2016 has been another stellar year for GAA Handball, as the game continues to grow with improved structures, greater participation numbers, wider exposure, and of course real top class Handballing talent continuously being produced on these shores.
Here are our Top 10 Key Memories of 2016 in no particular order:
1) Team Ireland honoured by Uachtarán na hÉireann
Early in January saw the hugely successful Team Ireland that competed in the 2015 World Championships five months earlier, and took home 20 medals, honoured by Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins at a reception in Áras an Uachtarán.
The Uachtarán addressed the Team and Management and spoke of his experience in Handball as a young boy growing up in county Clare.
“Representing your country on the international stage is the ultimate achievement for any sportsperson. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to you, directly, for representing Ireland so admirably. The fact that the Irish handball squad brought home with you 20 medals is indeed proof of your skills and talent.”
2) 40x20 Finals Festival Weekend
In recent years poor attendances at All-Ireland finals were noted as players from the same club and county may have been playing in opposite ends of the country thus dividing the support base and also some venues did not have attractive programmes of games to attract crowds.
In an effort to rectify this and to give Handball supporters the best chance of seeing as much Handball as possible a decision by GAA Handball was taken that every All-Ireland Singles Finals at all grades would be played under the one roof at Kingscourt HC, Cavan, enabling fans, club mates, handball enthusiasts to attend and sample some cracking games of Handball over the weekend.
In total, 52 players converged to do battle in various finals across the three days, with large crowds in attendance each day. With 4 courts in action across Friday, Saturday and Sunday it proved to be a fantastic festival of Handball. It was an excellent opportunity for youngsters to mingle with the top stars of the game while also experiencing some fantastic action all under the one roof.
National Manager John Kelly stated afterwards that this weekend was & will continue to be one of the outstanding weekends of the GAA Handball Calendar.
3) McCarthy a class apart as he seals hat-trick of 40x20 crowns
In 2015, Mullingar man Robbie McCarthy wowed fans with his astonishing comeback from 20-16 down in the third game of the All-Ireland 40x20 Final against Charly Shanks to snatch victory 21-20.
But one year on in 2016, McCarthy oozed class as he claimed a consecutive hat-trick of All-Ireland crowns, joining the great names such as Paul Brady, Tony Healy, Michael Ducksy Walsh & Pat Kirby in an exclusive list.
McCarthy's ability to move up through the gears and run off a quick succession of points proved the difference, with his lethal deft touch corner kills proving decisive in a 21-13, 21-7 win over Shanks.
4) Remarkable year for Catriona Casey
Yet again in 2016, Ballydesmond’s Catriona Casey showed what a sensational all round handballer she is, with a glut of victories both nationally and internationally, across 4 codes of Handball.
In March she dethroned Aisling Reilly in the All-Ireland 40x20 Final, before repeating her win over Reilly in the Irish Nationals Final in Belfast. With her long time Doubles partner Aishling O’Keeffe she retained both the 40x20 & 60x30 Senior All-Irelands. Also in the 60x30 code saw Casey win the Irish Nationals, seeing off Kerry’s Ashley Prendiville in the final.
A maiden 3-Wall title at a Crossover event in LA, was followed up with victory in the 1st Irish Wall-Ball Championships. Whilst on the 40x20 International scene she claimed wins in the US Open, US Nationals, and two WPH Pro-Stops.
We think she can rest up this Christmas well pleased after a remarkable year in 2016!
5) Galway host successful Junior Nationals
Galway Handball Board stepped up this year offering to host the 2016 Junior Nationals, and they did a brilliant job!
The quality on show was yet again hugely impressive, with players from Tyrone, Galway, Kildare, Roscommon & Wexford taking home the top titles. Easily the most exciting and dramatic matches of the weekend was the Boys 15&U Final, where in an all Tyrone shoot out, Antoin Fox ousted Lorcan McBride 11-9 in the tiebreak in what was a spectacular standard of Handball for 15 year olds.
A huge thank you to Galway Handball and all the host venues/referees/volunteers for their time and effort to making this event run so well.
6) Record Breaking Irish Wall-Ball Nationals
GAA Handball were delighted to announce that this year's Irish Wall-Ball Nationals at Breaffy House Arena in Castlebar was the biggest tournament held at the Mayo venue since its first tournament held at the venue in 2009.
Having checked through the records it has been confirmed that a record 420 players entered, the largest number recorded at a Wall-Ball Nationals in Breaffy House. On a playing front, the highlight of the weekend once more being the Saturday night Open Finals which proved a massive success last year with unprecedented spectator numbers being treated to two fantastic games of Handball.
Galway’s Martin Mulkerrins was in imperious form as he gained revenge from 12 months previous to dethrone Tyrone’s Conor McElduff to win his maiden Open crown. Whilst in the Ladies, it was Down’s Lorraine Havern who reversed her 2014 decider loss to Limerick’s Martina McMahon to claim her 4th title.
7) Ducksy rolls back the years to win 60x30 Nationals
At July’s Irish 60x30 Nationals in Kilkenny, local man Ducksy Walsh sensationally rolled back the years to win the Mens Open title, defeating Dublin’s hot favourite Eoin Kennedy in the final.
No one doubted Walsh’s pedigree, and it was widely known that the 16 time All-Ireland Softball Champion could gave pretty much anyone a game in a one off encounter. But, at 50 years of age, to win a National Open Ranking event, having played 4 matches in the space of two days, against players half his age, well that was just incredible!
8) 60x30 Finals Return to Croker
For the first time since 2010, Senior Softball returned to Croke Park, much to the delight of 60x30 enthusiasts across the country. Four major days; Singles SF’s & Finals, Doubles SF’s & Finals, were held at the iconic venue, drawing the biggest spectator numbers on Finals Day for several years.
Seeing the crowds return to Dublin this year, it is exciting to think of the potential the new Handball complex has for the game of 60x30, and for GAA Handball in general.
9) Martina McMahon announces herself on big stage
Limerick woman Martina McMahon claimed her first All-Ireland Ladies Senior Singles title when defeating reigning champion Catriona Casey in the 60x30 Singles Final at a packed Croke Park.
Casey was bidding for 5 in a row, and between both the big and small courts, you have to go back to the 40x20 final in 2012 to find a winner of a Senior Singles All-Ireland other than Catriona Casey or Aisling Reilly.
Whilst the result not a major shock, given that the 2015 final between the same two players went to a close third game, the manner of McMahons play was at times breathtaking, shooting long range kills at such ease. McMahon certainly has the potential to win many more All-Irelands, and her next big challenge will be breaking the strangelhold that Casey & Reilly have on the 40x20 Championships.
10) Legends of the Game leave us
Whilst of course this is not a positive memory, it was hugely significant and left a huge gap within the Handballing community. 2016 saw the passing of two all time greats of our sport; Joey Maher (Louth) & Michael Ducksy Walsh (Kilkenny).
Joey was a multiple All Ireland Senior, Canadian and World Champion and was an extremely popular and well-liked person on the Handball circuit. Joey won six Senior 60x30 All-Irelands, and was also the first Irishman to win the World Handball crown when he took the title in Toronto in 1967.
Given Ducksy won the 60x30 Nationals just two weeks previous, his death shook the Handball community to the core. Ducksy was a tremendous competitor, a sportsman par excellence and an iconic figure. A winner of an incredible 38 Senior All-Ireland titles including a record 16 Senior Softball titles, his name will forever be synonymous with the sport.