS U/13 WINNER: Breanne Flynn

RUNNER-UP: Sarah Kinane

BOYS U/15 WINNER: Max Gillanders

RUNNER-UP: Adam McCreevey

GIRLS U/15 WINNER: Johanna Lawlor

RUNNER-UP: Katelyn Doran

BOYS U/17 WINNER: James Judge

RUNNER-UP: Cian O’Brien

ONE DAY TOURNAMENTS

The “One Day Tournaments” are Squash Competitions held for the juniors and are taken into consideration for ranking lists. The Events are usually individual age categories e.g. U/11 Boys & Girls on one day, U/13 Boys & Girls on another day etc. It is encouraged that all Clubs with Juniors hold these One Day Tournaments at regular intervals to give the juniors a chance to compete throughout the season. Once again, Sutton LTC held U/9, U/11, U/13, U/15 & U/17 events on both sides of Christmas. Eoin Ryan ran all sections and was delighted to have full draws. Carlow LTC held a number of One Days also. Thanks to all involved for making these days so enjoyable.

It is important that we get all Clubs to hold these tournaments and they should become a normal part of the calendar for each season. We find that they are very successful as Juniors and Parents have only to commit themselves to one day as opposed to full weekend tournaments. They are also a great preparation for the bigger events.

LEINSTER SCHOOLS SQUASH COMPETITIONS

All Ireland Schools Competition 2007

Thanks to Mervyn Nicholl and his team at Ballyearl for their work in organising this season's event.

The following were the results.

BU13 Winners: Belvedere College (Leinster)
Runners Up: St. Michael's Holycross (Munster)

BU15
Winners: Methodist College Belfast (Ulster)
Runner-Up: St. Brendan's College, Killarney (Munster)

BU17
Winners: Methodist College Belfast (Ulster)
Runners-Up: Ard Scoil Rís, Limerick (Munster)

GU13
Winners: Gaelcholáiste Cheathralach (Leinster)
Runners Up: Presentation Secondary Thurles (Munster)

GU15
Winners: Gaelcholáiste Cheathralach (Leinster)
Runners Up: Strathearn School (Ulster)

Congratualtions to Leinster boys from Belvedere College, Ben Logan, Daniel L’Estrange and Harry McGonigle, winners of Boys U/13 and Leinster Girls from Gaelcholaiste Cheathralach winners of both Girls U/13 (Elaine Nic an Mhaoir, Emma Ní Chaomhánaigh, and Órna Ní Dhochartaigh) and Girls U/15 (Katelyn Ní Dhóráin, Melissa Ní Bhroin, and Sarah Ní Lionnáin)

OPEN CLUB TOURNAMENTS HELD IN LEINSTER

The Club Open Tournaments are a crucial aspect of Squash and we would like to thank the organisers and players of The Mt Pleasant Open, The Old Belvedere Handicap Open and The Aer Lingus Open. We would also like to thank Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club and their Squash Committee who brought some of the best Squash players to our shores to play in the IRISH OPEN.

CANON KIRK HOMES IRISH OPEN SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS

Held in Fitzwilliam each year, we are given a chance to witness some of the finest players compete for the Irish Open Title. This competition is a “Knock-out” Event for the top 16 Entries. Ireland’s Mens No:1, Liam Kenny and Ladies’ No:1 Madeline Perry took part and gave us a week of wonderful squash. The event was free for all to attend and the level of squash improved with every day.

Madeline Perry won her third straight Cannon Kirk Irish Open at Fitzwilliam to the delight of the home crowd beating New Zealander, Jacklyn Hawkes in a one-sided final. Perry, the world number ten, put in a rock solid display to take the match three games to love in just 35 mins.
The Banbridge girl proved too strong for all opponents as she cruised through the event without dropping a game. Perry was competing in her 10th Wispa Tour final, in a hugely successful squash career to date, which has seen her rise to a career high world number 6 last year. Hawkes however will take great comfort from a successful tournament where she went in as number five seed but just hadn't the energy left to take on Perry.

LADIES FINAL:

(1) Madeline Perry (IRL) bt (5) Jacklyn Hawkes (NZL) 3/0 (9/3, 9/3, 9/5) 35 mins

MENS’ FINAL:

(2) Alex Gough (WAL) bt (1) Borja Golan (ESP) 3/2 {11/6, 2/11, 11/10, 8/11, 11/9} 90 mins

Alex Gough beat top seed Borja Golan of Spain in an inspiring final to take the Cannon Kirk Irish Open title in Dublin. The 36 year old veteran of the circuit was playing his 16th PSA Tour final, his first dating all the way back to 1993. The Irish crowd were treated to arguably the best contested final the Irish Open has seen in a dramatic 3/2, 90 minute match. After sharing the first two games the third proved to be pivitol, going to a tie break. With both players covering every inch of the court, the crowd were treated to an exhibition of inch perfect lengths and pin point drop shots. World number 23, Gough eventually clinched the game 12/10, but tired noticably in the fourth losing out 11/8. Into the decing game and questions were being asked as to which player would hold their nerve as the the players traded points throughout the game. With the title in sight, both players produced amazing dives to retrieve seemingly impossible shots. The wiley Welshman eventually taking the fifth 11/9 and with it the title.

