On 3 December the Defence Forces held it's 3rd Doubles Tournament in recent times in Custume Bks, Athlone.
2015 as a very busy year within the DF Handball Club with 2 new One-Walls being installed in Kilkenny & Galway (bringing our One-Walls to 4), success in the National One-Wall Championships by Sgt Glen O'Kelly, success in the World Championships through O/Mech Robbie McCarthy & Pte Colm Jordan and success against the Gardaí in One-Wall and 60x30.
This year also saw the return and refurbishment of the last perpetual trophies which were greatly welcome back to the DF Handball family of awards. Thanks to Francis "Rocky" Cunningham, one of the DF Handball greats for the safe return of these trophies. It also saw the first RDF player enter a DF Handball Championships.
The doubles is always the smallest of the DF Handball Championships, but always proves the most contested.
2015 also saw the introduction of grading of DF players, and so far hasn't disappointed in the level of play within those categories.
The greatest event of the day was the Intermediate Championships, which went to a 3 way tie-breaker, and all games went to the last bead of sweat.
The Novice & Junior grades were amalgamated with Novice players getting a 5 ace lead on their Junior counterparts. After some unexpected results, the Novice Championship went to Pte Kieth Mulaney & Pte Daryl Nolan of the 6th Infantry Battalion, with the Junior spoils going to Pte Darren Darcy & Pte Damien Brennan of the 3rd Infantry Battalion.
The Intermediate grade was a round-robin, with a tie breaker of first to 5 aces or highest score in a 5 minute blitz game. After this tight battle, the pairing of Cpl Eddie Clifford & Pte JJ Hennessy won the DFAA Cup (first awarded in 1954) for the 3rd Infantry Battalion.
The Senior and most coveted prize went to the Naval Service, as the World Doubles Champion retained his DF Doubles title with O/Sea Adam Barry, brought the General Sir Bryan Mahon Cup back to the island for a second year in a row.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the over 90 players who played this year and look forward to a busy year of handball in 2016.
If you are interested in playing handball in the PDF or RDF, contact your BPEO or Sgt Eric O'Brien (ext 1840).
Report By Sgt Eric O'Brien
Photos By - Pte Aiden Sherlock