PLENTY of action scheduled for the handball courts during the coming week, with the Ballydesmond Inter County Doubles Tournament likely to provide top class fare over the weekend, we will also have the first games of the 2010 provincial 40x20 Championship as the Senior Singles kicks off.

In Senior Singles Stephen Palmer, Mallow will take on Diarmuid Nash, Clare in Cashel on Saturday at 5pm.

On Tuesday Brendan Fleming, Ballydesmond plays Niall Malone, Clare in Cappagh at 7.30pm. In other first round games David Moloney, Tipperary will play Declan Frawley, Clare in Tuamgreaney Saturday at 5pm and on Tuesday CJ Fitzpatrick, Limerick will play Fergal Coughlan, Clare in Tuamgraney at 8pm, above games will clear the way for quarter finals the following week.

Looking at the Ballydesmond tournament, first games in that were played on Tuesday evening and will continue tonight and tomorrow night to reduce the entry for the weekend, there will be a full day's action on Saturday and again on Sunday with the final scheduled for Sunday afternoon, this tournament has grown oover the past few years and with a bigger entry again this year, it promises a great weekend of top class action.

Tonight ( Thursday) is an important one in the Cork Handball calendar with the County Handball Board annual convention in the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow at 8.30pm. It will mark a night of change at the top table with long serving Chairman and Secretary Tim Healy and Peter Dennehy both stepping down.

There will be a new look to the top table at the end of the night and dependent on who will take the top positions there could be three or four changes in the officer Board for 2010.

Hugh Carolan, Fermoy takes over the position of Secretary and a new post of adult fixtures secretary has been created and that will be filled by Michael Murphy, Ballydesmond. All other posts will depend on nominees decisions on the night.

In his report to Convention the Secretary Peter Dennehy outlined a very successful year, with two World titles, six All-Ireland titles, 5 USHA Junior titles, the Under 14/ 15 team won the All-Ireland and there was further success in Colleges, Cumann na mBunscoil and other competitions, together with a very successful Munster campaign for many players.

On Saturday last in Mallow Cork 1 defeated Tipperary in the Special 125 Centenary Inter-county tournament final. This was a special inter-county team competition organised by Munster Handball Council as part of the GAA 125th anniversary celebrations.The final score of 82 aces to 62 probably flatters Cork but they were that little bit better at making most of the chances that came their way, the Cork team was Donnacha O'Dea, Dion Cahill, Tadgh Carroll, Shane Hedigan, Thomas O'Neill, Arthur O'Neill and Eugene O'Sullivan.

On Sunday the spotlight switched to Ballydesmond for the official opening of their new 40x20 handball court, the addition of the second court now makes Ballydesmond a two court complex equal to and possibly better than any facility you could find anywhere in the country.

The court was officially opened by Michael Moynihan, T.D. Tony Hannon, President, GAA Handball Council complimented all those who worked so hard to make the final outcome possible were thanked for the tremendous effort made and in particular those who helped fund the project, with a huge effort put in by the local GAA and Handball clubs and the local community together with funding from the National Lottery and Munster GAA Council.

Among the attendance was John Hedigan, Chairman, Munster Handball Council, Donal Hayes, Secretary, Munster Handball Council and Willie Roche, Handball Rep on Munster GAA Council together with county officers from Cork, Kerry and Limerick following the official opening there was a mix of exhibition games played between two teams drawn from the Cork and Kerry faithful in the club and also included a number of Cork and Kerry players.

The Cork side were narrow winners at the end of the day, the Cork team was captained by Tony Healy, and included Donnacha O'Connor, Donnacha O'Dea, Denis Quinn, Jerry Guiney, Jerh Healy, Shane Hedigan, Catriona Casey, Aisling O'Keeffe, Kevin O'Connell and Michael Healy.

The Kerry side was captained by Dominic Lynch from Glenbeigh, and included Brendan Fleming, Niall Fleming, Paul Kerins, Christy Moriarty, Michael Linehan, Jack O'Shea, Marie Daly, Martina McMahon, Jerry Cronin and J J Herlihy.

- Peter Dennehy