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 that have brought Ladies Handball to a new level and reached the very top of the game and have inspired young females to take up the sport across the country. Firstly we take a look at the early days of Ladies Handball.
Irish Ladies Handball: As it was in the beginning…….
by Brídín Uí Mhaolagáin
In central Dublin, near the Central Criminal Court, in Green Street, in a 60x30 alley, Mavis O’Toole was introduced to the ancient game of handball by John Clarke. She became the first All Ireland Champion when Seán Clerkin of Na Fianna GAA club organised Ladies Championships. He also formed the Ladies Council and his wife Stasia was the first President. Mavis reigned supreme as All Ireland Champion for at least 10 years during which time she joined Na Fianna club. Liz Nicholl and Mavis won All Ireland glory in doubles during those years. The youth Championships were played with all the clubs involved in two different grades.
Susan Carey, now a member of Leixlip club, was some years later introduced to handball once again by Seán Clerkin in Green Street. She also became a very talented, clever player who, at the age of 11 years, won her way right through both Dublin and National Community Games through all age groups as a member of Na Fianna club. Liz Nicholl ‘double supremo’ played doubles with Sue also, and won All Irelands from 1981-1990 during which time Susan won all the singles in the 60x30 and 40x20 courts. Susan won singles and doubles in the World Championships in Canada in 1994.
Tucson 1983. L-R: Mary Connolly (Belfast), Rosemary Bellini (USA), Liz Nicholl (Dublin), Pauline Colum (Donegal), Mary Fitzgerald (Roscommon), Bridin Ui Mhaolagain (Dublin)
In the late 70’s, it was Seán Clerkin who introduced my husband Aidan and me to handball one night at a GAA function in Na Fianna club. At 1.30 am he lit the lights in the 60x30 alley, and invited us down to try handball. Within 10 minutes, we were both hooked. One year later, I was co-opted into the ladies council and appointed President in April 1980. My first challenge, put to me by Joe Lynch the CEO on April the 24th,was to bring the first Ladies Irish handball team to Tucson Arizona to take part in the USHA nationals in early June! Led by; 1. Mavis O’Toole, 2. Liz Nicholl, and 3. Mary Twomey of Ballymacelligott Club in Kerry and Ann Barns of Arklow and myself going at our own expense, we landed in Tucson 3 days ahead of schedule.
Na Fianna Ladies Handball Team, All Ireland Championship Winners 1983 L-R: Pauline Colum (Donegal), Bridin Ui Mhaolagain (Dublin), Liz Nicholl (Dublin), Mary Fitzgerald, (Roscommon), Anne Cody (Wexford)
In 1981 Susan Carey lead the team in the Palatine Club outside the ‘windy city’ Chicago. Magella Mythen from Wexford, Mary Fitzgerald from Roscommon, Ann Coney from Wexford, and Ann Barns and myself (once again at our own expense), also competed. Even though we had learned and gained skills and exercises galore, we were still not equal in standard to the American and Canadian girls. Susan impressed all with her style of play and ‘big court whip’ and clever movements, but sadly for the others, she was the only one to bring home silverware.
1982 saw a return to Tucson this year led by selfless, stylish Doubles Ace Liz Nicholl. Donegal’s Pauline Colum, Mary Connolly of Antrim, Mary Fitzgerald of Roscommon, Ann Cody of Wexford, and Ann Barnes and myself made up the rest of the team.
Around this time, Bernie Hennessy of Limerick came to prominence, winning All Ireland senior singles, representing Ireland internationally and winning many titles mostly on the 60x30 court over the next decade.
Irish Ladies Team, USHA Nationals, Chicago 1981 L_R: Majella Mython (Wexford), Sue Carey (Kildare), Anne Barnes (Arklow), Anne Cody (Wexford), Bridin Ui Mhaolagain (Dublin), Mary Fitzgerald (Roscommon)
According to Una Mulgrew of St Paul’s Belfast, Mary Connolly brought handball to the North 30 years ago. Thanks to Mary, a group of talented camogie players joined the St Paul’s and Rossa handball clubs. Within a year or so the now famous Mary Lindsay had trained, coached and developed the girls talents to the standard of the All Irelands. Mary, now renowned as an excellent, firm, fair and clear referee, and acknowledged as such by RTE sports experts became recognised as one of the best in Ireland and abroad. Almost every young girl and boy who played in Belfast was started at a young age by Mary who took them each Saturday and after school almost every day. She did this voluntarily for decades both for love of the game and the safety of the children as they grew up in a troubled Belfast. She continues to do this today. Many of those children are now World Champions.
This was all in the beginning, but within the last 10 years or so there has been great improvement in the involvement of women in the sport and in particular Handball. Below we profile some of the stars of Ladies Handball in the last decade:
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 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 4 All Ireland Singles titles in a row and 4 Doubles titles with her partner Aisling O Keefe. She has also captured the 40x20 Singles title in 2013 and 2016 while winning three doubles titles in 2014, 2015 & 2016. 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.
Martina McMahon (Limerick)
Limerick lefty McMahon has been threatening to make the breakthrough at Senior level for the last number of years and she finally made the big break by capturing her first ever Senior 60x30 title last September defeating Cork's Catriona Casey in the final. Since that she has added the 2017 She's Ace title to her credits and also holds the World Doubles title following her win with Antrim's Aisling Reilly in Canada in 2015.
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 4 Open titles as did Marianna Rushe from Roscommon who also holds a 60x30 All Ireland Doubles title.