ICHA 60x30 Singles & Doubles, Sligo 2024 ?

A huge well done to all our players who competed and represented UL at the ICHA 60x30 event in Sligo! Results:

? Men’s Open Doubles Champions ~ Evan Murphy & Gearoid Healy.

? Men’s Open Doubles Runners-Up ~ Rory Grace & Sean Coughlan.

? Women’s Open Doubles Runners-up ~ Una Brophy & Emer Barron.

? Men’s A Singles Champion ~ Conor Holden.

? Women’s A Singles Champion ~ Leah Minogue.

? Women’s A Singles Runner-Up ~ Una Brophy.

? Men’s B Singles Champion ~ Cathal McKenna.

? Women’s B Singles Champion ~ Emer Barron.

A very enjoyable competition and a brilliant weekend for UL Handball Club as we competed in 6 out 8 possible finals, with two finals being all UL teams!

We returned to Limerick with 5 Titles ? and 3 Runners-up ?

Congratulations to our winners and well done to all of our team who travelled to Sligo and represented UL ?

A massive thank you to @3rdlevelhandball for running a great weekend as always and to Ballymote, Colloney & Drumkeeran Handball Clubs for hosting us in their top class courts! @sligogaahandball

See you all again next year and hopefully some more new faces! @3rdlevelhandball @officialgaahandball @ul_sport @ulwolves_gaa #belongtothepack? #ulwolves #ulhandball #ulsport

? The Space In Between ? ?

We were estatic to  host Ciana & Frida from ‘The Space In Between’ on Tuesday 13th of Feburary! This Mental Performance Workshop equiped our players and wider members of the handball community with tips & tricks on how to use ‘The Space In Between’ to their advantage when performing at a high level!

This event took place in the PESS building on Tuesday February 13th at 6:30pm.

Huge thanks and gratitude to Ciana (UL handball club alumus) and Frida for allowing us the opportunity to host this seminar!

? Get a taster of what these workshops look like @thespaceinbetweenmpc @ul_sport @ulwolves @ulwolves_gaa @3rdlevelhandball @officialgaahandball @studentsportireland @unitedstateshandball

70th USHA Collegiates Nationals in Tucson, Arizona, February 22nd - 26th

Well done to all the players who travelled to Tucson Arizona back in February and represented UL ?

?Ladies Open Singles Champion~ Niamh Heffernan

?Ladies Open Doubles Champions ~ Niamh Heffernan/Sinead Meagher

?Ladies A Champion ~ Cliona Dunning dft.

?Ladies Open 9-16 Winner~ Cliodhna O’Connell

?Mens A2 Champion ~ Cian O’Donnell

?Congrats to everyone who participated throughout the week!

?Huge thanks to the ICHA and USHA for a great tournament!

Till next year ???

Belfast Roundup

Well done to all UL players who played in Belfast back in January ??

?Womens Open Winner Niamh Heffernan dft. Cuileann Bourke

?Womens C Winner Aoife Guildea dft. Laura Tuohey

?Mens A Winner Rory Grace dft. Peter Donohue

?Mens C Runner Up Conor Owens dft. Adam O’Shea

Well done to everyone who participated represented UL throughout the weekend! 

UL Wolves Handball Club continued their winning streak this past weekend in Galway at the ICHA 40x20 Doubles Intervarsities where took home gold in 4 grades, Women’s Open, Men’s A, B and C respectively. The tournament took place in Galway venues during the weekend of 18-20th of November. After our recent success at the 60x30 Intervarsities last month in Wexford the UL contingency were looking forward to the weekend, ready for a busy and intense schedule of games and determined to bring back more trophies to UL.

Preliminary rounds took place on Friday evening in with the Women’s Open taking place in Indreabhán, Men’s Open in Moycullen and the Men’s B and C grades in Salthill. A total of 20 UL players made the trip to Galway, comprising of a mixture of players from Open to Beginners. After some outstanding games across all divisions the scene was set for the finals on Saturday evening with UL contesting four titles in the Women’s Open, Men’s A, B and C.

First up on the schedule was Evan Murphy and Colin Healy in the Men’s Open Semi-Final where they faced MTU pair Adam Walsh and Conor Walsh. It was a fast and entertaining game, but the UL pair fell short on this occasion. Henry McGrath and Sean Murphy played their way to the Men’s A final where the defeat UCG pair Ashling Mullin and David Donohue.

The Women’s Open final was yet again another all-UL affair. Niamh Heffernan and Sinead Meagher returned in flying form to defend last year’s victory. They beat fellow UL teammates Cliodhna O’Connell and Aisling Shanahan to retain the Women’s Open Doubles title for the second consecutive year.

Cian O’Donnell and Jack Glynn were next up, playing together for the first and came home with the Men’s B title where they defeated UCD resulting in the third win for UL.

Well done also to Aoife Guildea and Aoife Hurley who reached the Women’s Open Doubles Semi Final but unfortunately came up short against their own college teammates and eventual winners Niamh and Sinead. Well done to Darragh Ducey and Adam Coggeran who reached the Men’s Open Doubles Quarter Final before losing out to TCD. Eoin Hegarty and Keith Crehan teamed up in the Men’s A but lost out by the narrowest of margins to UCG.

Special mention and congratulations to new members and beginners Sandy O’Callaghan, Patrick Nevin and Alan Costello who have shown great dedication, determination and improvement since joining our club. They played excellent handball throughout the weekend. Sandy and Patrick and proved that all the training was worth it when they came out victorious in the Men’s C final defeating UCG. A huge well done also to Alan Costello and Adam O’Shea who took part in the Men’s B, reaching the semi-final but losing out to UL pair and eventual winners Cian and Jack,

Overall, the weekend was a great success with our players showcasing great skill and determination throughout all grades and proudly represented the University of Limerick. UL returned home with 4 titles in the bag bringing the tally to 7 titles in the last two tournaments.

Massive thanks to everyone in Galway Handball and especially the ICHA who made the weekend possible. Everyone was well looked after, and all the courts and venues were in excellent condition as always.

Next up on the agenda is the 40x20 Singles in Belfast at the end of January, perhaps the most prestigious event on the Intervarsity calendar where we endeavour to replicate the skill and winning attitude displayed at the weekend.

Keep up to date with all our tournament news and results by giving us a follow us on 'ulwolveshandball' on Instagram and Facebook.

ICHA 60x30 Intervarsities 2022 Wexford, recap!

A massive well done to all our players who took part and represented UL Wolves Handball in the 60x30 competition in Wexford this weekend!

We had a very successful 60x30 Intervarsties after missing this tournament for the last 2 years, it was great to be back.
UL took home the most titles (3), DCU took home 2, with UCD, MTU and UU all coming away with one each!
Massive thanks to everyone in Wexford handball who made the weekend possible. Everyone was well looked after and the alleys were on top condition as always.

Congrats to Cliodhna O’Connell and Niamh Heffernan who won the Womens Open Doubles Final. In an all UL final they overcame Aisling Shanahan and Siobhan Treacy.

Congrats to Evan Enright who played his way to the Mens A Singles Final where he overcame Sean Barron of UCD.

Well done to Aisling Shanahan who won the Womens A Singles Final where she defeated a fellow UL player Siobhan Treacy.

Well done also to Cliodhna O’ Connell who reached the Womens Open Singles Semi Final but unfortunately came up short against Aoife Holden of DCU. We also had representation  in the Mens Open Doubles Competition with Darragh Ducey and Adam Coggeran teaming up along with Evan Murphy and Eoin Hegarty who were defeated by Cormac Finn and Davey Doyle of DCU in the Mens Open Doubles Semi Final.

A fantastic weekend of handball and a great weekend for the UL Handball Club, well done to all.

SINGLES WINNERS

• Mens Open Singles- Diarmuid Mulkerrins (UCD)

Diarmuid Mulkerrins (UCD) dftd Cormac McMahon (DKIT)

• Mens A Champion - Evan Enright

Evan Enright (UL) dftd Sean Barron (UCD)

• Mens B Champion - Davy Doyle (DCU)

Davy dftd Adam Coggeran (UL)

• Womens Open Singles: Aoife Holden

Aoife Holden (DCU) dftd Cuilleann Bourke (TCD)

• Womens A Singles: Aisling Shanahan

Aisling Shanahan (UL) dftd Siobhan Treacy (UL)

• Womens B Singles: Clare Conway

Clare Conway (UU) dftd Emily Moran (SETU)

DOUBLES WINNERS

• Mens Open Doubles : Conor Walsh/Adam Walsh (MTU)

MTU dftd Cormac Finn/Davy Doyle (DCU)

• Womens Open Doubles: Niamh Heffernan/Cliodhna O Connell (UL)

(UL) dftd Siobhan Treacy/Aisling Shanahan (UL)

Hi everyone, a huge welcome to our new members and welcome back to all our returning members! 

Our first training session is this evening (Monday 12th September) on campus in the PESS building from 6-8pm, everyone is welcome to attend. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone there! ???

UL Handball Club End of Year Roundup

As we are now at the end of the academic year we would like to look back on our achievements throughout the semester. In November 2021 we travelled to Ennis to play in the ICHA Doubles tournament in which we took home both Open titles in the Men’s and Women’s grade.

The Open favourites, Niamh Heffernan and Sinead Meagher (UL) cruised through their side of the draw in the Open competition with a comprehensive win over DCU in the semi-final securing their place in the final against close rivals Fiona Tully and Ashling Mullin of NUIG. The girls played extremely well across all aspects of their game, with good power serves and killing of the ball, ultimately proving too strong for the NUIG pairing winning in 2 straight games, 15-6, 15-8.

The second final saw Tadhg O’Neill and Mark Rodgers (UL) take on UCD’s Brian Mahon and Diarmuid Mulkerrins in the Men’s Open Final. Despite a busy schedule of games over the course of the weekend, the UL pairing, produced a dominant and strong performance outplaying their opponents to win 15-2, 15-2.

We also had some strong performances throughout the weekend from Barry Greene and Keith Crehan in the Men’s C grade and also Henry McGrath and Fionn Slattery in the Men’s A. Overall, the weekend was a great success with our players showcasing great skill and determination throughout all grades and proudly represented both UL Handball Club and the University of Limerick

Next up after Christmas was the ICHA Singles Tournament in February in Belfast, which is widely regarded as being the most prestigious event on the Intervarsity Calendar and the UL contingency were looking forward to the long journey up north to Belfast in the hope of adding to our previous success in the Doubles.

Evan Murphy played numerous games on route to the Men’s B Final and came out on top with UL’s only win of the weekend over Fergal McWilliams of WIT. First year, Rory Grace secured his place in the Men’s A Semi Final but narrowly lost out in the tiebreaker to the eventual winner Diarmuid Mulkerrins UCD. Rory showed a promising display of Handball throughout the weekend and no doubt next year he will advance further and be a key player for UL Handball Club. Tadhg O’Neill played in the Men’s Open competition and reached the Semi Final against Kevin Diggins but unfortunately, had to concede the match after winning the first game, due to injury. It was a great weekend for UL Handball with some great performances coming from all grades, beginner to Open.

Unfortunately, due to Covid issues and general logistics we were unable to travel to the US Collegiate Championships that took play in Springfield, Missouri however it is something we look forward to for next year.

Overall, it was a hugely promising year for all players in UL Handball Club and we look forward to welcoming back both new incoming first years and our current members in the coming academic year. As always, you can keep up to date by following our Instagram and Facebook page, 'ulwolveshandball'. We look forward to seeing familar and new faces again in September!

All Ireland 40X20 ICHA Singles Belfast – Weekend Recap

A massive well done to all our player who took part and represented UL Wolves Handball in the 40X20 Singles this weekend in Belfast

Congratulations to Evan Murphy who played his way to the Men’s B final and came out on top with a win over Fergal McWilliams of WIT.

Rory Grace secured his place in the Men’s A Semi Final but narrowly lost out in the tiebreaker to the eventual winner Diarmuid Mulkerrins of UCD.

Tadhg O’Neill played in the Men’s Open competition and reached the Semi Final against Kevin Diggins (DCU). After winning the first game 15-14, he unfortunately ultimately conceded the match due to injury.

We also had representation in the Men’s C and Men’s Challenger grades. Henry McGrath (UL) drew Sean Murphy (UL) in the quarter final of the Men’s C with Sean coming out on top to reach the semi-final. Darragh Cotter secured a sport in the Men’s Challenger Final unfortunately losing out to Kaylem Grealish (NUIG).

Well done to all our players on a great weekend of Handball. Thank you, also to the ICHA who did a great job in organising the weekend and ensuring the tournament ran smoothly.

Open semi-finals and finals were live streamed and are available to view on the ICHA Facebook page. Keep up to date with all our news over on our Instagram and Facebook at ‘ulwolveshandball’.

UL Wolves Handball Club took home gold in both the Women’s and Men’s Open Doubles Finals last weekend in the first ICHA Tournament in 18th months. The tournament took place in Clare venues over the weekend of 5th-7th November. This being the first tournament back since our trip to Austin, Texas in 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic, the UL contingency were looking forward to the weekend, ready for a busy and intense schedule of games and determined to bring back some silverware.

Preliminary rounds took place on Friday with Saturday being the busiest in the lead up the finals. After some outstanding games across all divisions the scene was set for the finals that evening with UL contesting both Open grades and also the Men’s and Women’s A grade.

Aoife Hurley and Dearbhail O’Keefe lost out at the semi-final stage to finalists Fiona Tully and Ashling Mullin (NUIG) in the Open grade. While favourites Niamh Heffernan and Sinead Meagher (UL) cruised through their side of the draw in the Open competition with a comprehensive win over DCU in the semi-final securing their place in the final against close rivals Fiona Tully and Ashling Mullin of NUIG. The girls played extremely well across all aspects of their game, with good power serves and killing of the ball, ultimately proving too strong for the NUIG pairing winning in 2 straight games, 15-6, 15-8.

The second final of the night saw Tadhg O’Neill and Mark Rodgers take on UCD’s Brian Mahon and Diarmuid Mulkerrins in the Men’s Open Final. Despite a busy schedule of games over the course of the weekend, the UL pairing, produced a dominant and strong performance outplaying their opponents to win 15-2, 15-2.

Sean Coughlan and Nigel O’Callaghan (UL) fell short of securing their spot in the Men’s A semi-final losing out in the quarter final stage to the eventual winners from MTU Shane Murphy and Gearoid O’Connell. It was a well-matched game with the UL pair taking the opening game. The second game was hard fought, and the MTU pairing came out on top to force a tiebreaker in which UL lost out on a score line of 15-14.

Aoife Guildea and Aisling Shanahan played extremely well to reach the final in the Women’s A competition. Unfortunately, on this occasion they were unsuccessful and lost out to a more experienced and strong pairing from UCD.

We also had some strong performances throughout the weekend from Barry Greene and Keith Crehan in the Men’s C and also Henry McGrath and Fionn Slattery in the Men’s A.

Overall, the weekend was a great success with our players showcasing great skill and determination throughout all grades and proudly represented the University of Limerick. Credit to the ICHA who organized the event and ensured everything ran smoothly while implementing all Covid-19 guidelines.

We will now look forward and start training for the 40X20 Singles in Belfast in January, perhaps the most prestigious event on the Intervarsity calendar and endeavour to replicate the skill and winning attitude displayed at the weekend. To keep up to date with all our tournament news and results, follow us on 'ulwolveshandball' on Instagram and Facebook. 

UL Wolves Handball Club continued their strong run of form and representation in the recent Intervasities 40x20 Championship in Belfast. This being the most prestigious event on the intervarsities calendar, the UL contingency were looking forward to the long trip to the north. After the initial grading games taking place on the Friday, the twenty one strong UL team were ready for a busy and intense schedule of games on Friday. After some outstanding games in all divisions across Belfast on Saturday morning/afternoon in all grades, the scene was set for the finals that evening with UL contesting both premier grades in Fergal Coughlan and Niamh Heffernan in the Men’s and Ladies open finals respectively. UL also contested the Ladies A final with Cliondha O’Connell and the Men’s B final with Darragh Mulkerrins. Firstly in the Open finals, Fergal Coughlan was hoping to continue on some strong performances on both the Irish Senior and US pro circuits in recent times and on this occasion came up against Minnesota native Sam Esser, representing a competitive and enthusiastic American team. On the night however it was the American who rose to the occasion the better, utilizing the typical US “serve and kill” approach did not let Fergal get any rhythm and eventually ran out a winner in two games. In the Ladies Open final, UL’s Niamh Heffernan competing in her first Intervarsities tournament came up against defending champion and 3 in a row chasing Fiona Tully of DCU. Tully certainly got off to the better start and took the first game easily. However, this did not deter the UL player and showed immense skill and coolness under pressure to win a fascinating second game to force a tiebreaker. The tiebreak started with tentatively with both players swapping hands without many scores, however Tully then ceased the initiative and took a commanding lead and despite a comeback from Heffernan the DCU representative took the game. This is only the first installment of what is certainly going to be a fierce rivalry long into the future. UL were also unlucky in the Men’s B final with Darragh Mulkerrins coming up against a strong DKIT player on the day. In a game with a lot of similarities to the Ladies Open final Darragh forced a tiebreaker and may have showed the affects of a long and intense run to the final in which he played 4 matches on the Saturday alone. In the Ladies A final, Cliondha O’Connell, competing in her first intervarsities 40x20 singles tournament came up against a more experienced UCD player on the night and unfortunately fell short of the title. Overall this was a hugely promising weekend for the UL club with some fantastic performances coming in from across the board. Attention now quickly turns to the US Collegiate Championships in Texas where UL will again be taking part in record breaking numbers. This is sure to be an amazing experience and an opportunity for some to avenge some of the final defeats this weekend.

UL handball club enjoyed a very successful weekend at the first 40x20 event of the intervarsities alendar, the Galway doubles tournament. UL were the most represented college attending the event with over 30 participants and even more impressively with 8 pairings competing in finals in their respective grades. Firstly, in the blue ribbon event, the men’s open, the UL pairing of Fergal Coughlan and Mark Rodgers fought their way through a top class field to reach the final in which they came up against the defending Under 23 World Champions in UCD’s Galen Riordan and Brian Mahon. All seemed lost for the UL pair being a game and 14-3 down in the second game and only one point from defeat however, they showed great attitude and perseverance to complete a miraculous comeback to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreak however the UCD pair were more composed with their shots and the UL pair were certainly feeling the exertions of the second game. Attention then turned to the blue ribboned ladies event with strong UL representation again on show with Clare duo Doireann Murphy and Ella Donnellan taking on the vastly successful collegiate pairing of UCD’s Fiona Tully and Meadbh Ní Dhálaigh. The UL pair fought gallantly throughout however on this occasion the killing ability of Tully was too much. Similarly, UL’s Cloadagh Neville and Cathy Foley reaches the Woman’s A final for the second year in succession, narrowly loosing out in a close and exciting final. Hopefully third time lucky for the girls next year. UL were also well represented in the Men’s C final with 40x20 new comer Sean Mullane teaming up with the experienced Diarmuid Meaghar. The boys again played well in the final however their GMIT competitors just got the upper hand on the day. Overall, this was a hugely enjoyable and promising weekend for the UL handball club in which all players can come away with their heads held high and with more hard work UL will challenge for titles again next year. Next up for the club is the 40x20 singles event in Belfast in February followed by the USHA collegiates in Texas in the same month. 

The collegiate handball season kicked off in style last weekend with the 60x30 intervars singles and doubles tournament taking place in Wexford venues. The tournament commenced early on Friday morning with the men’s doubles taking center stage . After a day of fierce competition the final included a brace of ITT pairings in which Kilkenny and Cork natives, Shane Dunne and Gearoid O’Connell came out on top over the Murphy brothers from Limerick. This was to be the beginning of a fruitful weekend for the Kerry Institute. 

Friday evening saw the start of the 60X30 men’s and woman’s singles titles. After the preliminary grading games were taken care of, each player was ready to compete in their respective grades. UL had 8 players competing over the weekend in the hope of bringing home some silverware. Fergal Coughlan competed well in the men’s open grade before being beaten by eventual champion Shane Dunne of ITT. Nigel O’Callaghan and Darragh Mulkerrins played well in the B grade before loosing out in their respective semi-final matchups. A special mention must go however must go to our new recruits Cillian O’Sullivan and Sean Mullane who despite only having taken up the sport four weeks prior competed very well and can come away from the tournament with pride in their achievement. Aoife Hurley also played very well in here UL debut in the woman’s A grade. However the highlight of UL’s weekend on the court was Dearbhail O’Keefe and Cliodhna O’Connell reaching the woman’s Open doubles final in which they took on the experienced and decorated pairing of DCU’s Fiona Tully and Meadhbh Ní Dhálaigh. UL’s Wexford and Kilkenny pair fought gallantly in debut loosing out in two close games. 

Overall, this was a fantastic weekend of handball and one in which our UL participants won’t forget for a long while. A huge thanks must go out to all at the ICHA for organizing a brilliant tournament and to all the Wexford officials for the use of the courts. Next up for our club is the switch to the 40x20 code where the doubles event takes place in Galway venues on the 8th and 9th of November. 

Twelve UL Wolves Handball club members swapped the intense Irish heatwave for the even warmer climate of Minneapolis, Minnesota in August to take part in the 2018 World Handball Championships. Three years of preparation for the club in Ireland, Europe and USA culminated in a two week festival of handball as the world's best handballers descended on the University of Minnesota. UL's players competed in one wall and four wall competitions in a range of divisions including U19, U23, Open, A, B and C in singles and doubles. The club returned with five gold medals and four silver medals following a series of incredible performances from its members.

The tournament began with the one wall divisions and the club had high expectations following the experience gained on the European Wallball tour in recent years. Paudi Quish was the first player onto court for the club in the 23&Under singles division. Paudi displayed incredibly consistency as he blazed a path into the final where he faced another Irish man. Paudi continued his fine fine vein of form in the final and his excellent shot selection proved insurmountable for his opponent and he claimed the club's first gold medal of the championships. Paudi teamed up with European no. 1 Conor McElduff in the Open Doubles division and they stormed through to the final where they faced an American pairing. The Irish combination displayed incredible retrieval skills but unfortunately could not topple their opponents and Paudi claimed a silver medal following an intense tiebreaker.

James Prentice entered the 19&Under singles and doubles following several eye-catching performances in Ireland and Europe in the past year. He faced a tough path to the final but a series of deft touches guided him through the early rounds until he reached the final. He also faced a fellow Irish man in the final and what ensued was described by many as the game of the tournament. Both players put on an exhibition of handball skills but the extra competitive games James got on the European tour guided him through and he clinched a gold medal following a thrilling tiebreaker. He teamed up with Paddy Murphy from Mayo and the pairing combined together excellently to coast through the division and James claimed his second gold medal of the tournament.

The club also had strong performances from other members in the one wall divisions. Fergal Coughlan combined with his father to reach the semi-final of the Open Doubles. Seamus Conneely was unfortunate to lose out in the semi-final of the B Doubles against a strong Ecuadorian pairing. Darren Carter lost to the eventual champion in the C singles quarter-final. John Bosco Hurley and Gordon Nolan were defeated in the Open Doubles quarter-final of one wall small ball against an experienced American pairing. 

The tournament moved onto the four wall divisions with the majority of the clubs players beginning their campiagns at this stage. Seamus Conneely began his campaign in the B singles division and outlasted all of his opponents as he showed immense composure to come through tiebreakers in every round to reach the final. Unsurprisingly, the final went to a tiebreaker but Seamus was unable to claim another win and fell short to capture a silver medal. He re-grouped in the A doubles with Ian McLoughlin from Mayo and enjoyed a more serene campaign as the pair advanced to the final and won the gold medal following a tight battle with another Irish pairing.

Ciana Ní Churraoin made her competitive return to handball following an ACL injury and showed that the time out did not negatively impact on her handball skills. She quickly settled into the court as she reached the semi-final of the Open singles division but was unable to progress further. She also competed in the formidable 23&Under singles division and displayed her customary killing ability and ambidextrous cababilities to march towards the title and capture a gold medal less than a year after ACL surgery in an incredible feat.

Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan combined in the Open and 23&Under Doubles divisions. They reached the quarter-final of the Open division where they faced the reigning World Champions. The UL pairing started slowly but stormed back into contention in an impressive display of killing and retrieval skills before falling short. The display gave the pairing confidence for the 23&Under campaign and they marched towards the final to face another formidable Irish pairing. Relihan and Hedigan struggled to find their rhythm in the final and although they battled to bring the game to a tiebreaker they were unable to win the game and settled for two silver medals.

Colin Crehan showed imperious form to reach the Open singles quarter-final but was unable to progress further following some notable wins. Darren Carter was defeated in the C singles semi-final by the eventual champion. John Bosco Hurley and Gordon Nolan had a titanic battle in the C singles before combining to reach the quarter-final of the C doubles. Diarmaid Meagher had some impressive performances as he competed in his first World Championships less than a year after taking up handball.

Former UL handball players also had an excellent tournament with Killian Carroll capturing the four wall Open singles title, Martina McMahon winning the one wall Open singles and four wall Open singles and doubles and Catriona Casey claiming silver medals in the four wall Open singles and doubles.

It was an incredible tournament for the club and attention will return to Ireland as players begin the next three year cycle in preparation for the next World Championships taking place in Ireland in 2021.

The handball club’s European adventures in the second half of 2017 year saw them travel to eastern Spain and northern Netherlands to compete in the European Pro Wallball Tour. Following the club’s incredible success in recent years, a number of players were promoted to the Open division which sees only the top 16 players from around Europe compete against each other. The jump in quality was immediately noticeable with the club’s fortunes suffering a slight dip compared to previous years but the club still managed to return with one gold and four bronze medals.

Valencia was the host for the first stop of the semester in October and saw an 11 strong team travel to attempt to thrive the searing heat of the Iberian peninsula. Four UL players competed in the Men’s Open division, seeing the club have the biggest representation in the top division. Michael Hedigan, Daniel Relihan and John Bosco Hurley were experiencing their first games in the top division of the European competition and struggled to adapt to the increased pace, power and skill of their opponents. Although they failed to progress from their groups, the experience will undoubtedly aid them in future competitions. Paudi Quish, with his vast array of experience in the top division, had little trouble racing through his group and qualifying for the quarter-final. He continued his impressive form until the semi-final where he faced the daring Englishman Luke Thompson. Unfortunately, Paudi struggled to adapt to the left-hander and fell to a narrow 15-13 loss. He did manage to re-group and claim bronze as he finished third to claim the first medal of the semester for the club. In the B division Seamus Conneely had several composed performances on his way to claiming a bronze medal.

The doubles proved particularly tough for the players as the mercury rose rapidly on the Sunday morning. The pale-skinned Irish students struggled to cope with the heat on the outdoor courts and sufffered some agonising early defeats in the group stages. The aftermath of the carnage saw four doubles pairings exit at the quarter-final stage. Colin Corbett and Colin Crehan were relegated to the B plate following the group stages but managed to re-group and claim gold in the division as they finally grew accustomed to the temperature. Paudi Quish was once again the club's main hope in the Open division but ince again fell agonisingly close at the semi-final stage. He picked himself up again to claim his second bronze medal of the tournament. 

The club moved onto Northern Netherlands in November for the second European adventure of the semester. This saw four UL men brave the biting cold conditions of the Dutch nation. James Prentice proved to be UL's sole representative in the Open singles division. This was his first foray into the top division and it proved to be an extremely unlucky adventure. James claimed two extremely impressive scalps in the group stage and looked guaranteed to progress to the quarter-final stage. However, a 15-10 loss saw three players locked together on two wins and Prentice was eliminated by two aces in agonising circumstances. In the B division Jack Coughlan, in his debut on the European Tour, caused several upsets before falling at the semi-final stage. He managed to cause one last upset to claim a bronze medal and his performances will no doubt see him claim further medals in the future. John Bosco Hurley was equally impressive before coming up against the eventual champion in the quarter-final stage in a tense encounter. In the doubles Adrian English and Jack Coughlan combined with John Bosco 
Hurley and James Prentice partnering Dutch players to add some more international flavour to the club's adventures. English/Coughlan and John Bosco Hurley both progressed from their groups but came unstuck at the quarter-final stage. Prentice and his Dutch partner defeated English/Coughlan to reach the semi-final where they narrowly lost to the eventual champions before claiming another bronze medal for the club.

The players performances over the last few years have seen several of the club's players climb their way up the European rankings with Paudi Quish now ranked as European no. 5. The players will hope to improve their rankings further in the New Year as the UK and French Opens come around.

The handball club’s European adventures in the last year took them from eastern Spain to northern Netherlands and twice to western Italy to take part in the European Pro Wallball Tour and the European GAA Handball Championships. The club returned with nine gold, five silver and three bronze medals along with several new international connections. The players also got the chance to experience the local handball variations played in these countries. 

The year commenced with the players running for cover and scrabbling for suncream in the 30 degrees’ sunshine of Valencia at the Spanish Pro Stop. Eleven UL players struggled to acclimatise to the sudden appearance of the bright yellow orb in the sky in late October on the first day. They managed to re-group quickly and utilised the unique “Irish whip” to outfox their opponents during the singles games. Paudi Quish looked in ominous form until he narrowly lost to the eventual champion by one ace in the Open Division. In the B division, UL flooded the quarter-finals with five representatives. Michael Hedigan emerged from the pack as he produced a series of astonishing comebacks to claim the title defeating a Spanish player in the final. Quish again flew the flag in the Open division in the doubles where he again came up against the eventual champions at the quarter-final stage again. In the B division, UL produced 4 out of 8 quarter-finalists with Michael Hedigan and Daniel Relihan battling their way to the title in another series of close encounters. Liam Bradshaw and Dan Noonan powered their way to the C title as they overcame several European opponents.

The next trip also exposed the players to an another extreme change in weather as UL travelled to the snow covered environs of Franeker, Northern Netherlands for the Dutch Open. The UL players adapted to the cold conditions quicker than the sun soaked conditions of the Mediterranean. UL completed the double in the B division again as Jamie Kelly comprehensively defeated all opponents as he claimed the B singles title in a statement of intent in his first European tournament. He teamed up with James Prentice as they stormed to the B title producing several electric performances.

The European GAA Handball Championships took place in similarly frosty surroundings as UL travelled with two teams to the tournament. The second team of John Bosco Hurley and Jack Coughlan began their campaign first as they competed in the Challenger division. They formed an exciting partnership as they finished second in the division and qualified for the European Championship as a result where they faced the no. 1 ranked Italian in the semi-final of the Championship. They suffered early setbacks in the singles but bounced back to rattle the Italian champions in the doubles as they took an early lead and maintained it until late in the game. Unfortunately, they fell just short and were unable to qualify for the final but bounced back to claim bronze to go with the silver they won in the Challenger division. The A team of Paudi Quish, Jason English and Adrian English faced another Italian team in the semi-final and qualified for the final after a comprehensive victory. The final proved to be highly controversial as numerous debatable decisions went the way of the Italian hosts. UL fell to a narrow loss as a result and returned home in disappointment.

The club returned to Italy in March for the Italian Open of the European Pro Wallball Tour and for the first trip of the year the weather was similar to that in Ireland. The weather appeared to suit Paudi Quish as he stormed through the group stages of the Open division. He maintained this form as he reached the final for the second straight Italian Open where he faced the European no. 1 from Spain in the final. He fell behind early but managed to halt the Spaniard’s momentum and he recovered from a 9-3 deficit to win 25-12 and cause a huge upset. This is the club’s first win in the Open Division of the European Pro Wallball Tour and has resulted in Quish reaching no. 6 in the European rankings.

It was an incredible year for the club and with further trips to London and Belgium to come, it is hoped to bring more success back to the West of Ireland.

The UL Women out-fought their male rivals at the recent 40x20 Singles Intervarsities which took place in the wild tundra of Kingscourt, Co. Cavan. UL had high hopes of securing several titles as they travelled with the largest squad of the colleges in attendance. After numerous gruelling and exhilarating games of handball, UL Women secured two titles whereas the UL Men had to be content with a silver medal and four semi-final finishes.

Ciana Ní Churraoin returned seeking to defend her Women’s Open title, which she won for the first time last year. She appeared in imperious form in the early rounds over the weekend as she easily brushed aside her opponents. Her precise defensive shots forced her opponents into several mistakes which she pounced on to secure three facile victories to reach the final. She faced Ciara Mahon from Trinity, her opponent for the last 10 Open finals across all Intervarsities. It appeared that her previous encounters gave Ní Churraoin the knowledge on how to defeat Mahon as she rapidly built up a sizeable lead and refused to allow Mahon build any momentum to attempt a comeback. Ní Churraoin thus secured her second Women’s Open title in a row 21-3, 21-9. Niamh Dunne suffered an early set-back in the tournament as she was knocked out of the Open division and dropped to the A division. She re-grouped and used her immense power to subdue her opponents and quickly progressed to the A final. Here she faced her former teammate from UL, now representing UCD, Clodagh Nash. Nash resorted to using several lob shots in an attempt to neutralise Dunne’s power, which lead to a tense final. Dunne fell behind early as she attempted to adapt to her opponent’s tactics before mounting a late comeback to take the first game. She maintained this momentum into the second game before appearing to falter with the title almost in her grasp. Nash rapidly closed the gap before Dunne produced 3 astonishing kill shots to secure the Women’s A title. Natasha Coughlan and Mary Buggy secured close victories to reach the A quarter-finals before losing to tough opposition.

UL had high hopes of securing the Men’s Open title with 3 of the top 4 ranked players hailing from the Wolves club. Daniel Relihan produced some exhilarating handball in a tight quarter-final win over AIT’s Niall O’Connor to set-up a semi-final with the five-in-a-row seeking Martin Mulkerrins (UCD). Unfortunately, Relihan was unable to produce the same level of handball and was defeated in two games. Colin Crehan cruised into the semi-finals where he faced fellow club-mate Michael Hedigan, who had a titanic struggle with another UL player Colin Corbett before prevailing 11-8 in a tiebreaker. Hedigan appeared to be struggling with fatigue in the semi-final and Crehan progressed to his first Open final with a two-game victory. Crehan's finesse was in stark contrast to Mulkerrins' power in the final, with both players producing a series of astonishing shots to produce an exciting spectacle. Crehan was ultimately unable to deal with his opponent’s power and fell narrowly in two straight games 21-18, 21-17. Liam Bradshaw was also in impressive form in the B division before fatigue and injury forced him to succumb to Ben Devlin (DCU) in the semi-final. Devlin had earlier overcome Gordon Nolan in the quarter-final who was unable to produce his best form over the weekend. John Bosco Hurley similarly did not perform to his best in a last 16 defeat in the B division. Cathal McNamee battled his way to the semi-final of the C division before losing to the stylish Ryan Traenor (DCU). Dairmaid Meagher’s lack of experience in the 40x20 alley resulted in a last 16 defeat in the Contender division in his first tournament in the small alley.

It was a successful tournament for UL’s Wolverines with encouraging signs that the Wolves can compete at various levels and will gain experience from their narrow losses as they advance to championship and into Intervarsities next year

 

UL maintained its recent dominance of the domestic collegiate handball scene in the second half of 2016 and managed to extend their success to the global stage with a series of controlled performances. The club alternated between Intervarsity competitions in Kilkenny, Wexford and international tournaments in Spain, Netherlands and Italy as well as several local tournaments during the first semester.

UL had a difficult start to the domestic year in Kilkenny in the 60x30 Intervarsities as an injury lead to a re-shuffle of the A and the B teams and although both teams reached their respective finals, the weakened teams were defeated by Dublin opposition in disappointing fashion. The Ladies Doubles partnership of Ciana Ní Churraoin and Niamh Dunne managed to re-group to claim the Open title and bring one title back to UL.

UL emphatically bounced back from this disappointing showing and almost secured a clean sweep of titles in the next Intervarsities in Wexford as they had finalists in all five finals, with UL facing off against each other in 2 of those finals. UL secured gold and silver in the Men’s A and B Doubles grades as well as gold in Women’s A Doubles division. The clean sweep fell short as UL lost the other two finals on agonising 11-10 score lines in the tiebreaker of the Men’s C Doubles and Beginners One Wall divisions.

UL held a monopoly of the B division of the European ProTour stops in Spain and Netherlands as the club won the B singles and doubles in both tournaments to add to the C doubles title from Spain. The club travelled to the GAA Handball Championships in Italy prior to Christmas in high hopes aiming to prove themselves against the best European handball teams. The club narrowly fell short of their ambition to become the top European club as the UL A and B teams finished in 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively following a series of tough encounters.

Although the club experienced a tough start to the semester, they recovered rapidly and produced some astonishing skills in the subsequent tournaments. The club’s performances saw the club secure forty-one major medals including twenty-six Intervarsity medals and fifteen European medals.

 

This semester starts off with the biggest Intervarsity on the calendar in Kingscourt, Cavan. This kicks off a whistle stop tour around Ireland, Europe and Northern America for the club. Arizona, Italy, Dublin, Roscommon, Cork, Inis Mór, Belfast, Kilkenny, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, Tipperary and London are all included in the clubs trips for this semester. The club will also be taking part in a series of tournaments and leagues in the Limerick and Tipperary area as well as organising their own events. The Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series, a series of leagues and one-day tournaments, is run by the UL Handball Club and is the only Series run by a club in Ireland.

It was an incredible year for the UL Wolves Handball Club as they established themselves as one of the most successful clubs around the world with a series of dominant displays both nationally and internationally. The club won 58 medals in major Irish competitions and secured another 60 on the world stage across 10 international tournaments. This spectacular success was rewarded with the ‘Club of the Year’ award at the annual UL Clubs & Socs Ball, the first time the club has claimed this award. This was followed by another historic moment for the handball club as a student referendum was passed which will lead to the construction of handball alleys on campus to round off one of the most astonishing years in the handball club’s existence. It was an exciting year for all members of the club and this year promises to be the same.

 

The year started in the surprisingly warm surroundings of University of Calgary, Canada and ended on a surprisingly warm day on the campus of University of Limerick with numerous stops along the way. The last year included trips to Canada, Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, UK, France, USA and Italy for our members as the club strived to expand our international connections. The trips included the World Handball Championships, five European Pro Tour stops, the World Handball Collegiates and several pro tournaments in USA. The trips all included a chance to explore the local areas and an exciting opportunity to try the local versions of handball in the European countries. The trips have also provided a chance to develop personal connections with players around the world with UL Wolves players being invited to local tournaments in Italy, Spain and the national Dutch handball championships following club trips in the past year. The club is planning trips to Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, USA, Italy and Canada over the next year again to further enhance our international connections as well as the local tournaments to which we have been invited.

 

The club also participated in numerous tournaments around Ireland with trips to Galway, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Cavan, Belfast, Dublin, Aran Islands and Achill Island among several others. This provided a great opportunity for our members to see different parts of Ireland and meet students from other colleges and clubs throughout the country. These weekends away provide some excellent opportunities for team bonding between old and new members and establish long-lasting friendships. The club also set up a series of tournaments and leagues for our members to gain experience and develop their skills against other experienced players. The Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series is one of the biggest series of handball tournaments in the world and is a great opportunity for players of all abilities to improve their game. 

The 64th US Collegiates took place in the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis last week. UL Wolves Handball sent a 12 strong wolfpack to battle for titles and they returned with 3 out of 4 Open titles as well as a teams title. Ciana Ni Churraoin claimed her first US Collegiates Open title to extend UL's winning record in the division to 5 years in a row. She also combined with Niamh Dunne to slam and claimed UL's 5th straight Open Doubles title and her second in a row. The women dominated their opponents as all four qualified for the Open division. Niamh Dunne and Deirdre Purcell were unlucky to be seeded to face the two finalists in the quarter-finals, Mahon of Trinity and Ni Churraoin respectively. Natasha Coughlan was defeated in the Open last 16 but bounced back to finish 10th overall. Coughlan/Purcell reached the quarter-final of the Womens Open Doubles before losing in a tiebreaker to a strong American pairing. The Womens team were so dominant that, despite being two players short of a full team they still managed to finish 4th in the Womens Open teams event. The Men's team also had four players qualify for the Open division. Seamus Conneely lost narrowly in the last 16 to eventual runner-up Tyler Stoffel. Niall Bolton produced one of his best displays in recent times as he took the number 1 seed to a tiebreaker in the quarter-final. He displayed some incredible retrieval skills but ran out of steam in the final few aces in the tiebreaker. Colin Corbett and Daniel Relihan faced off in the quarter-final in a battle of two up-and-coming Irish stars. Corbett produced a dominant display to reach the semi-final of the Open. Here he faced the number 1 seed also and once again the game went to a tie-breaker. Unfortunately Corbett also fell short but his display bodes well for the future of UL in the Open division. Gordon Nolan and John Bosco Hurley had impressive wins over the first couple of days to qualify for the A1 and A2 divisions respectively. Unfortunately they both suffered agonising defeats at this stage to opponents who progressed deep within these divisions. Sean McNeill and Evan O'Donnell had mixed fortunes and finished in the B2 and B3 divisions respectively. Colin Corbett/Niall Bolton and Saniel Relihan/Seamus Conneely entered the Mens Open Doubles with high hopes of securing the title. They both progressed to the semi-final stage with impressive wins before facing off against each other. Momentum swung back and forth between the teams until Daniel Relihan took control of the game in the tiebreaker. Relihan/Conneely produced a clinical display in the final to claim the Open title. Nolan/Hurley combined in the A doubles but were forced to retire injured after reaching the semi-final. McNeill/O'Donnell were unfortunate to lose in the quarter-final of the B doubles. The Men's teams finished first in the Open teams division, ending a seven year winning streak of the famed handball college, Lake Forest. UL also became the first Irish college to win this title in over 10 years and only the second Irish college ever. Their strong showin also secured 5th place overall in the Combined Teams event, the best ever finish of an Irish college.

Chairman John Bosco Hurley and Open player Paudi Quish were the leading lights for UL in the 2016 UK Open. John Bosco Hurley had close misses in three tournaments in late 2015 in the C division and was looking to finally take the title and progress to the B division. He blitzed through his first four games and rarely allowed rallys to develop as he ruthlessly killed the ball flat to claim four convincing wins and qualify for the semi-final. Here he faced the equally impressive Jasper Boomsma. It was a tight intense game with both players earning numerous side-outs as well as the odd ace. This continued until the score was 9-8 in Boomsma's favour when a lack of control on Hurley's part handed the win to the Dutchman. Bommsma then went on to claim the title easily and it was another case of near yet so far for Hurley. He returned the next day for doubles and the near miss seemed to further fuel his ruthlessness. He almost single-handedly dominated the games and with the help of excellent serving of Dan Breen from Kilkenny calimed another four dominant wins to reach the final. This time Hurley, in another tight contest, maintained control and held the upper-hand throughout to claim the C doubles title.  Paudi Quish entered the tournament in the Open Doubles and, along with Daniel Kavanagh from Wexford, also enjoyed a perfect record in the group stages. They advanced to the semi-final where they met the number 1 British pairing of Dan Grant and Daniel Tristao. A titanic struggle ensued with rallies comprising several breath-taking shots and lung-bursting retrievals. Unfortunately for the young Irish pairing, experience prevailed as the British players used their repertoire of shots more effectively to claim a narrow win.

UL Wolves travelled to Kingscourt Co. Cavan for the recent 40x20 Singles Intervarsities. With 20 players attending UL was the largest of the fifteen colleges participating in the tournament. It was another successful tournament for the club with several standout performances. Ciana Ni Churraoin maintained UL's recent stranglehold on the Women's Open title with a series of dominant displays. The other UL women were equally dominant as Niamh Dunne defeated Deirdre Purcell in the A final after Dunne eliminated Natasha Coughlan in the semi-final. Mary Buggy also narrowly lost to B champion Kate Moran at the quarter final stage. Michael Hedigan was involved in perhaps the game of the tournament as he defeated his older brother Shane in a tiebreaker 11-10 to reach the Open semi-final. Unfortunately his exertions meant he was extremely fatigued for the semi-final and could not produce the same level of performance as in the quarter-final. Colin Crehan cruised to the semi-final with some impressive pinpoint handball. He pushed Martin Mulkerrins all the way in the semi-final but it was just not his day as he fell to the eventual champion. Crehan had earlier beaten Daniel Relihan in the quarter-final game. Niall Bolton and Colin Corbett are set to face off in the A final. Both players lasted the marathon of the A division and saw off some impressive opposition along the way including Seamus Conneely who Bolton defeated in the semi-final. Liam Bradshaw and John Bosco Hurley were both unlucky to be defeated at the B quarter-final stage. Alex Sheehan also produced some impressive performances to reach the C semi-final where he lost to the eventual champion from Queens. UL players will now prepare for the 64th US Collegiates in Minneapolis which takes at the end of February which sees 12 UL players participate.

It was an eventful and busy semester for the UL Wolves Handball club. It started in the cold climate of Calgary, Canada in August and ended in the cold alley of Ballinahinch, Co. Tipperary with several stops in between. Competitions ranged from small club run tournaments to the World Handball Championships and included the Golden Gloves, two Irish Collegiate Intervarsities, three European One Wall Pro stops and four of our own tournaments. Players got the chance to travel to parts of Kilkenny, Belfast, Wexford, Limerick, Tipperary, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Canada throughout these series of tournaments. It was the busiest semester since the foundation of the club and also the most successful. Fifty medals were claimed across all major tournaments including ten World medals, fourteen European medals and twenty-three Intervarsity medals. This semester promises to be even busier.   The semester starts off with the biggest Intervarsity on the calendar in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan. This kicks off a whistle stop tour around Ireland, Europe and Noerthern America for the club. London, Minneapolis, Northern France, Dublin, Cork, Northern Italy, Inis Mór, Roscommon, Galway, Canada are all included in the clubs trips for this semester. The club will also be running its own series of tournament in Limerick and Tipperary. The Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series is run by the UL Wolves Handball Club and is the only series of tournaments run by a club in Ireland.   The club will also have a series of social outings and fundraising events in the semester. We welcome all levels of ability from beginners to senior players. For further information on the club visit ulhandball.com, UL Wolves Handball Club on facebook or email ulhandball@gmail.com. We hope to see you during the semester.

Division 1 of the Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series Christmas Classic took place in Ballinahinch, Co. Tipperary. The Christmas Classic field included 2015 Munster handballer of the year, Dominick Lynch, All Ireland Intermediate champion, Colin Crehan, All Ireland Junior B Champion, Daniel Relihan, Worlds U17 Doubles Runner-up, Tadhg O'Neill, Worlds Men's B Runner-up Jack O'Shea and Worlds U19 Doubles Runner-up, Colin Corbett. The tope class field produced some exhilarating tight finishes throughout the day. The timed game format saw some intense tit for tat games as well as dominant leads followed by thrilling comebacks with all games producing tight finishes and winning margins of less than four aces.   In group one, Dominick Lynch/Anthony Donnelly were coolness personified in the group stages with two dramatic late surges securing full points and top seed in the smei-finals. Cork and Kerry teamed up in a rare occurence to overcome Clare. Daniel Relihan/Jack O'Shea combined well to control the game against Colin Corbett/Colin Crehan and kept the Clare pairing at arm's length throughout the tussle. The Cork/Kerry combo progressed to the semi-final as third seeds and awaited results from the other group. Group two was also keenly contested as the young pairing of Tadhg O'Neill/David Walsh established early leads in both their games and held off the fight backs to claim the number two seeds in the semi-finals. Michael Hedigan/Liam Bradshaw were almost the opposite of O'Neill/Walsh as they started slowly in their games and then stormed back into contention. They ran out of time in their first game against O'Neill/Walsh but timed it to perfection against Seamus Conneely/Conor Noone to claim a 2 ace win in the final 30 seconds of the game. Hedigan/Bradshaw thus calimed the fourth seed and the final place in the semi-finals.    The first semi-final saw top seeds Lynch/Donnelly face off against Hedigan/Bradshaw. The game started off as a tight affair with aces exchanged until the score was 5-5. Lynch's serves started to prove influential and they slowly built up a lead. Hedigan/Bradshaw slowly stemmed the tide and worked their way back into the match thanks to some impressive retrieving skills. However, Donnelly killed a fantastic dropping ball off the back wall which stopped Hedigan/Bradshaw's growing momentum and secured a spot in the final with a 25-20 win. The next semi-final saw Relihan/O'Shea taking on O'Neill/Walsh. The Cork/Kerry combo produced an extremely clinical display and dominated their opponents to easily advance to the final.   The Open final saw a repeat of the group match as Lynch/Donnelly faced off against Relihan/O'Shea. This game was exactly like their first round game with Relihan/O'Shea. This game was exactly like their first round game with Relihan/O'Shea leading throughout the game. Lynch/Donnelly were struggling to gain aces until a long rally was ended by Donnelly diving full length for a ball and killing it in the left corner. This appeared to inspire the experienced pairing and despite being 5 aces down with two minutes left, Donnelly's serving combined with Lynch's rollouts let them score 8 aces in a row to take the Division 1 title on a 22-19 scoreline.   Division 2 contained some strong pairings also with Worlds U15 champion Tiarnan Agnew lining up with his brother along with multiple All Ireland winners Eamonn Purcell and Paul Dowling. Purcell/Dowling used their extensive experience to cause some upsets as they claimed top spot in the group one with wins over their younger counterparts Agnew/Agnew, O'Brien/Gleeson and Sheehan/Bosco. Agnew/Agnew displayed impressive composure to re-group and finish second in the group following their narrow loss to Purcell/Dowling. Group two was dominated by the juvenile players as O'Diollúin/O'Cualáin and Walsh/O'Rourke dominated their older opponents (Dillon/Flatherty and Agnew/Bosco) with their boundless energy and secured first and second in the group respectively.   Purcell/Dowling and Agnew/Agnew dominated the semi-finals as they held off the challenges of Walsh/O'Rourke and O'Diollúin/O'Cualáin respectively. Both pairings built up early leads and clinically gained a few aces on every serve to maintain their lead and set up another re-match of the first round group game. Agnew/Agnew were in no mood for another upset and started like a fresh big alley ball full of energy. They produced a controlled high octane performance which could not be matched by the tiring Purcell/Dowling. Purcell/Dowling battled for aces but fell 15-8 in the first game. They struggled to gain a foothold in the second game and Agnew/Agnew were in an unaccomodating mood and ended the final with a breath-taking 38 foot rollout kill from Tiarnan on a 15-5 scoreline.   Many thanks to all those who participated and helped out in the tournament and made it an enjoyable day. The Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series continues in the New Year with more exciting developments to come.

UL players returned to European ProTour action at the start of November as they travelled to Belgium and Netherlands. The Belgian Open took place in the Hainaut province on the French border  with a strong Gallic atmosphere felt throughout the weekend. Paudi Quish opened the UL account but was unfortunate to be drawn in a tough group in the Open. He fell fighting and was involved in three tough encounters but ultimately was short in his attempt to secure a first Open title on the tour. Shane Walsh, Kevin Mulligan and John Bosco Hurley got off to rocky starts in the C singles but progressed from their groups and enjoyed convincing wins in the last 16 to progress to the quarter-finals. Walsh and Hurley came unstuck at this stage and Mulligan was the last representative in the singles. Unfortunately, he came up against the champion elect in the semi-final and ended two acesshort following a determined performance. House-mates Mulligan and Hurley combined for the C doubles as Walsh teamed up with a local Belgian in the B grade. Both pairings showed vast potential and dominated the group stages. Mulligan/Hurley even manged to move up another level in the knockout stages and marched to the semi-final. At this stage they appeared to lose form and narrowly fell to a Belgian pairing in a narrow 13-11 loss. Walsh enjoyed an identical path through the tournament with early good form failing to be replicated at the semi-final stage. Despite failing to secure silverware it was an enjoyable and successful trip for the club and the players gained significant experience for future tournaments.   The following weekend provided the first chance to use this experience as the Dutch Open took place in the northern stronghold of Dutch handball, Franeker. Minor injuries interrupted the players preperations and it was left to John Bosco Hurley and Shane Walsh to fly the UL flag. They started off well as they both secured top spots in their groups. Hurley took little time in storming to an 11-4 quarter-final victory with an outstanding display of serving. Walsh was unable to match Hurley's achievement and fell to the ever impressive Belgian players. Hurley managed to gain revenge for the club although it initially looked unlikely as he fell 7-0 behind. He regrouped and steadily worked his way into the game to claim a deserved 13-8 victory. Hurley faced a local Dutch player in the final and once again fell behind early. Unfortunately, he was unable to recover this time and has to settle for a silver medal. The performance secured further rankings points and Hurley now climbs to 48th in the European rankings. He returned to the courts the next day to join a French player in the C doubles. Despite never playing together, they formed an impressive partnership and once again marched through the rounds. However, for the third successive tournament, Hurley was knocked out at the semi-final stage and ended up in third place. In a tight battlle Hurley and his partner failed to outfox their more clever opponents and lost to the eventual champions on a 13-10 scoreline. it marked the end of the 2015 European ProTour and a successful run of seven medals in three tournaments in Spain, Belgium and Netherlands since October for the club. With trips to England and France on the horizon in February it promises to be a fruitful period for the club.

On October 9th, 10 UL students made the trip from the wintery conditions in Limerick to the sun soaked streets of Massamagrell, Valencia to compete in the Spanish One Wall ProTour Open. They joined another 90 players from seven countries in a festival of outdoor handball. In the Men’s C singles, 8 UL players competed in the group stage. Six of these managed to progress to the quarter-finals but Bill Lyons and Martin Kennedy were unlucky not to get out of their respective groups. The doubles partnership of Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan were the first to meet in the singles quarter final. Hedigan proved to be in sharp form as he beat Relihan in convincing fashion. John Bosco Hurley then met Colin Corbett in the next quarter final. On paper, you would expect Corbett to pull through this test. However, this was not the case with Hurley’s supreme serving and unpredictable angle shots simply too much for Corbett to adapt to, despite conceding a big lead early on. Gordon Nolan emerged victorious in his quarter final against Liam Bradshaw with Bradshaw’s unorthodox tapping style unable to do the trick against Nolan in this game. Hedigan then had to play one of the Massamagrell locals in the semi-final. The UL man simply had too much in the tank for the local competitor and advanced into the C final easily. Nolan and Hurley faced off in the other semi-final. Hurley couldn’t find his form from the quarter final in this game, however, and Nolan’s outstanding kill shots were too much for Hurley to cope with. This win made it an all UL singles final between Hedigan and Nolan. Nolan had got off to a great start in the final with some early aces. However, you could see the fatigue come through as the game progressed to the latter. Hedigan’s ever reaching claw made it frustrating for Nolan to break him down. His kill shots were being picked and his pass shots were being retrieved by Hedigan. Hedigan took his chances at the right times and eventually emerged victorious with the score ending 15-7. Colin Crehan was competing in the Men’s B grade in singles. Crehan was placed in a difficult group as he was unable to get out of it. Despite winning 2 matches, and playing fine handball, the UL man didn’t proceed any further in the singles. Niall Bolton was unlucky as he had to withdraw from the competition with an injury. In the Men’s C doubles, UL came close to claiming the gold with Relihan and Hedigan just missing out on the top spot in the group on points difference to an experienced Dutch pairing. Bradshaw and Hurley came third in the group with Kennedy and Lyons close behind in fourth. In the Men’s B doubles, Nolan partnered Crehan and made it to the final after some incredible handball from the pairing. Nolan displayed great athleticism retrieving several balls with Crehan producing several astonishing kills. They defeated a Spanish pairing and a Dutch partnership in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively before facing another Spanish pairing in the final. Nolan appeared decidedly fatigued in the final, failing to produce his earlier retrieval skills and the Spanish partnership picking some of Crehan’s kills to defeat the UL pair on a scoreline of 21-12.   It was an unforgettable trip for the 10 players and they all immensely enjoyed the tournament. Following the event UL now has four players on the European rankings; Paudi Quish (28th), Michael Hedigan (38th), Gordon Nolan (43rd) and John Bosco Hurley (59th). With two events coming up in November it is certain these rankings will be improved on with even more UL players set to feature.

The second event of the Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series was held in the 3 wall handball courts in An Mhodhscoil, Limerick City in the middle of August. The event was even bigger than the first in the Series with juvenile grades added to give even more handballers the rare chance to play 3 wall handball in Ireland. Division 1 was packed with several rising stars in big alley handball with Paudi Quish, Galen Riordan, Michael Hedigan and Keith Armstrong facing off in the semi-finals. Quish and Armstrong produced a tense battle in the first semi-final before Quish’s experience allowed him to overcome the young Wexford star. In the battle of retrievers, Riordan’s superior fitness overcame Hedigan, who is returning to handball after injury. Riordan sprang out of the traps in the final, opening a 6-0 lead before Quish settled into the game. The pair produced several enthralling rallies but Riordan’s shot selection and execution belied a player taking to the 3 wall court for the first time. It allowed Riordan to hold Quish at arm’s length and claim the title with a 21-14 win. John Bosco Hurley and James Prentice entered the Division 2 final after producing impressive performances against the top seeds in the group stages. However, Prentice’s precise serves unsettled Hurley and he opened up a commanding lead in the final. Hurley looked tired and was unable to replicate his earlier performances and was defeated on a 17-6 score line by the Ballina player. Shane Dunne and Eimhin Dillon replayed their group game in the Division 3 final. Dunne was in imperious form throughout the day and his power and killing were the envy of many of the spectators at the event. Dillon played some good handball but could not outfox Dunne and was undone on a 17-13 score line. The U15 grade produced some of the most enthralling handball of the event. Cian O’Driscoll produced several measured performances to advance to the final with local player Jack O’Brien battling to progress from the group stages also. O’Driscoll controlled the court and capitalised on any mistake made by O’Brien in a convincing 17-10 win. O’Brien simply could not match the flawless handball produced by the Mallow player but can be proud of his performance in reaching the final. The Prentice and Dunne siblings entered the U13 final hoping to make it a clean sweep of wins for their families on the day. It was the Dunne family who went home happier after claiming the U13 title with another convincing win. Dunne produced several energy filled performances to outlast his opponents and Prentice could not match this dynamism despite displaying some excellent ball control in the final.   We would like to thank our sponsors Edtl Handball and Pat Whelans Butchers, Hospital and An Mhodhscoil for opening their 3 wall courts for the tournament. The next event in the Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series is the 60x30 Doubles tournament with further details released at a later date.

The World Handball Championships took place in the magestic surroundings of the Rocky Mountains in Calgary, Canada. Seven UL members travelled to the tournament determined to maintain UL's recent dominance in the handball scene. Two gold medals and five silver medals were secured in an incredible tournament for the club, with four of those medals secured in the Open divisions.   Catriona Casey has been one of the dominant forces in Womens Handball in the last four years and her rivalry with Aisling Reilly has been one of the most tense in the sport in the last decade. The rivalry was renewed in the Open Singles and Doubles finals with an added twist that Casey faced her UL team-mate Martina McMahon in the Doubles final. Unfortunately for Casey she could not produce the astonishing handball with which she is synonymous and finished the Worlds with two silver medals. Martina secured her first World gold medal as she and Aisling Reilly, the official Irish Doubles team, formed a powerful partnership and dominated all their opponents throughout the campaign. Killian Carroll has threatened to make a breakthrough in the Open ranks in recent years and produced some of the best handball in his career so far to reach the World final. Unfortunately, he came up against the most dominant player in the modern era in the final and could not prevail. It was undoubtedly an impressive tournament for the young handballer as he overcame several illustrious opponents in the earlier rounds in a series of dazzling displays. Ciana Ni Churraoin, the Irish U19 representative, is an exciting prospect in handball and underlined her future potential with a gold medal in the Womens A Singles. Ciana used her deft ambidextrous abilities to out-manouever her opponents in a series of imperious performances. She will hope to build on this performance and challenge her UL clubmates in the Open grade in the coming years. Colin Corbett, the second Irish U19 representative, was hoping to add more World titles to his collection and bolster his growing reputation. A gifted hurler, Corbett decided to concentrate on handball this year and the decision was nearly inspired as he reached the finals of the U19 Doubles. He faced the in-form Johnny Woods in the final and a titanic battle ensued with Corbett produced some breathtaking shots but was unable to outfox Woods and earned a silver medal. Colin Crehan has been in a rich vein of form in recent times with a fairyale run in a pro stop in New York earlier this year. He looked to continue this form in the U23 division and he quickly progressed to the final. Another skilful hurler, Crehan played some exceptionally measured handball which almost confounded Martin Mulkerrins in the final. Only Mulkerrins incredible retrieval skills allowed him to overcome Crehan as another silver medal was won for the UL club. Danny Riordan was the last UL player and he travelled with high hopes and a deep well of experience. His boundless energy and ability to return almost every ball to the wall made him a difficult opponent and he secured several prominent victories. However, he fell just short of securing a medal in a tough division. It was an incredibly successful tournament for UL and the club now looks forward to another year and hopes of further titles.

The first competitive 3 wall tournament in Ireland recently took place in An Mhodhscoil, Limerick City which drew players from the four provinces of the country. Players were excited at the unique chance to try their hand at what is traditionally seen as an American version of the game. Most Irish players only get the chance to play 3 wall handball when they visit the US and rarely get the chance to play handball outdoors in Ireland either. The event therefore offered players a variety of new experiences and there was widespread excitement leading up to the event. The outdoor courts added to the excitement as several bypassers entered the school during the event to watch the thrilling games unfolding on a rare day when the Irish weather also decided to shine. The tournament employed a group format to ensure all teams had the chance to play several games in the 3 wall courts. Division 1 was filled with talent including U17 One Wall National Champion Tadhg O Neill, EDTL Handball star Fergal Coughlan, current U21 60x30 champion Paudi Quish and U21 60x30 doubles champions Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan. The high quality field produced some exhilarating handball and following numerous tense hard fought games three teams finished on equal points as they all suffered a defeat. Fergal Coughlan Jnr and Tadhg O Neill were dominant during the group stage and topped the group after racking up some high scores despite losing to Paudi Quish and Michael Whelan. Fergal Coughlan Snr and Ken O Neill produced some clever performances to overcome some more youthful opponents but were outfoxed by their sons in the group stage. Heading into their final game Coughlan Snr and O Neill had to win by 13 aces to improve their scoring difference enough to overtake Quish and Whelan in 2nd place in the group. A tense game followed but the experienced duo could not secure enough aces and missed out on a final spot by 4 aces. Quish/Whelan and Coughlan Jnr/O Neill went tit for tat in the early part of the final with several changes of serve and numerous 10+ shot rallies as aces were hard to come by. Quish/Whelan slowly imposed themselves on the game with Quishs lightning quick reactions and a readiness to adapt their tactics and took the first game 15-12. Quish/Whelan flew out of the blocks in the second game to build up a 5-0 lead thanks to some impressive kills from Whelan and although Coughlan Jnr/O Neill made a fightback it was not enough as they fell 15-8. Division 2 appeared to be similarly tight with several equally balanced teams taking to the court. However, the Northern pairing of Brian Reilly and Peter Harte adapted to the 3 wall courts the quickest and claimed top spot in the group stage with four convincing wins. Three teams battled for the 2nd spot with Mike and Eimhin Dillon eventually confirming their spot in the final as they narrowly pipped Donal and Brid Horgan in their game. The final was a see-saw affair with Eimhin Dillon laying claim to the MVP title in the first game with several astounding kills in a 15-6 win. However, the father-son combination could not match Reillys power in the second game and lost 15-12 to send the game to a tiebreaker. All four players increased the intensity in the final game and every rally was ended only with an astounding kill shot or re-kill. Eimhin rediscovered his first game form and this, paired with Mikes athleticism slowly wrestled the advantage back from Reilly/Harte and the Dillon family claimed the Division 2 title with a 11-6 tiebreaker win. Many thanks to everyone who attended the tournament and helped with organising and running the event.  Thanks to EDTL handball for sponsoring the handballs for the tournament and An Mhodhscoil for allowing us to use their fantastic facilities for the tournament. It was a great day with all players immensely enjoying the inaugural 3 wall tournament in the Limerick venue.   The Limerick Metropolitan Handball Series was also unveiled at the tournament. The Series consists of several tournaments across all codes of handball including 60x30, 40x20, 3 wall and 1 wall with singles, doubles and team events taking place throughout the year. The next event in the Series takes place on 15th August with the 3 wall Singles tournament.

A new look UL Handball club travelled to Portland as five fresher’s joined two veterans on the clubs annual trip to the US Collegiates. The idyllic and serene surroundings of Portland, Oregon were at odds with the fierce intensity of competition in the handball alleys of Multnomah Athletic Club as players flung their bodies around the courts in the hope of securing a hugely coveted title. Catriona Casey never let an opponent establish themselves in the game using her unwavering accuracy to crush her opponents and not conceding more than 5 aces in a game until the final. Ciana Ni Churraoin was equally in a miserly mood as she dominated opponents with her relentless power and demonstrated immense promise for the future as she set up an all UL final against Casey. The teammates served up a tense match as Ni Churraoin power competed with Casey’s accuracy. However, with the sign of a true champion Casey showed immense composure and methodically earned aces with every turn in serve to claim her fourth Singles title in a row. Casey and Ni Churraoin then combined to claim the Doubles title and complete Casey’s slam of four Singles and Doubles titles in a row. With four debutants in their ranks, it looked like it would be a tough tournament for the UL men. However, early wins saw them rise through the divisions and secure a Division 1 finish for all players. Doubles partners Michael Hedigan and Daniel Relihan finished 10th and 11th respectively as they surprised opponents with some athletic picking from Hedigan and astonishing shooting from Relihan. Hedigan and Relihan combined in the Open doubles and had some eye-catching wins in the early rounds before they came up against the reigning champions from Lake Forest. The crowd was in disbelief at the quality of handball and a thriller ensued but an occasional lack of precision and inexperience cost the UL players as they just fell short against the more experienced pairing. Darragh Mulkerrins displayed an immense amount of natural handball ability as he won first three games to advance to the quarter-finals of Division 1A. Mulkerrins produced several unorthodox shots when caught in a tricky situation which wrong-footed his opponents and allowed him to recover numerous seemingly unwinnable rallies but encountered a powerhouse in the quarter-final he couldn’t outfox. Liam Bradshaw and John Bosco Hurley both had unexpected wins in the early rounds and were close to breaking into Division 1B with more surprising wins but fell just short. Hurley displayed enormous power despite his small stature, defeating some fancied opponents and was unlucky to lose his quarter-final in Division 1C. Bradshaw gained some measure of revenge for UL as he defeated Hurley’s opponent in the semi-final. Bradshaw put in some assured performances and rarely missed a shot to reach the final. Unfortunately an injury sustained during the campaign hampered his chances and he could not overcome his opponent in the final. Hurley and Bradshaw combined in the B doubles and a good understanding resulted in comprehensive wins in the early rounds. However, injury hampered Bradshaw in the quarter-final and the pair were narrowly defeated by the eventual champions. It was a successful campaign for the club with excellent performances from all players. UL finished 7th in the Mens teams despite being two players short and finished 11th in the Overall teams. The club proved it can mix it with the best and currently has some of the best players in collegiate handball.

UL handball club has gone from strength to strength over the past year with some incredible performances and over the last weekend of January there was no difference. Heavy snow and icy conditions could not prevent some exceptional performances from UL players over a gruelling weekend of handball in Kingscourt at the All Ireland Collegiate championships. All players exhibited some great skills and at the end of the weekend four gold medals and two silver medals were secured. Catriona Casey won her fourth Womens Open title in a row as she defeated her clubmate Martina McMahon in the final. Catriona's impeccable speed and agility proved too high a hurdle for McMahon in the end as she cruised to glory. Casey has had an amazing collegiate career as she remains undefeated in all competitions and won every title available. McMahon provided stiff opposition for Casey and will now hope to build on some solid performances in the tournament and claim the Open title next year. However, McMahon will again face tough opposition from her own college team-mates next year as Ciana NiChurraoin claimed the A title in her first singles intervarsities. Ciana has really impressed over the past year and has made an incredible come back after a year out of the game due to illness. Ciana outwitted her opponents as she displayed little weakness, hitting the ball confidently with both hands and we look forward to seeing more of her over the coming season. Michael Hedigan mirrored Ciana’s performance as he also won the Men's A title in his first singles intervarsities. The Cork man was unstoppable over the weekend as his long reach and pin point accuracy with retrievals helped secure the title. Opponents became increasingly frustrated as Hedigan repeatedly retrieved seemingly dead balls and wore them down to claim the title. John 'Bosco' Hurley was narrowly defeated in the C final. Hurley played some fantastic handball over the course of the weekend and had several surprise wins over the weekend. However, the tough games took their toll as fatigue overcame Hurley and could not spring another surprise in the final. Bill Lyons won his second Contender title in a row as he played some solid handball once again. Lyons will hope to build on these wins and make a step up in the next year. All players had some great performances over the weekend and reinforced UL’s position as the most dominant college at present. The club looks forward to more success in the future and continuing its fine vein of form in recent times.

