This year’s 60x30 intervarsity tournament kicked off what is sure to be an exciting year of third level handball. The tournament saw 8 colleges, both far and near, being represented as 49 competitors travelled to compete in alleys throughout Kilkenny. The courts in question included Talbots Inch, Mullinavat, Garryhill, Clogh, Kilfane, and Kilmyshall and the ICHA would like to thank those in question for providing their facilities and helping this weekend run smoothly.
Teams
Given the absence of high profile players like defending intervarsities champion, Martin Mulkerrins, and U21 champion Galen Riordan, the A team event saw a shakeup in the seedings from last year, with 2015’s beaten finalists, University of Limerick, coming in as top seeds. Their team included the big alley hotshots of Michael Hedigan, Liam Bradshaw, John Hurley, and Daniel Relihan. Unfortunately for UL, Relihan was forced to withdraw through injury but can consider themselves lucky since they were able to call upon super sub “CNC the TNT” to fill Dan the Man’s boots. UL and Dublin City University stayed true to their seeds in reaching the final, seeing off QUB and UCD, respectively. Unfortunately for UL, they were unable to make amends for last year’s defeat as DCU’S Niall Joyce, Cian Ó Dálaigh, Kevin Diggins, and John Fitzgerald collected the honours on Sunday morning.
In the B team event, it was UL and University College Dublin who battled it out for the second year running. Once again, it was UCD’s James Tobin, Martin Meagher, Tyrnan Ruane, and Ciaran Tynan who claimed the title.
Women’s Doubles
In the women’s doubles, Trinity College Dublin pairing, Ciara Mahon and Lisa McKenna, repeated last year’s achievement of reaching the final by overcoming DCU’s Aishling O’Keeffe and Meadhbh Ní Dhálaigh. The Trinity pair went on to face UL’s partnership of Niamh Dunne and Ciana Ní Churraoin but the UL pairing justified their bye into the final by winning the doubles event.
Men’s Open
With last year’s champion, Martin Mulkerrins, away in New Zealand for this tournament, the men’s draw was sure to be an exciting one and it most certainly did not disappoint. Last year’s finalist, Brian Mahon (UCD), came in at number 1 seed but this would be no easy task with players such as Michael Hedigan (UL), Daniel Relihan (UL), Niall Joyce (DCU), and Niall O Connor (Athlone IT) looking to win their first tittle. As usual, Mahon put up some fine displays of his 60x30 abilities but fell short in what must be called the game of the weekend as Ryan Mullan (Queen’s University) pulled off a tie-breaker semi-final win to deny the number one seed. Mullan was met by NUI Maynooth’s Keith Armstrong in the men’s final. Armstrong was in devastating form all weekend as he dispatched the challenges of Michael Hedigan and Daniel Relihan, respectively, to set up an enticing final with the QUB man.
Unfortunately for Mullan, Armstrong carried this form into the final and displayed a number of deep-court kills to take the first game in a comfortable fashion with a score line of 21-9. The second game proved a different affair as Mullan matched Armstrong in the opening exchanges of the game. There was nothing to separate them until 13-13 when Armstrong showed his class in the final stages of the game to win his first Open intervarsity title on a score line of 21-9, 21-15.
Women’s Open
The women’s open final saw a repeat of last year’s encounter with TCD’s Ciara Mahon and UL’s Ciana Ní Churraoin battling it out for the title. It was Ní Churraoin who claimed the spoils in last year’s final but Mahon was determined to recapture the tittle she won in 2014 and 2013. Both players reached the final in flying form as Ní Churraoin saw off DCU’s Aishling O’Keeffe and Mahon saw off the challenge of UL’s Niamh Dunne.
Last year’s champion, Ní Churraoin, took an early 6-2 lead but Mahon then took entire control of the game and completely outplayed her UL opponent, managing to take the first game 21-7. Mahon had one hand on the proverbial cup at this stage and carried her momentum into the second game in taking an early lead. Ní Churraoin battled on in an effort to force a tiebreaker but in the end it was too little, too late, as the TCD woman won her Third 60x30 intervarsity tittle on a score line of 21-7, 21-14.
With the third-level big alley season finished, next up on the ICHA calendar is the 40x20 doubles and One Wall singles competition, which will take place in the St. Joseph's Club in Wexford on the 18th-20th November.
Teams
- A: DCU dft UL
- B: UCD dft UL
Men's
- Open: Keith Armstrong (NUIM) dft Ryan Mullan (QUB)
- A: Jamie Kelly (GMIT) dft Kevin Diggins (DCU)
- B: Tyrnan Ruane (UCD) dft Ciaran Tynan (UCD)
Women's
- Open: Ciara Mahon (TCD) dft Ciana Ní Churraoin (UL)
- A: Meadhbh Ní Dhálaigh (DCU) dft Deirdre Purcell (UL)
- B: Winner: Roisin Meehan (TCD)
- Doubles: “CNC the TNT”/Niamh Dunne (UL) dft Ciara Mahon/Lisa McKenna (TCD)