The M Donnelly GAA Handball All Ireland Senior 60x30 Doubles final programme attracted a capacity crowd to Abbeylara on Saturday evening and saw Meath legend, Tom Sheridan, bow out of Senior handball on the highest note possible.

The Kells clubman teamed up with Brian Carroll to collect a third doubles crown in five years together but Sheridan was also breaking a new record by winning his 13th Senior doubles gong in all, a record for senior doubles titles in GAA Handball. The Meath pair defeated Mayo’s Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann in the final yesterday.

Mayo's Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann had lost in the doubles decider twelve months ago to Wexford and were contesting their fourth final in seven years. The duo also lead early on by 3-0 but those early exchanges were so finely balanced that the pairings were deadlocked at 7-7 after 23 minutes of rip-roaring action. It was then that the Meath men broke to take a grip on proceedings. Two super Sheridan corner kills and a sensational back wall left hand roll-out from Carroll, who was chasing an impossible looking ball at the time, set the tone for the remainder of the game. The duo kicked on to lead by 14-7 and despite a brief rally by the Mayo men, Sheridan and Carroll held out to win 21-12.

A sensational start to the second game by the Meath men saw them open up a near unassailable 11-0 lead. Keegan and McCann were finding it difficult to assert themselves and although they went on to grab 6 aces, the match was all about Sheridan and Carroll at that stage. Carroll was pouncing on everything and finishing in style while Sheridan attacked everything with real youthful exuberance and that silky left underhand. In the end they secured their third Senior Doubles crown by 21-6 in the second and claim back the crown they also won in 2008 and 2010.

Result: 

M Donnelly GAA Handball All Ireland Open 60x30 Doubles Championship Final:  

MEATH (Tom Sheridan & Brian Carroll) dft MAYO (Dessie Keegan & Joe McCann) 21-12, 21-6.