All-Ireland glory for Clare on handball court

CLARE has a new All-Ireland champion after a thrilling victory for Diarmaid Nash in Senior Singles 40×20 Handball at the weekend.

The Scariff man took the honours with a 21-8, 17-21, 11-8 final victory over Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy at a packed Kingscourt, Cavan on Saturday.

McCarthy, a four-time senior singles champion, was a clear favourite going into the final but it was Nash who dominated the first game, turning in a phenomenal display of shooting to win 21-8.

The Westmeath man was never going to give in without a fight though and it was he who took the initiative in the second game, powering his way to a 17-9 lead.

Again though, Tuamgraney clubman Nash settled and gradually battled back to only lose out by four points, 17-21 to set up an enthralling third game tie-break.

The tension in the huge crowd was palpable as, with everything on the line, Nash raced into a 6-0 lead. McCarthy again rallied but the Scariff native was able to keep him at arm’s length and, having played some of the best handball of his senior career through the match, used his impeccable fitness to hold his nerve and take the decider 11-8.

Cue scenes of jubilation from the sizeable travelling support from the Banner County, as Nash bridged a 42-year gap to the last Clare man to bring home the Gael Linn Cup, the famed Pat Kirby of Tuamgraney.

After defeating Wexford man Gavin Buggy in the championship first round, Nash’s path to the final included a straight-forward quarter-final win over Kilkenny’s Peter Funchion and an eye-catching 21-5, 21-14 semi final blitzing of title-holder Martin Mulkerrins of Galway.

There were emotional scenes of celebration as GAA Handball President Conor McDonnell presented the cup to Diarmaid, who had previously lost finals in 2014 and 2019 (both to his former World Championship-winning doubles partner McCarthy).

Surrounded by his family, Nash dedicated the win to his late brother Barry, himself a former Minor champion. 31-year-old Nash is a former All-Ireland Minor, Intermediate and Irish Nationals champion (including Doubles titles with clubmate Niall Malone), as well winning the last two All-Ireland Senior Doubles titles with Colin Crehan (Kilkishen).

He also secured World Handball Championship titles at 15-and-Under and 23-and-Under grades but this monumental achievement will surely be the sweetest of all and surrounded by his family, Nash dedicated his historic win to his late brother Barry, himself a former Minor champion.

There were more joyous scenes in Tuamgraney on Sunday evening as the local club and wider community gathered in great numbers to host a homecoming celebration for the new champion, as well as fellow Tuamgraney clubman and Scariff native Paul Rodgers, who on Sunday in Kingscourt won the All-Ireland Under 14 Boys Singles title, defeating Monaghan’s Calum Sherry in an excellent final (15-8, 15-12).

There was no joy for Clare’s other juvenile All-Ireland finalists as Cliona Rodgers (Tuamgraney) lost out to Kilkenny’s Katie Jordan 11-15, 11-15 in the Under 15 Girls Singles final, while there was also defeat for the unlucky Danny Rodgers and Liam Murphy (Tuamgraney, Kilkishen) in the Boys Under 14 Doubles final against Kilkenny (Andrew Brennan and Matthew Murphy, 15-9, 13-15, 9-15) and for Aoife Frost and Ellen Collins (Kilkishen, Newmarket) in the Under 16 Girls doubles decider, also versus Kilkenny (Katie Brennan and Holly Byrne).

There were two other All-Ireland Singles champions from Clare crowned in Kingscourt over the weekend as Kilkishen’s Con Collins, representing Antrim, won his Over 40 B Singles final 21-20, 21-11 against Wexford’s David Stanners and there was also success for Newmarket native Conor Maxwell, who claimed Over 45 B Singles silverware for Dublin when he beat Kieran Hanley of Galway 21-4, 21-3.

The handball action continues this week, as on Monday night the delayed Ladies Minor Doubles final takes place in Nenagh when Leah Minogue and Aine Lenihan take on Tipperary pair Hannah Grace and Leanne Gould.

This Saturday, Diarmaid Nash is back on court as he and Colin Crehan begin their bid for a three-in-a-row of All-Ireland Senior Doubles titles with a first-round fixture against either Kilkenny or Wexford this Saturday (fixture tbc).

Clare’s other victorious Munster Doubles finals winners await their All-Ireland semi-final dates, Shane Hayes and Darren O’Neill (Clooney, Mens Over 35B) and Chloe Philpott and Orla O’Brien (Kilkishen, Ladies Junior).