FAVOURITES Conor McElduff and Lorraine Havern lived up to their billing as they both swept to victory at Loughmacrory in the Ulster One-Wall Championships.
Breacach club star McElduff, who lost out to Charly Shanks in the 2014 Ulster final, stormed to victory in the national senior championship at the first attempt, having been successful at U19 level 12 months earlier.
This time, Shanks didn't compete in Ulster as he is currently in California for the US Nationals, with McElduff sweeping through a class provincial field, dominated by Tyrone and Monaghan players. In the final, McElduff clashed with Breacach club-mate Johnny Woods, who won the UGAAWA Young Achiever of 2014 after a string of victories in different handball codes.
Woods, who had seen off Patrick McCrory in the semi-final after the Carrickmore man had defeated the fancied Gabhain McCrystal in the quarter-finals, tested McElduff in the opening game of the final but, in the second game, the favourite pulled away to record his first Ulster senior triumph.
McElduff recently won the Mallow tournament with a notable victory over Cork’s Killian Carroll and will now be preparing to defend his Irish crown next month and win a ticket to the World Championships as part of the Irish team.
There was to be no McElduff double, however, as Conor's sister Maeve again lost out to Lorraine Havern in the ladies' Ulster final. Havern proved too strong for the Beragh teenager and she will now be a warm favourite to secure the women’s national open title.
The classy Down star is back playing at her peak following almost two years of travelling. She looked extremely sharp and clinical in retaining the Ulster title.
Havern's fiancé Richie McNally despatched Antrim’s Jordan O’Neill and Cavan’s Cormac McMahon to win the Men's B singles title to complete a notable double for the Saval pair. Also keeping it in the family was Mary Havern, who won the Women's C decider.
Another noteworthy double registered last weekend was achieved by the Coleman sisters from Armagh. The Clann Éireann girls were successful as Dearbhail won the Ulster U14 title and Niamh took the minor honours. Megan McCann made it a Clann Éireann treble in the U16 girls' section.
Niall Kerr retained the Men's Masters, while his son Seán took the U18 honours. Tyrone finished at the top of the roll of honour with seven titles. The other winners were Down (three), Armagh (three), Monaghan (one) and Cavan (one).
