This year's 60x30 Senior Singles winner will have the added bonus of being the first name inscribed on the brand new Ducksy Walsh Cup following last night's launch in Croke Park.
Kindly donated by Ducksy's family the new Ducksy Walsh Cup will replace the old Purcell Cup as the Blue Riband Cup of the 60x30 season in a fitting tribute to the 16 time winner who sadly passed away only 12 months ago.
Ducksy's family and close friend DJ Carey were present last night to present the cup to Uachtarán GAA Handball Joe Masterson in the Croke Park Alley where Ducksy won his 16 titles and made his second home throughout the years. Walsh who passed away suddenly 12 months ago had still been competing in the Senior championship and had won the Irish 60x30 Nationals just a week before his passing.
Also present were Senior Players, 9 time champion Eoin Kennedy, four time Ladies champion Cork's Catriona Casey and reigning Ladies Champion Martina McMahon from Limerick aswell as John O'Leary from 60x30 Sponsors Myclubshop.ie. Uachtarán GAA Handball Joe Masterson spoke at the launch and said that the association were privileged to accept the Cup from the Walsh family and thanked them for their kind donation that he said was a fitting legacy for the greatest ever player of the game. He said that while it as a sad occasion it was also a happy one as Ducksy's memory will be forever alive with the new Cup.
Close friend DJ Carey also said a few words and he fondly remembered playing alongside Ducksy and he said it was a fitting tribute to have the Cup named after him as the 60x30 game was his life.
The first outing for the brand new cup will be this Saturday at the Myclubshop.ie 60x30 finals which kick off at 3pm in the Croke Park Handball Centre with the Minor Singles Final between Galway's Diarmuid Mulkerrins and Tipperary's James Prentice followed by the Ladies Senior Singles Final between Limerick's Martina McMahon and Cork's Catriona Casey and then finally the battle for the Ducksy Walsh Cup in the Mens Senior Final between Westmeath's Robbie McCarthy and Dublin's Eoin Kennedy.
Tickets are available on www.gaahandball.ie/shop and a sellout is expected so make sure to book early!
L-R: Catriona Casey(Cork), Eoin Kennedy (Dublin), John O Leary (Myclubshop.ie), Joe Masterson Uachtarán GAA Handball and Martina McMahon (Limerick) pictured at the launch of the Ducksy Walsh Cup