MT PLEASANT OPEN

The Mount Pleasant Open was held over the weekend 26^th to 28^th January and attracted players from all over Ireland and the UK to play in five graded sections. This was the second year that the tournament was hosted by Mount Pleasant LTC as a Grand Prix event.

The main Grand Prix event final was contested by Arthur Gaskin, the number one seed and Steve Richardson, the number two seed, with Arthur eventually coming out on top over five games.

Thanks are due to Irish Squash and sponsors, Ulster Bank Ireland Ltd, Pianos Plus, International Screen and Delaney Financial Consultancy for their support for the tournament as well as Leinster LCC for use of their courts over the weekend.

Results are as follows:

Mens A Ladies A

1^st Arthur Gaskin 1^st Jody Hannon

2^nd Stevie Richardson 2^nd Dee Hourihan

3^rd Nigel Peyton 3^rd Julie Tierney

4^th Peter Emmanuel 4^th Rosie Barry

Mens B

1^st Danny McInerney

2^nd Roland Budd

Mens C

1^st Glen McGahern

2^nd Kevin O’Gorman

Mens D

1^st J Byrne

2^nd Liam Butler

“ELASTOPLAST” CHAMPIONSHIP AND HANDICAP TOURNAMENT OLD BELVEDERE

The Elastoplast Championships and Handicap Tournament was held between the 30^th December 2006 and 6^th January 2007 in Old Belvedere Squash Club.

A total of 73 Men and 8 Ladies took part in 4 different categories and the results were as follows :

MENS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL - Peter Emmanuel beat Derek Ryan 3/2

MENS HANDICAP FINAL - Henry Gillanders beat Donal Kelly 3/0

LADIES HANDICAP FINAL - Rosie Barry beat Joan Gorham  3/0

VETS HANDICAP FINAL - Joe Dowley beat Mossie Collins 3/2

in a match that took 1hour 10 mins.

TECHNIFIBRE CARLOW JUNIOR SQUASH OPEN 2007

Over 90 squash players from as far away as Killarney, Waterford, Liverpool, Dublin arrived to Carlow for the 7^th Carlow Junior Squash Open last weekend.

The mixed event produced some enthralling matches and the final match which was between Roisín Brennan the Irish No1 and Seamus Harmon the Leinster U17 no 3 was one of the best seen at the club for some time. Harmon a student at ST.Mary’s Academy was by far the stronger physically but Róisín is no stranger to pressure and she remained calm and patient throughout the long game forcing Harmon to make the errors which she which she capitalised on. She went on to win 3/1 in the end of what was a very sporting match.

There was no joy for Sarah Murphy (Leinster) in the girls U17 event which was won by Katherine Keighley from Liverpool 3/2 in another cliff hanger. Sarah was 0/2 down but fought back with great spirit but the tall Merseysider seemed to be able to hit winners from all sides of the court.

Katelyn Doran took the U15 girls title with a 3/0 win over Sarah Lawlor with Elaine Ware who improves with every tournament in 3^rd place.

The boys U15 event was won by Adam Mc Creevey (Alsaa Squash Club) defeating Daniel Harkin (Sutton LTC) 3/1. Mc Creevey’s the Irish No1 has a laid back style which is very deceptive and Harkin did tried hard to break him down. The final of the U13 boys featured Irish No1 Jack Macken from Sutton in Dublin and David Fumpson Liverpool who is ranked number 40 in England. This was a hard fought game and to see such skill and retrieving by these young lads who are just 11 and 12 years of age was a joy. Fumpson won 3/2 and he is one to watch for the future.

Scott Mc Creevey (Leinster) followed his brother to the winning rostrum when he won the U11 title defeating Shane Maher Thurles 3/2.

Dermot O’Brien

Results as follows:

BOYS U/11 WINNER: Scott McCreevey (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Shane Maher

GIRLS U/11 WINNER: Lauren Keating

RUNNER-UP: Kate Clarke

BOYS U/13 WINNER: David Fumpson

RUNNER-UP: Jack Macken (Leinster)

GIRLS U/13 WINNER: Katie Lloyd

RUNNER-UP: Karina Burrows

BOYS U/15 WINNER: Adam McCreevey (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Daniel Harkin (Leinster)

GIRLS U/15 WINNER: Katelyn Doran (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Sarah Lawlor (Leinster)

BOYS U/17 WINNER: Seamus Harmon (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Alan Tighe (Leinster)

GIRLS U/17 WINNER: Katherine Keighley

RUNNER-UP: Sarah Murphy (Leinster)

BOYS U/19 WINNER: Joseph Breheny (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Cian O’Brien (Leinster)

MIXED U/19 WINNER: Roisin Brennan (Leinster)

RUNNER-UP: Seamus Harmon (Leinster)

Thanks to Dermot O’Brien, Squash Committee and Technifibre. We wish Dermot and his crew continued success for future events.

