To celebrate International Women’s Day GAA Handball decided to take a look back at some of the most influential female players of the past 10 years that have brought Ladies Handball to a new level and have inspired young females to take up the sport across the country.
Fiona Shannon (Antrim)
Rightly lauded as the greatest female Handballer of all time Shannon is the only Lady to hold 3 consecutive World Ladies Open titles. She also holds the record of 9 All Ireland Singles and 10 All Ireland Doubles titles in 40x20 added to an impressive 9 Irish Nationals titles. For most of the last decade she paired up with her sister Sibeal to dominate Ladies Doubles Handball with the pair collecting 6 All Ireland and two World Doubles titles together the last one in 2012 in a classic final where Sibeal battled through injury as the Antrim girls signed off on a high note as World Champions.
Sibeal Gallagher (Antrim)
Regarded by many as one of the finest Doubles players the game has seen, Gallagher was also a fine singles player and collected an All-Ireland Singles title in 2002 the same year she captured her sole Irish Nationals title. As part of one of the best sister acts in sport with her sister Fiona she added 6 All Ireland Doubles and 2 World Doubles titles to an impressive haul of achievements. Retired after the 2012 World title where she showed immense bravery to play the final through the pain of injury.
Maria Daly (Kerry)
The Kingdom’s Daly while unassuming and quiet off the court was deadly accurate and a fierce competitor on it and in 2011 she came agonisingly close to slamming the singles and doubles All Ireland Open grades only to lose the 60x30 Doubles. However an honours list that included 4 All Ireland 40x20 Singles, 3 All Ireland 40x20 Doubles. 1 All Ireland 60x30 Singles, 1 All Ireland 60x30 Doubles, 1 Irish Nationals title proves that the Kerry woman was up there with the very best in her prime. Currently taking a break from the game but still has plenty to offer should she return.
Aisling Reilly (Antrim)
The current World No 1 and reigning World and All Ireland Champion Aisling Reilly has carried on where her clubmate Shannon left off and despite finishing All Ireland runner up on four occasions in the late 2000’s her big break came in Citywest in 2012 defeating Shannon in the 2012 World Final in a tiebreak. She hasn’t looked back since collecting 2 All Ireland Singles titles, 2 All Ireland Doubles, 2 World Singles titles, 1 World Doubles title and 5 Irish nationals titles. And at just 27 years of age there is plenty to come from the St Pauls player.
Catriona Casey (Cork)
Cork woman Catriona Casey created a remarkable bit of history in 2015 when defeating Lorraine Havern in the One Wall Nationals Ladies Open final she became the first player to complete a career slam of every major Open title in Irish Ladies Handball across all codes. The Ballydesmond native has dominated the 60x30 code picking up 3 All Ireland Singles titles in a row and 2 Doubles titles with her partner Aisling O Keefe. She has also captured the 40x20 Singles title in 2013 while winning back to back doubles titles in 2014 & 2015. Her current rivalry with Antrim’s Aisling Reilly has captivated audiences at home and abroad where Casey has also collected many US titles.
Berni Hennessy - Limerick
Berni Bolt Hennessy as she is fondly known from the Hospital Club in Limerick dominated Ladies Handball in Ireland in the 1990’s. Bolt contested no less than 7 All Ireland 40x20 Singles finals in the 90’s winning 5 titles. She also collected three Irish Nationals singles titles, and five All Ireland 60x30 Singles titles, winning her last title in 2009.
Other women who were to the fore in recent years were Ashley Prendiville from Kerry who holds 3 All Ireland 40x20 Doubles, 3 All Ireland 60x30 Singles and 3 All Ireland 60x30 Doubles titles along with a Ladies Open One Wall title. Anna Wrynn from Kildare who won Doubles titles in both codes and also collected a Singles title in 60x30. Lorraine Havern from Down who dominated the Ladies Open grade at One Wall winning 3 Open titles as did Marianna Rushe from Roscommon who also holds a 60x30 All Ireland Doubles title.