With the 60X30 season behind us, 3rd level students now turn to focus their attention on the 40X20. With many students looking ahead to the Irish Nationals next weekend, the ICHA 40X20 Doubles Intervarsities was the perfect opportunity to get a taste for the 40X20, while also getting a chance to take on players of a similar standard. While St Joseph’s Community Centre was treated to some fine displays from our Open players, they also played host to those who were getting their first taste of handball, as well as those who had taken a break from the game for a number of years. As ever, the ICHA was delighted to host a wide range of abilities from both men and women, and to provide a great social outing for all.
Women’s Open
With a surge of talent recently entering the fray, the ICHA Women’s Open promised to be an exciting encounter. With last year’s finalists both out of the equation, it was left to a new crop of players to take their chance of being the next Open champions. Entering as favourites for the title were DCU’s Fiona Tully and Meadhbh Ní Dhálaigh, who were still on a high from winning the 60X30 doubles last October. However, the Women’s Open also included strong representation from UL in the form of Co. Clare duo Bridín Dinan and Doireann Murphy. Tully and Ní Dhálaigh had to overcome their DCU teammates Ella Donnellan and Laura Holohan in the first semi-final, while Dinan and Murphy had a tough battle against UCD’s Clodagh Nash and Ciara Jordan to reach the decider.
The ladies Open final was a thrilling affair with the two best represented universities taking centre stage. Dinan and Murphy worked very hard to try and take home the title from their maiden intervarsity. Game one started at a frantic pace, with Dinan and Murphy gaining the early momentum. The DCU ladies managed to recover, and exerted significant pressure on UL, before UL turned on the afterburners and stormed ahead, with Dinan shooting low and hard with every shot, and a few flat rollers from Murphy thrown in for good measure, taking the first game 21-13.
While UL were in the driving seat at this stage, DCU had to rally quickly. That they did, with the power and accuracy of Tully along with the shooting skills of Ní Dhálaigh, soon blowing the UL ladies away, with a dominant 21-2 victory. Both teams traded points again at the early stages of the tiebreaker, but once both teams were tied at 5 a piece, Tully’s true class came to light and her quick serving and killing lead DCU to a 11-5 victory. While DCU now have their second Open title for the year under their belts, the UL duo can take pride in their showing in their first year of action.
Women’s A
In the Women’s A round robin, it was Ashling Mullan and Laura Finn of NUIG and Clodagh Nash and Ciara Jordan of UCD who reached the decider. Mullan and Finn, both playing in their first intervarsity, played some terrific handball in the final to snatch the title in a gripping match, 21-17, 21-18. One aspect of these tournaments which is to be commended is the camaraderie among the students, with Nash and Jordan graciously congratulating Mullan and Finn on their achievement. We look forward to seeing more of the NUIG pair in the years to come, while we’re sure that UCD will have a point to prove at our upcoming singles intervarsities in Kingscourt!
Men’s Open
At the end of a weekend of excellent handball, spectators were treated to the Men’s open final which featured all the components of what we would expect to see at the highest level of collegiate handball. With an impressive 6 entrants in the Men’s Open division, it was no surprise to see all 4 semi-final slots being taken by UL. The 4 pairings of Michael Hedigan and Daniel Relihan, Colin Crehan and Jason English, Seamus Connelly and Fergal Coughlan, and Colin Corbett and Niall Bolton treated spectators to 2 absorbing contests. Last year’s champions Relihan and Hedigan needed o use all of their experience to fight off Connelly and Coughlan, while Crehan and English were pushed all the way by Bolton and Corbett. While all were fierce competitors on the court, each player remembered that they were all ultimately on the same team, and were able to quickly put any grudges behind them and support each other in the finals.
The final would ultimately come down to would could sustain their momentum for longer, with both finalists having been worn down in the earlier rounds. Crehan and English, the reigning US Collegiate Doubles Champions, had never won the ICHA title, and had the unenviable task ahead of them to topple the reigning ICHA champions. Hedigan and Relihan have been playing together for many years, and barely set a foot wrong in the lead up to the final. In a match lasting an hour and a half, Crehan and English just about got over the line, taking the title in 2 straight, yet by no means easy, games on a scoreline of 21-18, 21-16. The first game could have gone either way, with Relihan providing an exhibition of ball wall roll-outs, and Crehan using his calm composure to dig balls out of impossible angles. In the second game, Crehan and English took a large lead mid-way through the game, and were just about able to fight off a late surge from the Cork duo. Had the game gone to a tiebreaker, there is no telling what could have happened. For now however, Crehan and English can take great pride out of their victory, and have started the 40X20 season out in the best way possible.
Men’s A
The Men’s A final saw an enticing encounter between IT Tralee’s Evan Murphy and Gearóid O’Connell and DCU’s Ben Devlin and Cian Ó Dálaigh. These pairs met earlier in the year in Dublin at the 60X30 doubles Intervarsities, with the DCU pair just about edging the contest. However, IT Tralee weren’t to be denied this time around and worked very hard to secure a 21-15, 21-16 win. This win adds to IT Tralee’s impressive list of achievements this year, making them the holders of the 60X30 Open Doubles, 60X30 Open Singles, and 40X20 A Doubles titles.
Men’s B
DCU added to their Women’s Open title by taking home the Men’s B title, which was won by Wayne Kinsella and Alan Hevehan. Kinsella and Hevehan appeared to be always in control against IT Carlow’s Geoff Atkinson and Jack Roche, who unfortunately suffered defeat in another final this year, having fallen at the final hurdle at the 60X30 Doubles in September. The Men’s B saw quite a strong field this year, with UCD hopefuls James Tobin and Conor Holohan showing some good form.
The Men’s B plate was contested by NUIG’s Kieran Forde and Jack McNeela and UL’s Nigel O’Callaghan and Evan O’Donnell. UL again took the spoils after an exciting match. While NUIG tried their hardest, nothing could deny the UL duo a win of 21-12, 21-15.
Men’s C
NUIG’s fortunes favoured in the Men’s C competition, with Aoife Tully and Shane Walsh overcoming UL’s Diarmuid Meaghar and Cian Hough. The match highlighted everything that is great about college handball – intense competition, sportsmanship, but above all having fun. Tully and Walsh brought back Galway’s second title of the weekend, and are already looking ahead to Kingscourt to their next challenge.
Moving on
Saturday night’s entertainment provided a nice release for the students, and also gave them a chance to get to know the students from other colleges better. The ICHA would like to thank St. Joseph’s Community Centre for hosting our tournament.We would also like to extend a special thanks to all of our competitors this weekend, who all helped in their own little way to ensure the weekend ran smoothly, and we look forward to seeing them again soon.
Not only did this weekend give some students their first taste of intervarsity handball, it also set the players up nicely for this weekend’s 40X20 Nationals being held in Co. Mayo. We wish all ICHA representatives the very best of luck, and look forward to them taking on some of our ICHA alumni. After that, the students have the 40X20 Singles Intervarsities to look forward to in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, where more handball action (and the craic in the Dún an Rí!) awaits.