IN/0237

Croke 'fun' to aid Omagh
By Tony McGee

BAIRE Binne (Gable Competition) holds the spotlight in handball this weekend when the emphasis is on fun more than deadly rivalry.
This tournament was launched last year with former president Bridin O Mhaolagain and Mick Dunne the driving forces with Brigin's husband Aidan working feverishly to establish the action with all the proceeds going to charity.
This year, the cash will go to the Omagh Disaster Fund and with the spectators admission fee to the competition in Croke Park set at £5.00 the Omagh coffers should be greatly swelled.
Baire Binne has a format like no other tournament. Two girls are paired and play for 10 minutes, then their male doubles partners face each other for a further 10 minutes with the scores carried on and, finally, a further 10 minutes doubles is played with the total scores of the three sections deciding the winner.
"It's great fun and the players love it," says Brigin who originally hailed from Dunloy. "Even though the emphases is on the fun aspect, when the players go on court the play is of championship earnestness. At first there were doubts if the system would catch on but the top players love to play in it."
Last year's winners were Duxie Walsh and Belfast's Sinead O'Boyle.
Unfortunately, Sinead is unavailable this time but there is a strong Ulster presence in the entry list.
Suzanne Smyth, Liz Campbell, Mary Lindsay (she'll also be involved in refereeing), Una Mulgrew and Briege McCorry, who will partner DJ Carey, have all entered. So have Donal Armstrong and Paul Brady but Ciaran Curran, because of an injury, is forced to stand and watch.
He will be involved, however, as T na G is filming the proceedings and Ciaran will do an interview with presenter Garry MacDonncha.
Celebrities also play in the event with GAA President Joe McDonagh in action last year but he is not available this time and Mick Dunne, following a hip operation, will be confined to commentating on the competition.
Not comentating but on court will be Miceal O Muircheartaigh who will mix it with seven world title holders and Cork camogie stars Therese O'Callaghan and Fiona O'Driscoll.
The action starts at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning and will continue throughout the day at Croke Park.
Meanwhile, it transpires that St Paul's had no need to concede a walkover to Gort na Mona in the Ulster final of the All-Ireland Club Championship.
St Paul's, national winners for the past two years, withdrew as a number of their players were unavailable last weekend and as the All-Ireland semi-finals were due for this weekend a re-fixture didn't seem possible.
However, Gort na Mona's opponents are Glenbeigh from Kerry and they have requested a postponement of the semi-final and been granted it.
That game will not played for a few weeks so there could have been a re-fixture of the Ulster final after all.