November 24, 2014
There will be a special fundraiser night in the club on Friday night 28th November. The night is being run to raise funds for Temple Street Children’s Hospital which does such wonderful work for seriously ill children, one of whom currently is local boy Billy Goulding.
Billy Goulding was a lively normal healthy young boy aged just over 2 years, running around like all other children, when in late July he suffered a devastating reaction to a virus which resulted in a rare spinal problem and which has left him paralysed from the neck down.
Billy has been in Temple Street since then and while his progress has been very slow and it will be a long road, everyone is hopeful that he will make a full recovery.
Friday will involve social tennis and social event clubhouse. Those wishing to play should put their names on sheet or text club phone. If you’re not playing, just come along anytime during the evening.
Paul Royston, John Sheedy, Triona Dunne and Eileen Molloy have won the 2014 Division II Midland Tennis League title for Nenagh. They defeated a gallant Puckane team of George Hayes, Mike O’Brien, Melissa Kenny and Angela O’Dwyer in the final in Puckane.
It was a win by the narrowest of margins, going down to the ‘super mixed doubles’ decider after play ended at 2 matches each in the end of normal play. In that deciding rubber, John Sheedy and ‘upwardly mobile gradewise’ Triona Dunne just got over the line from an unlucky George Hayes and Melissa Kenny. The ‘decider’ match could not be closer, going to 6 all before John and Triona edged home in the tie-breaker.
Royston and his team obviously like tense finishes, as in the semi-final against Roscrea the issue also went to the ‘super doubles’ and on this occasion Paul himself and Eileen Molloy found themselves 2/5 down and staring at the exit door before coming back to win.
Pat O’Gorman, Birr Wilmer, and Chairman of the Midland League, was on hand after the final to present Eugene Garvey Memorial Cup to Paul Royston and his Nenagh team.
This title win was likely something of a special moment for Paul, as a brother of his who is now resident in New Zealand and whom Paul was heading off to visit in the week after the final, was a close personal friend of the late Eugene Garvey.
Hard luck to Puckane. Club Captain Josie McGahey was very close to getting a second league title this year, having earlier won Div VI ladies and we can be certain that they’ll again be at the business end of things come 2015. In fact, George and his team are immediately back in action, playing as a team in the current Munster Winter League
Indeed with Puckane also winning 2 Munster inter-club titles during 2014, the year has to go down as an immensely successful one for the club as a whole.
Nenagh LTC won the 2014 Division I Midland Tennis League title last week, defeating Birr Wilmer by 3/1 in the final, thereby clinching a double league success, having won the Division II title a few weeks earlier.
Nenagh’s team was Lorraine Ryan (Capt), Emma Mulqueen, James Morris and David Hackett. Birr Wilmer were represented by Chris Collins (Capt), J P Savy, Csilla Varga and Karen Smith.
It was a close skilful final, played in exemplary spirit, which at one stage looked likely to go the ‘decider super mixed’. Nenagh led 2/1 in matches, but the remaining match on court appeared to heading the Wilmer way, before David Hackett and Emma Mulqueen came from 3/6 down to win 9/6.
Pat O’Gorman, Chairman of League, at presentation thanked all players and clubs who had participated in the division I and the other divisions during 2014. He also complimented Tim Conway, League Secretary, for his work in promoting the league.
Twelve clubs were represented in the 2014 league, with 53 teams spread across the 6 divisions.
Winners and runners-up of 2014 were:
