Tyrone GAA Handball ‘A night of Celebration’

Tyrone GAA Handball Officials, players and coaches will come together this Friday evening to celebrate what has been an unprecedented year of success both on and off the court of play. It has been a remarkable year in which 28 players from the county have secured National or International titles and all those will be recognised with a presentation for their outstanding achievements in the past twelve months.

In addition to the national and international competitions, the County also brought the re-introduction of the Tyrone GAA Handball Leagues and championships for the first time since 2008 with a large programme of A and B leagues and championships also at Juvenile level for the first time. Overall there were 160+ players who competed in those events and with a number of initiatives continuing by Tyrone GAA Handball the numbers look set to increase dramatically again in the year ahead.

There were unquestionably some amazing triumphs in the year gone by with a long list of outstanding achievements by so many players from the county. Breacach’s Johnny Woods and Maeve McElduff possibly lead the way with some fantastic successes in a host of events. Woods became the first player from the county to win an All Ireland Minor Singles and Doubles Championship title in the same year in April and he added an All Ireland Junior Club title, Irish Junior 17 & Under Nationals as well as reaching the final of the Premier league in that period. Maeve McElduff received the Ulster Herald Sports Personality of the month for February in Tyrone and for good reason as she became the first winner of the Tyrone Ladies Open Singles Championship and added Minor Singles and Doubles All Ireland titles, All Ireland Senior Singles Colleges Championship as well as an Irish Nationals 17 & Under Singles triumph also.

Sean Kerr undoubtedly had a year to remember in the blue ribband grade of Juvenile handball as he began that twelve month period with a One Wall Nationals success and went on to add All Ireland Junior Colleges, All Ireland Under 16 Singles 40×20 championship, Irish Nationals 17 & Under and was also the youngest winner of a Tyrone Adult League Trophy in 2014. Conor McElduff also had a very bright year gone by in which he claimed the Teamtalkmag Handballer of the Year award, in light of Junior B Singles and Doubles 60×30 All Ireland championship wins, One Wall Nationals 19 & Under Singles success and All Ireland Junior Club Championship triumph. He also made it to the Tyrone Mens Open Singles final for the first time and was an unlucky loser in tie-breaks in the recent All Ireland Under 21 singles and doubles championship finals.

At International level, Tyrone also enjoyed considerable success. Breacach’s Ruairi Kelly completed a remarkable International double when he captured the Mens Open Singles titles in both Japan and Australia while Gabhain McCrystal had a massive year with US International Championship wins at Boys 19 & Under Singles and Doubles to add to his All Ireland Junior Club championship success. Eilise McCrory, Antoin Fox and Mairead Fox also added International US Championship triumphs to their record in the same period.

All our All Ireland Championship, Irish Nationals and International title winners will be presented at the ‘Tyrone GAA Handball Night of Celebration’ this Friday evening in Beragh. Doors Open on the evening with the Meal at 8.15pm and there will be music and dancing till late on the night. Tickets are available from Club Officials and are priced at just £10.

Tyrone List of winners in the Tyrone Attic Stairs Adult Leagues and Championships and National and International winners are as follows:

Premier League: Shane O’Neill (Breacach)

Division 1 League: Niall Kerr (Breacach)

Division 2 League: Sean Kerr (Breacach)

Division 3 League: Matthew McCartan (Breacach)

Division 4 League: Pauric Mullan (Breacach)

Mens Open Singles: Darragh Daly (Carrickmore)

Mens Open Doubles: Darragh Daly & Caolan Daly (Carrickmore)

Ladies Open Singles: Maeve McElduff (Breacach)

Ladies Open Doubles: Lisa McAleer & Aoife Kelly (Loughmacrory)

Ladies Junior Singles: Eilise McCrory (Breacach)

Mens Senior B Singles: Niall Kerr (Breacach)

Mens Junior Singles: Eamonn McCrory (Breacach)

Mens Junior Doubles: Rory Grogan & Niall Allison (Carrickmore)

Mens Junior B Singles: Ciaran Mullan (Loughmacrory)

Mens 35+ Singles: Niall Kerr (Breacach)

40×20 Féile na nGael 2013: Breacach – Girls Division 2: Michaela McCartan, Elizabeth McGarvey, Emer Kerr, Meabh McCrystal

One Wall Nationals 2013: Niall Kerr (Silver Masters Singles), Sean Kerr (Boys 15 & Under Singles), Conor McElduff (Boys 19 & Under Singles), Maeve McElduff (Girls 17 & Under Singles)

60×30 All Ireland Championships 2013: Eilise McCrory (Girls Under 15 Singles), Conor McElduff (Junior B Singles & Doubles), Pól Clarke (Junior B Doubles)

40×20 All Ireland Club Championships 2013/14: Breacach Intermediate Club Champions: Shane O’Neill, Barry Devlin, Barney Corcoran, Conor Kerr; Breacach Junior Club Champions: Johnny Woods, Gabhain McCrystall, Pól Clarke, Conor McElduff

40×20 All Ireland Colleges Championships 2014: Pauric Mullan, Omagh CBS (Boys Junior Doubles); Turlough Clarke, Omagh CBS (Boys Junior Doubles); Sean Kerr, Dean Maguire, Carrickmore (Boys Junior Singles); Aoife Kelly, Dean Maguire, Carrickmore (Girls Senior Doubles); Eilise McRory, Dean Maguire, Carrickmore (Girls Senior Doubles); Maeve McElduff, Loreto Grammar School, Omagh (Girls Senior Singles)

40×20 All Ireland Gael Linn Championships 2014: Loughmacrory – Dara Curran, Mairead Fox

40×20 All Ireland Championships 2014: Darragh Canavan (Boys U14 Doubles); Cormac Munroe (Boys U14 Doubles); Sean Kerr (Boys U16 Singles); Johnny Woods (Minor Singles & Doubles); Ryan Mullan (Minor Doubles); Maeve McElduff (Minor Singles & Doubles); Aoife Kelly (Minor Doubles)

40×20 Irish Junior Nationals 2014: Sean Kerr (Boys 15 & Under Singles); Johnny Woods (Boys 17 & Under Singles); Mairead Fox (Girls 11 & Under Doubles); Dearbhail Fox (Girls 11 & Under Doubles); Caitlin Conway (Girls 13 & Under B Singles); Michaela McCartan (Girls 15 & Under B Singles)

Japan Mens Open Singles: Ruairi Kelly

Australian Mens Open Singles: Ruairi Kelly

USA Junior Nationals Championships: Mairead Fox (Girls 11 & Under OW & 40×20); Antoin Fox (Boys 13 & Under OW & 40×20); Eilise McCrory (Girls 15&Under Singles & 19&U Doubles); Pól Clarke (Boys 19&U Doubles); Gabhain McCrystal (Boys 19&U Singles & Doubles).