DUBLIN VETERANS 2006/2007 SEASON

LEAGUES We had one less team this year – and the teams were spread over 2 leagues instead of 3 leagues in the previous season. The First Division had 8 teams and they played each other 3 times. The Second Division had 9 teams and played each other twice.

The results were as follows -

DIV	PTS	WINNER	PTS	RUNNER-UP
1	285	Fitzwilliam A	235	Sutton
2	215	Tot. Fitness B	213	Westwood

CUPS The Cup matches for each Division were played in March/April with the Finals in Mt. Pleasant on Thurs 4^th May. The Cup results were as follows –

DIV	WINNER	RUNNER-UP
1	Fitzwilliam A	Sutton
2	Tot Fitness B	Old Belvedere A

Sponsorship

The Veterans section is indebted to two generous players from RTE for the sponsorship of the Leagues and Cup matches and also the Leinster Veterans Open in Fitzwilliam in Nov 2006

COMPETITIONS

Leinster Veterans Open – was sponsored by Grasia Developments and O’Connor Property Group and held in Fitzwilliam on 3rd to 5th Nov. 2006. Results were as follows -

Leinster Veteran Open Results
SECTION	WINNER	RUNNER UP
MENS OVER 45 A	Frank Donnelly	John Young
MENS OVER 45 B	Michael Mulhall	Liam Daly
MENS OVER 50	Steve Ewer	Geoff Irwin
MENS OVER 55	Stanley Campbell	John Kieelty
MENS OVER 60 A	Tom Cantwell	Pete Mc Mahon
MENS OVER 60 B	Myron Evans	Ciaran Roche
LADIES OVER 40	Claire Jones	Michele Jackson

Irish Veterans Open – was sponsored by Fitzwilliam LTC and held in Fitzwilliam from 16^th to 18th Feb 2007. Results were as follows

Irish Veterans Open Results
SECTION	WINNER	RUNNER UP
MENS OVER 45	Michael Ellis	Neil Stonewig
MENS OVER 50	Steve Ewer	Neil O’Sullivan
MENS OVER 55	Stanley Campbell	Alf Kavanagh
MENS OVER 60	Tom Cantwell	Bruce Staunton
LADIES OVER 40	Michele Jackson	Christine Lowry
LADIES OVER 50	Norrie O’Grady	Anita Mylotte

Veterans Interpros – were sponsored by Leinster Veterans and held in Fitzwilliam on 9^th and 10^th March 2007. Results were as follows

MENS OVER 45	TEAM	POINTS
1^ST	LEINSTER	48
2^ND	ULSTER	41
3^RD	CONNACHT	17
4^TH	MUNSTER	16

MENS OVER 55	TEAM	POINTS
1^ST	CONNACHT	45
2^ND	ULSTER	39
3^RD	LEINSTER	26
4^TH	MUNSTER	18

LADIES OVER 40	TEAM	POINTS
1^ST	ULSTER	32
2^ND	LEINSTER	23
3^RD	MUNSTER	8

LADIES OVER 50	TEAM	POINTS
1^ST	CONNACHT	18
2^ND	LEINSTER	14
3^RD	ULSTER	8

(Hon. League Sec. – Dublin Veterans Squash)

Leinster Squash would like to thank Brian and the Vets committee for their continued hard work running the Dublin Vets League and Cup Competitions.

SATURDAY LEAGUE 2006/2007

The Saturday Leagues are run by Arthur Moore and Tom McKeon and continue to be a success. This years results are as follows:

MENS 1^st DIVISION

LEAGUE WINNERS: SPORTSCO B RUNNERS-UP: PHOENIX B

CUP WINNERS: SPORTSCO B RUNNERS-UP: PHOENIX B

* * * * *

MENS 2^nd DIVISION

LEAGUE WINNERS: MALAHIDE ALLSTARS RUNNERS-UP: AER LINGUS C

CUP WINNERS: MALAHIDE ALLSTARS RUNNERS-UP: LEINSTER A

* * * * *

MENS 3^rd DIVISION

LEAGUE WINNERS: AER LINGUS D RUNNERS-UP: JOE MAY

CUP WINNERS: AER LINGUS D RUNNERS-UP: JOE MAY

* * * * *

LADIES 1^ST DIVISION

LEAGUE WINNERS: SPORTSLINK RUNNERS-UP: PHOENIXS

CUP WINNERS: SPORTSLINK RUNNERS-UP: MT PLEASANT

* * * * *

Kind regards

Arthur Moore