Following a three year hiatus, St Brigid's Eoin Kennedy has turned back the years in winning yet another Senior All-Ireland handball title. Kennedy has since 2002 been at the forefront of Irish senior handball but over the last two seasons has been constrained by combined demands of work and study. This year he has again been able to commit more time to the very demanding training requirements of senior handball. This has resulted in his 21-9, 21-14 final victory over Kerry's Dominc Lynch on Friday evening at the excellent Cashel handball facility. This come back victory brings Eoin's total of Senior hardball singles to seven, a record in the modern era.

Kennedy began the best of three game match very positively, moving into an early 6-1 lead. Lynch fought back and the pace and intensity of the match increased as he began to eat into the lead. Terrific rallies and exceptional killing by both players kept the crowd enthralled. Kennedy then had a purple patch to lead by 15-5. The first game looked all over but Lynch had other ideas. With some excellent serving and outstanding left hand kills he moved back to 9 before Kennedy regained the serve with a superb long distance kill into the right corner. He than moved up a gear to run out the first game 21-9.

Lynch served first in the second game and led 3-0 before Kennedy forced a hand out. Mixing up his serves to Lynch's left and right hands he regained the initiative leading 6-3 and again at 10-6. The momentum then dramatically shifted back to Lynch and he recorded eight points in a row to lead the second game 14-10 looking as if he might take the second game and force a tie-breaker. He had a relatively easy opportunity to make it 15-10 but hit the ball into the floor when attempting a kill. Kennedy seized his opportunity and from then on dominated the remainder of the match through a combination of versatile serving and superb cutting off Lynch's returns to lead 20-10.

There was however still one more twist to come. Serving for the match at 20-14 a long rally ensued with Lynch eventually scrambling his return and hitting the ball very high and close to the court roof. While Kennedy was preparing to put away the easy return for the final point, the referee Billy Bourke from Kilkenny ruled that the ball had indeed hit the roof and declared the match in Kennedy's favour. Lynch objected and to Kennedy's credit he volunteered to replay the point. His sportsmanship was rewarded after a final rally of several shots when he rolled the ball out of the front corner and raised his hands in triumph and relief.

This impressive victory brings Kennedy's overall count of All-Ireland Senior Titles to twenty-six over all three handball codes, softball, hardball and 40x20 and reinforces his reputation as "King of the Big Alley'. Both hardball and softball are played in the traditional sized 60x30 court. He remains the only player in history to win singles and doubles in all three codes and his performance this month bodes well for the forthcoming softball season. Winner on eight occasions between 2002 and 2010, Kennedy has lost the last three finals to his softball arch-rival Robbie McCarthy from Westmeath.

Kennedy is already looking forward to the softball season, which will run over the summer terminating with the All-Ireland finals in September. He is training intensively and will combine in doubles with a new partner Carl Brown. Eoin's long-standing partner Egin Jensen tore his Achilles heel over the winter leading to his retirement from the Senior ranks.

Kennedy and Brown will get some opportunities in upcoming tournaments in Limerick and Kilkenny to develop their partnership before commencing championship action in July. With both singles and doubles to come, Kennedy's commitment and athleticism may yet result in achieving further All-Ireland glory in the Dublin jersey.
St Brigid's GAA Club members are delighted to see Eoin returning to winning at All-Ireland level. Over the years he has been a great role model for young players and his example is one of the factors in the resurgence of the game at the Club, together with the coaching efforts of Enda Timoney and others, and the recent enhancement of the playing facilities, which now include two 40x20 courts and four One-Wall courts. New members are always welcome. Tweet

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