Soccer stars and politicians join forces in tennis funday
Soccer stars and politicians joined forces with members of Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Saturday in a tennis tournament to raise money for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The Galway Lawn Tennis Open Day Tennis Challenge was organised by tennis players Mike Geraghty and Francis Power, and saw former Galway United stars Kevin Cassidy and Johnny Glynn swop studs for tennis racquets, where they were joined by Galway West TDs Éamon Ó Cuív and Noel Grealish, city councillors Terry O’Flahery and Peter Keane, county councillor Thomas Welby, and former city mayor, Niall Ó Brolcháin.
The event began with Cassidy partnering Power to take on the pairing of Glynn and Geraghty, with the former winning the first set 6-1, but Glynn and Geraghty tied the match when taking the second set in a tie-breaker.
Power had the edge in the early matches with a couple of wins and draws involving club members until his rival came into their own once the politicians came into play. Geraghty and Grealish drew with Power and former city mayor, Niall Ó Brolcháin; and then defeated Ó Cuív and Welby.
Ó Cuív got some measure of revenge when he teamed up with Geraghty to defeat Keane and Welby; but Keane and Welby bounced back to defeat while O’Flaherty and Geraghty in a tense struggle on court 7.
The collection for the Irish Guide Dogs of the Blind continues this week at Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road for anyone who wishes to make a donation.