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The Champ v The Legend in Mens 60x30 Final

It would be difficult for anyone to find the words to fully explain the astonishing feats that have already been achieved by the two men taking centre stage today. Westmeath vs Dublin, Robbie “The Champ” McCarthy vs Eoin “The Legend” Kennedy.

In the world of Handball, we may as well be saying Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed. These two men have made their names and legacies so engraved in Handball culture that without even creating a narrative, there is already an air of excitement, an expectation of exceptional competition and a sense of thrilling wonder about the spectacle that is about to transpire.

Looking back at their respective pasts in the 60x30 code of handball, these two players have a history that is intertwined at the very least and complicated at the very best. Kennedy has played in every 60x30 senior All Ireland Final since 2004, making this his staggering 14th final in a row and his 16th overall. He has 9 gold medals to his name, which means for the better part of two decades, he has kept his body in peak physical condition. McCarthy then blew onto the scene in 2009 and has not missed an All-Ireland final since that day, with an incredible 5 gold medals in his trophy collection.

Waiting in the alley and ready to pounce when given even a snippet of a chance is where you will find Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy. Though McCarthy is younger in age than Kennedy, he has become notorious in his own right also. Robbie was branded the ‘come back king’ earlier this year after his incredible display against Martin Mulkerrins of Galway in the 40x20 alley. It is the truest reflection of any athlete when you see how they deal with doubt, uncertainty and near defeat. If there was any defining moment in McCarthy’s career about his calibre as an athlete, that was it, and boy did he show his true colours and what a true champion is made of.

As the reigning champion coming into this year’s 60x30 championship, McCarthy showed no signs of early nerves or any form of doubt. In his last 16 game, he overcame Wicklow’s Michael Gregan on a score line of 21-5 & 21-8. Then, in the Quarter Final stage he powered past Ger Coonan of Tipperary with scores of 21-3 & 21-1. He was letting all other contenders know, that he was in this year’s championship for one reason only; to keep his crown.

McCarthy’s Semi Final was one that looked like it may have potentially shocked the Handball world when Meath’s Gary McConnell racked up a 7-1 lead in the first game. However, any doubt that may have filled the crowed was quickly dissipated as McCarthy moved up a gear and blew the Kells’ club man away finishing the first game 21-9. McCarthy, it must be said, looked very comfortable throughout the entire second game and his fitness level seemed extremely high, resulting in the second game finishing on the same score of 21-9.

Moving to Kennedy, though he is big in stature, he is humble in nature. His notoriety is perceived by the legions of Handball spectators due to his uncompromising nature on the court. Kennedy is no stranger to success in the 40x20 code of handball either as both a single and a doubles player. But it is in ‘The Big Alley’ where he shines the most. One could argue that that light shines brightest here in the hallowed ground of the Croke Park alley itself.

This year’s road to the final for the Dublin native has been a rocky one – having come through his last 16 game with apparent ease against Tyrone’s Barry Devlin with a score of 21-3, 21-3. The St Brigid’s club man too was sending a clear message to all other contenders; he was here to win. After receiving a Quarter Final walk over from Paudi Quish of Limerick, the only barrier left in his way was Brian Carroll of Meath. Carroll shocked Kennedy in the first game of the All-Ireland Semi Final when he raced into a 13-3 lead.

The crowd sensed that there could be a surprise on the cards as Kennedy seemed to have no answers to Carroll's sublime shooting and retrieval skills. However, the Dublin man has not achieved such notoriety by falling by the wayside when things get tough, he managed an incredible comeback and fired a succession of eye wateringly amazing shots to level the game at 14-14. Kennedy then managed to take the first 21-18. In the second, again, Carroll came out firing on all cylinders and Kennedy looked as though he was destined for a third game, however, the two men battled as if for their lives and Kennedy managed a victory of 21-20.

Today, both men will obviously be vying for a win as an All-Ireland medal is not something that any athlete wants to let slip through their fingers. However, it must be noted that this year has an extra incentive to it as the inaugural year of the Michael ‘Ducksy’ Walsh cup. Both players will have trained with, played against and socialised with Ducksy and have openly stated that they have nothing but profound respect for possibly the greatest player the ‘Big Alley’ has ever seen, or will ever see. Ducksy was a player that both inspired and challenged McCarthy and Kennedy as juvenile and adult handball players. But, in a true mark of respect, this will not put a damper on either athlete’s performance, it will invariably bring out the best in them. Whichever athlete you are supporting on this occasion, it is suffice to say that neither one will go down without out a fight and only time will tell who will land that knockout punch! 

Saturday 2nd September

Croke Park Handball Centre, at 3pm

  • Boys Minor Singles Final: James Prentice (Tipperary) v Diarmuid Mulkerrins (Galway)
  • Ladies Senior Singles Final: Catriona Casey (Cork) v Martina McMahon (Limerick)
  • Men’s Senior Singles Final: Eoin Kennedy (Dublin) v Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath)

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