EVEN though Eoin Kennedy may be better known as a big alley player he can still be a force on the 40x20 court and he is enthusiastic about his O'Neill's All-Ireland Championship quarter-final crack at top seed Diarmuid Nash in tomorrow's battle, at Crinkle, Co Offaly.
Dubliner Kennedy knows a lot about Nash's game. The pair often train together in Dublin as the Clare man is based there. They have also met before in competitive action, in the 40x20 quarter-finals three years ago when the Banner battler won a close game.
“Diarmuid has improved a lot since then,” says Kennedy. “After some highly impressive performances this season, he is now ranked at Number One in Ireland but I am really looking forward to playing him this weekend. We train together regularly and I am well aware of his improvement since the last time we met in the All-Ireland Championship.
“He is going very well this season, winning the Golden Gloves Tournament, at St Paul's in Belfast, and then also winning the Gaffney Memorial Tournament in January, at Belmullet.
“I played in that tournament, as well, reaching the semi-finals, which I was pleased about.
“I also played in the Irish Nationals and beat the reigning Irish champion Martin Mulkerrins, which I was delighted with. That was a very big win for me.
“I then lost to the eventual winner, Robbie McCarthy, in the quarter-finals but that was no great shock. Robbie is a class player and has shown that many, many times. He is, of course, one of the top players in this championship.
“There is absolutely no pressure on me going into this weekend's championship quarter-final against Diarmuid (Nash). He is really a smart player, two-handed and a lot younger than me. He also plays hurling which keeps him very agile.
“Even though I turned 40 last January, I don't feel that I am getting old. Of course, there are a lot of young players around nowadays and it is nice to still be among them challenging for titles,” enthuses Eoin Kennedy, a former winner of the title.
The winner of this quarter-final battle, at Crinkle, will play either Charly Shanks (Armagh) or Kilkenny's Patrick Funchion in the semi-finals. Shanks and Funchion meet at Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare, in what should be a tight struggle.
Shanks, shaking off ring rust after a three-months lay-off from competitive action, had to go to a shootout against Tipperary's Ger Cooney before edging through to the quarter-finals, dismissing the Tipp trier 21-15, while Funchion surprisingly ousted Colin Crehan (Clare) at 15 and 11.
Both Function brothers are on the Ballymore Eustace bill with Peter handed a tough test against Nationals winner Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath).
In the ladies' quarter-finals, Limerick lass Martina McMahon, hoping to retain the Irish championship, will meet young Leah Doyle from Kildare and should advance to face her World Doubles' winning partner Aisling Reilly, St Paul's Belfast. However, Reilly can get a stiff test against Tipperary girl Sinead Meagher.
She's Ace winner Catriona Casey and her Cork doubles' partner Aishling O'Keeffe clash in the top quarter-final with Casey likely to survive to play either Noresider Ciara Mahon or Roscommon's Fiona Tully in the semi-finals, at Kingscourt next weekend.
O'Neill's All-Ireland 40x20 Senior Singles Championships
At Crinkle, Co Offaly - LQF2: Kilkenny (Ciara Mahon) v Roscommon (Fiona Tully);
MQF1: Clare (Diarmuid Nash) v Dublin (Eoin Kennedy).
At Cullohill, Co Laois - MQF4: Wexford (Gavin Buggy) v Galway (Martin Mulkerrins).
At St. Brigid's. Dublin - LQF1: Cork (Catriona Casey) v Cork (Aishling O’Keeffe);
LQF3: Antrim (Aisling Reilly) v Tipperary (Sinead Meagher).
At Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare - MQF2: Armagh (Charly Shanks) v Kilkenny (Patrick Funchion); MQF3: Westmeath (Robbie McCarthy) v Kilkenny (Peter Funchion).
At Tuamgraney, Co Clare - LQF4: Kildare (Leah Doyle) v Limerick (Martina McMahon).
