Ireland's top female handballers are in action in provincial finals on Saturday, with many young contenders pitted against the more experienced belles of the ball.

Cork's Catriona Casey has hit the handball headlines on many occasions in recent years, and with her semi-final victory over Kerry's Ashley Prendiville, the young rebellete had already made her mark on the national senior stage. This weekend she faces the Kingdom's top player, Maria Daly, in the GAA Handball Munster 40x20 Senior Singles Final, and the Kerry ace will provide a very difficult opposition for the talented 16-year-old.

"It's going to be really tough against Maria, but I'm delighted to be in the final and I'll give it my best shot," said Casey, from the Ballydesmond Club.
"I've put in a lot a hard training and it's great to be competing against top players."

An all-Roscommon affair awaits in Connacht, with Marianna Rushe, who recently collected the Handball World Intercollegiate Ladies Open title in Tempe, Arizona, facing the familiar opposition of Leona Doolin. Doolin has emerged from the underage ranks this year with promise and having collected numerous All-Ireland crowns in recent years, is certain to test Rushe's strength.

Leinster pits Wicklow's Patricia Doyle against Kildare handball queen, Anna Spence, and this meeting is likely to be a thriller. Both players have been on the handball stage for many years; Doyle won the Intermediate title in 2009 and will be hoping to make her full senior debut a successful one.

The Ulster Ladies Senior Final sees two of the brightest young talents in the game face-off, as beaten World finalist, Antrim's Aisling Reilly faces rising Down starlet, Lorraine Havern. Reilly has been clipping the heals of world number one, Fiona Shannon, for the past number of years and many feel that her coming of age is close at hand. Havern, however, has risen quickly through the ranks and will push her Belfast opponent all the way to the finish.

Meanwhile, a feast of men's doubles action is also in store this weekend with provincial finals taking place around the country today (Saturday). In Ulster, Cavan's Brady and Finnegan take on Ricky McCann and Seamus O'Tuama (Antrim). The Leinster Final pits Meath's Brian Carroll and Tom Sheridan against the Model County pairing of Gavin Buggy and Paul Lambert. In Munster, Limerick young-guns, CJ Fitzpatrick and Seamus O'Carroll face Tipperary's David Maloney and Fergal Collins, while Connacht pits reigning champions, Mayo's Keegan and McCann, against fellow county men, Vinny Moran and Campell Brennan.

GAA HANDBALL FIXTURES: †

Saturday 6th March*
St. Mellan's (Monaghan)
2pm:†Minor Doubles - Monaghan (C McKenna/T McElvaney) v Down (D Connolly/B Lennon)†
3pm:†Ladies Senior Singles - Antrim (A Reilly) v Down (L Havern) ††
4pm: Senior Doubles - Cavan (P Brady/M Finnegan) v Antrim (R McCann/S O'Tuama)†

Ballydesmond (Cork)
3pm: Senior Doubles - Limerick (S O'Carroll/CJ Fitzpatrick) v Tipperary (D Moloney/F Collins)†

Broadford (Limerick)
12.30pm: Ladies Senior Singles: Kerry (M Daly) v Cork (C Casey)

Ballymore Eustace (Kildare)
3.30pm: Minor Doubles: Kilkenny (E Hennessy/P Maher) v Wicklow (K Kavanagh/E Lillis)
4.30pm: Ladies Singles: Wicklow (P Doyle) v Kildare (A Spence)
5.30pm: Senior Doubles: Wexford (G Buggy/P Lambert) v Meath (T Sheridan/B Carroll)


Ballaghaderreen (Roscommon)
3pm: Boys Minor Doubles:†Galway (M Mulkerrins & S " Conghaile) v Roscommon (C Connolly/M Nally)
4pm: Ladies Singles: Roscommon (M Rushe)†v Roscommon (L Doolin)
5pm: Men's Open Doubles:†Mayo (D Keegan & J McCann) v Mayo (V Moran & C Brennan)†

*All fixtures are provincial finals Tweet

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