GAA Team Ireland have come home from the World Handball Championships pretty satisfied with efforts, with a total of 20 medals claimed by team members. Below we review each members Championship.
Paul Brady (Mens Open) – 1 Gold
Cavan’s Brady cemented his legendary status in the game with what is likely an achievement never to be repeated with his 5th consecutive World title. In one of the strongest Open fields in World Championship history, Brady showed his class by somewhat breezing through the division with his power, conceding a miserable average of 15 points per match. His performance in the World Final was arguably his most complete performance ever, against a sensational player himself in Killian Carroll. Keeping Carroll to single figures in both games, at the age of 35 is remarkable.
Aisling Reilly (Ladies Open) – 2 Gold’s
Antrim’s Reilly is now a double World Champion. Coming into the Championships, pretty much everyone expected a Reilly v Catriona Casey final, and both girls delivered. Casey appeared to have the edge over Reilly on US soil for the past year and after a dominant 21-10 first game win in the final it looked as if the pattern was going to continue. But Team Ireland captain Reilly showed real mettle to turn the tide with a 21-16, 11-6 win in the next two games to retain her title in dramatic fashion. Reilly added a second gold in the Ladies Open Doubles with Martina McMahon.
Robbie McCarthy – (Mens Open) – 1 Gold
Team Captain McCarthy prevailed in arguably the match of the tournament against the in form Sean Lenning (USA) in the Singles QF, prevailing in an 11-10 tiebreak epic. McCarthy eventually fell at the SF stage to Paul Brady, but made up for this loss with gold in the Mens Open Doubles with Diarmaid Nash, which included a demolition of reigning World Double Champions Luis Moreno & Andy Nett (USA) 21-5, 21-5 in the SF.
Catriona Casey (Ladies Open) – 2 Silver
Casey won her way onto Team Ireland by claiming the One-Wall Nationals in July. Not renowned for her One-Wall play, Casey showed she is an all round fantastic Handballer by reaching the Ladies Open One-Wall SF. A gutsy QF win over Maria Rivera (USA) was the highlight of her One-Wall campaign as she fell to New York’s Sandy Ng in the SF.
The Four-Wall code is where Casey is most comfortable, and she made the final of the Ladies Open Singles, losing out only 11-6 to Aisling Reilly in the final tiebreak. Casey also reached the Doubles final, eventually taking silver with club mate Aishling O’Keefe. At 21, Casey will no doubt have major success in her future career given the level of play she is already at.
Martina McMahon (Ladies Open) – 1 Gold
Limerick’s McMahon established herself among the elite in the Ladies game by reaching the Singles SF, falling to Catriona Casey. She won her way onto Team Ireland as the Doubles rep and claimed gold in this category with Aisling Reilly. A tense 11-6 tiebreak win in the SF was followed up with a hard fought two game win in the final over Catriona Casey/Aishling O’Keeffe, as McMahon won her maiden Open World title.
Michael Finnegan (Mens Open)
Kingscourt man Finnegan teamed up with Armagh’s Charly Shanks in the Mens Open Doubles, eventually falling at the SF stage to Joe McCann/Rikki O’Gara in an exciting tiebreak. In the Singles, Finnegan ousted Canadian #2 Ryan Bowler in the first round before failing to current All-Ireland champion Robbie McCarthy in the round of 16.
Ciana Ni Churraoin (Ladies A) – 1 Gold
Galway teenager Ni Churraoin displayed her class as she stormed to the Ladies A title whilst keeping every player to single figures. Ciana also made the Ladies Open SF’s whilst came ever so close to a big shock in the open Doubles when with her partner Maeve McElduff, she took the eventual champions Aisling Reilly/Martina McMahon to a tiebreak.
Colin Corbett (B19&U) – 1 Silver
Tulla’s Corbett comfortably saw off Canad’s Michael Gaulton in the SF before falling to eventual winner Johnny Woods in the 19&U SF. A strong start from Woods saw him seal the first 21-10, before Corbett kicked into gear and swung the momentum back in his favour with a controlling 21-6 second game win. But the tide swung again in the tiebreak as Woods progressed 11-4. There was to be more tiebreak agony for Corbett in the 19&U Doubles when he and partner Daniel Hayes lost out to Woods and Pol Clarke.
Eilise McCrory (G17&U)
McCrory got off to a flyer in her SF tussle with doubles partner Fiona Tully, winning 21-12, before falling in the second to the same score, and the tiebreak 11-5. The duo then teamed up in the 17&U Doubles and lost out in the SF. They did however take silver in the One-Wall 17&U Doubles, losing out in the final to Armagh’s Niamh Coleman/Alana Doran.
Daniel Kavanagh (B17&U) – 2 Gold’s, 1 Silver
Wexford’s Kavanagh has a very impressive tournament, playing excellent Handball to come through a very competitive 17&U grade relatively unscathed, defeating Fergal Coughlan in the final. He followed this up with another gold in the 17&U Doubles with Tyrone’s Sean Kerr. Himself and Kerr also competed in the One-Wall Doubles, taking silver in the 17&U event.
Caitriona Millane (G15&U) – 1 Gold, 1 Silver
Millane comfortably reached the G15&U final to set up a repeat of the Irish Nationals final against Armagh’s Megan McCann. But this time round it was McCann who avenged her April defeat with an agonizing 11-10 win after an exceptional effort by both young girls. Millane had trailed 9-4 in the tiebreak before a remarkable run of kill shots saw her lead 10-9. A gutsy 35ft kill shot attempt at match point from Millane missed by millimeters, after which McCann went on to claim gold. Millane did however get revenge, in yet another tiebreak epic, when with partner Bridin Dinane she defeated McCann & Dearbhla Coleman in the 15&U Doubles finals just hours later.
Tiarnan Agnew (B15&U) – 3 Gold’s
Agnew produced a few classy performances en route to three gold’s from three events. His singles final saw a controlled two game win over Peter Donohoe, whilst he also teamed up with Cormac Munroe to win gold in both the 15&U Doubles grades fro One-Wall & Four-Wall. Agnew is a very exciting young player that has a big future ahead of him in the game.
Conor McElduff (Mens Open)
McElduff is the current two-time Irish Nationals Champion and will be happy with his performances in Calgary. A tough two game win over New Yorker Vlad Klym was followed up by an eye-catching display against eventual champion Timbo Gonzalez. Although Gonzalez won in two straight games, McElduff pushed him hard, especially in the first, at one time leading 13-6, before falling 21-16, 21-8.
Darren Doherty (B19&U) – 2 Silver
Emyvale man Doherty showed his versatility reaching the Singles final in both One-Wall & Four-Wall. Unfortunately for him however he fell at the final hurdle in both finals, both to Tyrone’s Johnny Woods, with the latter coming as a tiebreak loss.
Maeve McElduff (Ladies A)
Maeve produced a most impressive 25-10 QF win over Dutch top seed Miranda Scheffer, but could not repeat her performance in the SF as she fell to Spain’s Monica Moya. In the Four-Wall Championship, Maeve played her part in almost taking out top seeds and eventual champions Aisling Reilly/Martina McMahon when she and partner Ciana Ni Churraoin pushed them to a tiebreak in the Ladies Open Doubles SF.