The Irish Handball Council has announced that the M DONNELLY All-Ireland Senior Singles Semi-Finals will take place as part of a mount-watering double header in Croke Park handball headquarters on Saturday August 23rd next. This is an unprecedented move by the organisation with both semi-finals generally played at separate venues, but with two thrilling games in store, and a large crowd expected, Croke Park was deemed the most suitable venue to host the games. In the opening game, Meath's Tom Sheridan and Kilkenny's Michael 'Ducksy' Walsh renew rivalries having avoided each other in the championship for some years. Walsh and Sheridan fought many All-Ireland Final battles and this meeting will be a heated occasion. Walsh was defeated in last year's final by Dublin's Eoin Kennedy, and will enter the game as favourite but tags like this mean nothing when settling old scores comes into play. Dublin's Kennedy will also be action against Mayo kingpin, Dessie Keegan and is now bidding for his fifth consecutive title. Keegan and Kennedy have played out some thrillers in recent years, and last year the Mayo man was unlucky not to force a third game going down 21-19 in the second. This year, Keegan has been fortunate to get through some of his early rounds but Kennedy has looked impressive and will keenly tipped to win this tie. "Both games have the potential to be thrillers," said Nationals Promotions Administrator, Niamh Egan. "Ducksy and Tom haven't met in the championship for some years and are certain to serve up a cracker, while Eoin and Dessie have been two of the most prolific players in the past three or four years. "Having both games at handball headquarters will be a great boost to the promotion of the game and handball supporters are definitely in store for some top action." The programme gets underway at 6pm in handball headquarters, with Sheridan and Walsh first to serve up the action. Tweet

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