Kilkenny End 29-year wait in All-Ireland Doubles Finals

By Paul Fitzpatrick

A sell-out crowd packed the National Handball Centre at Croke Park on Saturday for a memorable day of All-Ireland senior softball doubles finals, with Limerick retaining the ladies' crown before Kilkenny ended a 29-year wait for the men's title in one of the greatest finals the game has witnessed.

The occasion served as the perfect curtain-raiser to Sunday's finals programme, when Mayo would go on to make history by capturing their first-ever All-Ireland senior softball titles.

First onto the show court were Martina McMahon and Aisling Shanahan, who successfully defended the ladies' senior softball doubles title with a commanding 21-12, 21-5 victory over Roscommon's first-time finalists Fiona Tully and Alanna Coggeran.

The Broadford pair were simply too strong, with the peerless McMahon once again underlining why she is regarded as one of the finest softball players of all time. Tully, the reigning 40x20 senior singles champion, impressed throughout and helped keep the opening game competitive, but once the Limerick duo found top gear they pulled clear to retain their crown in convincing fashion.

The men's decider delivered unforgettable drama, with "heavy metal handball" on show a day before Mayo footballers' extraordinary success at the same venue.

Kilkenny cousins Jack Holden and Kyle Jordan, from Kilfane, recovered from the disappointment of losing a gripping opening game 21-20 to Wexford's Mark Doyle and Joe Devereux before storming back to claim the second 21-7 and edging an epic tiebreaker, 11-10, in front of an enthralled full house.

It was Kilkenny's first senior softball doubles title since the legendary Michael 'Ducksie' Walsh and Eugene Downey captured the county's 10th crown in 1997, ending a remarkable 29-year drought for one of the sport's traditional strongholds.

The final surpassed even the lofty expectations surrounding it, with all four players producing spectacular handball. Doyle and Devereux looked poised for glory after snatching the opening game, but Holden and Jordan responded superbly to force a tiebreaker that swung from end to end before the Kilkenny pair finally prevailed by the slimmest of margins.

An emotional Holden admitted the contest could easily have gone the other way.

"It was just unbelievable to get over the line at the end," he said.

"Ten-all in the tiebreaker, it could have gone either way. In the first game they built up a bit of a lead and then we came back and it was 20-all again and they took the first one.

"In the second one we got on top and won it out. Then the tiebreaker was just ace for ace and literally could have gone either way. It was just an unbelievable game."

For Jordan, the victory completed a remarkable rise through the ranks. Just three years ago he and Holden captured the Intermediate title and, in only their second season at senior level, they have now reached the summit.

"Three years ago, me and Jack won the Intermediate and then came up to play senior. This is only our second year," he said.

"It was no easy game. The boys fought hard, it was a hard battle and could have gone any way. Lads were diving everywhere, balls spilled everywhere and we're just lucky to get over the line.

"To be able to win the title that Ducksie won is amazing. I never thought this day would come."