Josef Veselsky Memorial | Irish National Closed Championships 2026
Venue: South Lakes Leisure Centre, Craigavon
Events: Men’s Open Doubles · Men’s Veterans Doubles · Women’s Open Doubles · Women’s Veterans Doubles · Mixed Open Doubles · Mixed Veterans Doubles
Format: Group stage followed by position play-offs
The National Closed Doubles Championships delivered a wonderful day of competitive table tennis across all six categories. Congratulations to every pair who competed — this report captures the full results and highlights across each event.
01. MEN’S — OPEN DOUBLES
| 🥇 Champion Adam Faulkner Joe Sheard | 🥈 Runners-Up Christopher Allsop Ben Watson | 🥉 3rd Place Tom Colvin & Connor Nugent Aedan McGivern & Peadar Sheridan |
| FINAL | Faulkner / Sheard def. Allsop / Watson | 3 – 1 |
The Men’s Open Doubles produced a highly competitive knockout bracket, with Adam Faulkner and Joe Sheard emerging as champions after a determined run through the draw. They overcame Christopher Allsop and Ben Watson in the final, in a match that went to four sets. Earlier, Allsop and Watson had beaten top seeds Tom Colvin and Connor Nugent in the semi-finals, while McGivern and Sheridan gave a strong account of themselves throughout.
02. MEN’S — VETERANS DOUBLES
| 🥇 Champion David Irwin Philip Wallace | 🥈 Runners-Up Igor Chamila Stuart Grannell | 🥉 3rd Place Jeff Irvine & Brendan Popplestone |
| FINAL | Irwin / Wallace def. Chamila / Grannell | 3 – 0 |
David Irwin and Philip Wallace were impressive throughout the Men’s Veterans Doubles, topping their group and then defeating Igor Chamila and Stuart Grannell in a convincing straight-sets final. It was a well-deserved win for a pairing that showed strong consistency across both the group stage and the knockouts. Jeff Irvine and Brendan Popplestone, Gary O’Hara & Alan Robson rounded out the podium in third.
03. WOMEN’S — OPEN DOUBLES
| 🥇 Champion Grace Looney Niamh Mason | 🥈 Runners-Up Emily Flynn Nuria Goldston | 🥉 3rd Place Bernie Franklin & Sylwia Idec Rebecca Scott & Lily Smith |
| FINAL | Looney / Mason def. Flynn / Goldston | 3 – 1 |
The Women’s Open Doubles was a brilliant showcase of partnership play, with Grace Looney and Niamh Mason coming through a competitive field to claim the title. They topped their group without dropping a match and then defeated Emily Flynn and Nuria Goldston in the final. Flynn and Goldston had beaten Bernie Franklin and Sylwia Idec in the semi-finals, with Franklin and Idec sharing the bronze alongside Rebecca Scott and Lily Smith.
04. WOMEN’S — VETERANS DOUBLES
| 🥇 Champion Alessandra Fadda Susan Hanlon | 🥈 Runners-Up Ruth McGilligan Mary Toland | 🥉 3rd Place Bernie Franklin & Sylwia Idec |
| FINAL | Fadda / Hanlon def. McGilligan / Toland | 3 – 1 |
Alessandra Fadda and Susan Hanlon were the dominant force in the Women’s Veterans Doubles, winning all three of their group matches to take the title ahead of Ruth McGilligan and Mary Toland. It was a competitive round-robin throughout, with Bernie Franklin and Sylwia Idec finishing third — they had notably beaten McGilligan and Toland in their head-to-head. A great standard of veterans’ doubles throughout the day.
05. MIXED — OPEN DOUBLES
| 🥇 Champion Euan Hanna Niamh Mason | 🥈 Runners-Up Aedan McGivern Rebecca Scott | 🥉 3rd Place Igor Chamila & Susan Hanlon Peadar Sheridan & Grace Looney |
| FINAL | Hanna / Mason def. McGivern / Scott | 3 – 1 |
One of the most competitive events of the day, the Mixed Open Doubles saw Euan Hanna and Niamh Mason come through an eight-pair bracket to take the title. They beat Aedan McGivern and Rebecca Scott in a four-set final. McGivern and Scott had produced a strong run through the draw, defeating Anthony Redmond and Bernie Franklin among others. Niamh Mason took home a second gold medal on the day, having also won the Women’s Open Doubles — a remarkable individual achievement across two events.
06. MIXED — VETERANS DOUBLES
| 🥇 Champion Igor Chamila Susan Hanlon | 🥈 Runners-Up Anthony Redmond Bernie Franklin | 🥉 3rd Place Stuart Grannell & Alessandra Fadda David Irwin & Ruth McGilligan |
| FINAL | Chamila / Hanlon def. Redmond / Franklin | 3 – 0 |
The Mixed Veterans Doubles was a fitting finale to a superb day of doubles action. Igor Chamila and Susan Hanlon were commanding throughout, winning their group and then securing a straight-sets victory over Anthony Redmond and Bernie Franklin in the final. It was a remarkable double for both Chamila and Hanlon on the day — Chamila having also won the Men’s Veterans Doubles and Hanlon having taken a silver in the Women’s Veterans. Stuart Grannell and Alessandra Fadda and David Irwin and Ruth McGilligan shared the bronze positions.