Catriona Casey of Cork was in stunning form throughout this year's Collegiate campaign and she hoped to maintain this form in the USHA National Collegiate Championships over the past week. That she did. Fresh from claiming the Open Doubles title together Catriona Casey and Ciana Ni Churraoin faced off in the Women's Open Singles final. It was a tough match as friendship was temporarily suspended and Catriona Casey emerged victorious after a thrilling match. Catriona became only the third person in the history of our game to claim four singles and doubles Open titles in a row. Well done to Catriona!! Michael Hedigan entered the Open 9-16 split final. He displayed some great picking skills and pushed Minnesota's Tyler Stoffel all the way but unfortunately the volume of matches took its toll and Michael was defeated narrowly. Liam Bradshaw struggled with injury throughout the tournament and although he showed great heart to push through and reach the final of Div. 1C he couldn't play to his full potential and fell short in the final against Lake Forest's Max Roberts. All players had a great tournament and displayed some great skills. UL players all finished in Div. 1 of the singles and also progressed deep in the doubles grades. It was another great trip for the club with more great wins. This wraps up an extremely successful year in Collegiates for UL Handball and attention now turns back to championship. No doubt there will be more wins for UL players

On the weekend of the 21st of November UL Wolves Handball Club travelled to St. Josephs Handball Club in Wexford to take part in the 40x20 All Ireland doubles intervarsity's finals. Twelve players made the trek and they did not disappoint the large crowd as some silky skills were on display. Current Women's Senior Connacht champion Ciana Ní Churraoin teamed up with Lisa Loughnane of Clare in the Women's Open doubles event. They faced stiff opposition from DCU's Aishling O Keeffe and Clodagh Mac Mahon. The UL pair stormed into an early lead of 9-1 but the DCU girls weren't long finding their feet and brought it back to 16-16. Both teams then traded numerous serves without a single ace as scores were hard to come by in the tense surroundings, before game one eventually went to UL on a 21-20 scoreline. The intensity of the first game appeared to have taken its toll on the DCU pairing as Ciana and Lisa superior fitness and skills helped them take the gold medal in two straight to become the first ever Women's Open doubles champions. In the Men's Open doubles, UL was strongly represented by four of Munster's finest 40x20 players. Colin Crehan and Barry McMahon of Clare made up a formidable pairing with Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan of Cork presenting an equally difficult tie for any team in the draw. Both pairings had comfortable wins in their opening rounds as Clare’s sharp shooting and Cork’s telepathic understanding helped them overcome their opponents. However, both pairings were unfortunate to lose out on a place in the final as they were defeated by UCD and DCU respectively in two thrilling and closely fought semi-finals which left the crowd breathless. In the Men's A Paudi Quish and Ciana Ní Churraoin teamed up and reached the final only to fall at the last hurdle to GMIT. Ciana displayed some immense fitness over the weekend competing on two fronts and showed some equally impressive killing skills to compliment Paudi’s incredible ability to pick almost any ball as they marched into the final. Both players will hope to build on this result and return next year to claim the title. Similarly in the Men's B final, John 'Bosco' Hurley teamed up with Liam Bradshaw and played Waterford in a closely fought final but unfortunately they were also narrowly defeated. The pairing will hope to improve their fortunes as they will seek to retain the US Collegaites B Doubles title for UL in Portland in February. In the Men's C final the UL pair of Bill Lyons and Sean McNeill claimed the title of champions for 2015. They dominated all opponents and will hope to outstrip Bradshaw and Hurley and win the B doubles next year. The next tournament on the club's list of events takes place on the first weekend of February when they travel to Kingscourt Co. Cavan for the annual 40x20 All Ireland Intervarsity singles event. Watch this space as the club seeks to add more silverware to its bulging cabinet.

On the weekend of the 21st of November UL Wolves Handball Club travelled to St. Josephs Handball Club in Wexford to take part in the 40x20 All Ireland doubles intervarsity's finals. Twelve players made the trek and they did not disappoint the large crowd as some silky skills were on display. Current Women's Senior Connacht champion Ciana Ní Churraoin teamed up with Lisa Loughnane of Clare in the Women's Open doubles event. They faced stiff opposition from DCU's Aishling O Keeffe and Clodagh Mac Mahon. The UL pair stormed into an early lead of 9-1 but the DCU girls weren't long finding their feet and brought it back to 16-16. Both teams then traded numerous serves without a single ace as scores were hard to come by in the tense surroundings, before game one eventually went to UL on a 21-20 scoreline. The intensity of the first game appeared to have taken its toll on the DCU pairing as Ciana and Lisa superior fitness and skills helped them take the gold medal in two straight to become the first ever Women's Open doubles champions. In the Men's Open doubles, UL was strongly represented by four of Munster's finest 40x20 players. Colin Crehan and Barry McMahon of Clare made up a formidable pairing with Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan of Cork presenting an equally difficult tie for any team in the draw. Both pairings had comfortable wins in their opening rounds as Clare’s sharp shooting and Cork’s telepathic understanding helped them overcome their opponents. However, both pairings were unfortunate to lose out on a place in the final as they were defeated by UCD and DCU respectively in two thrilling and closely fought semi-finals which left the crowd breathless. In the Men's A Paudi Quish and Ciana Ní Churraoin teamed up and reached the final only to fall at the last hurdle to GMIT. Ciana displayed some immense fitness over the weekend competing on two fronts and showed some equally impressive killing skills to compliment Paudi’s incredible ability to pick almost any ball as they marched into the final. Both players will hope to build on this result and return next year to claim the title. Similarly in the Men's B final, John 'Bosco' Hurley teamed up with Liam Bradshaw and played Waterford in a closely fought final but unfortunately they were also narrowly defeated. The pairing will hope to improve their fortunes as they will seek to retain the US Collegaites B Doubles title for UL in Portland in February. In the Men's C final the UL pair of Bill Lyons and Sean McNeill claimed the title of champions for 2015. They dominated all opponents and will hope to outstrip Bradshaw and Hurley and win the B doubles next year. The next tournament on the club's list of events takes place on the first weekend of February when they travel to Kingscourt Co. Cavan for the annual 40x20 All Ireland Intervarsity singles event. Watch this space as the club seeks to add more silverware to its bulging cabinet.

Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the fortunes of the UL Wolves handball club. The club has developed from being perennial runners-up into the most successful club on the college circuit. This trend has continued into the 2014/15 season as UL handballers dominated the opening two tournaments of the college handball season. The opening tournament of the year took place in the idyllic surroundings of Co. Kilkenny. UL claimed all of the Men’s titles in the tournament as other colleges simply could not match the skill and energy of the UL players. The A and B teams decimated their opponents and won all of their games convincingly to claim both teams’ titles available. The A team, with a menacing line-up of Paudi Quish, Michael Hedigan, Daniel Relihan and Peter Flanagan, overpowered all their challengers to claim the 60x30 A teams title for the first time. The B team was not to be outdone and stringed together some equally impressive performances to dispose of all their opponents. Liam Bradshaw, Alex Sheehan, John Hurley and Cathal McNamee will aim to dethrone their college team mates as they compete in the A teams next year. UL players had a gruelling schedule over the weekend as many progressed to the late stages of the singles divisions also. Three out of four semi-finalists in the Open division came from UL with Paudi Quish emerging from the group to claim the Open title as he displayed immense precision and power to defeat his teammates. Peter Flanagan recovered from an early set back to claim the A title as he used his vast experience to control the tempo of his games in a very tight division. Martin Kennedy was the surprise package of the weekend as he displayed incredible power to win the B title and wrap up a record breaking weekend for the club. UL travelled to Wexford for the first colleges doubles tournament with high hopes of securing more titles and were not disappointed. A last minute entry turned out the most fruitful as Ciana Ní Churraoin and Lisa Loughnane combined to win the Women’s A title. The crowd was in awe as momentum ebbed and flowed in the final against DCU until Ciana’s shooting skills and Lisa’s athletic picks eventually wore down their opponents. UL had two teams reach the semi-finals of the Men’s A division but unfortunately they fell short and could not match their female counterparts. Liam Bradshaw and John Hurley marched to the B final with several convincing wins but came undone against a strong pairing from WIT in the final. The UL pairing could not deal with the accuracy of their opponents but the young pairing displayed immense potential to develop into a fruitful partnership. Sean McNeill and Bill Lyons rounded off another remarkable weekend for UL as they won the C title in convincing fashion. They overcame Carlow in an exciting final and will join Bradshaw and Hurley in the B division next year. The club will hope to claim even more titles as they travel to Cavan and Portland, Oregan for the final colleges tournaments of the year. Members of the club will also travel to Italy in March as a warm-up tournament for the World Handball championships being held in Calgary in August. The club also hopes to host a 40x20 singles tournament and Ireland’s first 3 wall tournament this semester in what promises to be a busy and exciting period for the club. If you want to join the club contact us at ulhandball@gmail.com or visit us on facebook at UL handball club.

Last weekend saw the parting shots of the Softball season played out in front of capacity crowds in Kilkenny as the Irish Collegiate Handball Association hosted their annual 60X30 All Ireland series. Twelve players travelled from UL handball club and took the competition by storm by capturing five out of six of the Men's events. Starting with the Men's Open event where a record number of UL players battled it out over the course of the weekend with some of Ireland's finest handballers. Competing for the first time Cork natives Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan did not take much time in adjusting to this high level with emphatic wins in their first games. They quickly moved up through the rankings and reached the semi final stages where another UL player, Paudi Quish, awaited. Both players had previously played in the 2014 60x30 Munster U21 final with Quish coming out on top. Hedigan did his best to prevent this happening again with some incredible rallies and kill shots however Quish powered his way through on a 21-10 21-10 score line. In the other semi final Relihan faced Michael Hedigan's older brother Shane. This game turned out to be a three game thriller as both players were eager to reach that final place. Some nail biting rallies and breathtaking passing shots ensured that Shane Hedigan advance into the final with a 21-19 4-21 11-6 win. The final was described by an audience member as an 'exhibition' of softball handball as Quish cruised to a 21-4 21-4 win making this the first time that a UL handball player has won the Men's Open Singles title. Quish, Relihan and Michael Hedigan then teamed up with Peter Flanagan to form the UL A team. They quickly dismantled previous champions Waterford Institute of Technology on a 60-11 score line and moved into the final to play UCD. Relihan and Hedigan entered the court first and showed some great heart and determination to give the team a four point lead. Quish then added to this with a comfortable win to give the team a 25 point lead leaving Flanagan to finish the event. Another historic moment for our club as this, again, was the first time that a UL open team won out the event. The A final was contested by UL's Peter Flanagan and DCU's Corey Fay. Peter, an old-hand at the game of handball, but a new face on the intervarsity stage, cruised to a 12-2 start with a mixture of accurate serving and intelligent passes which Corey couldn't seem to interpret. Corey quickly changed his game and clawed his way back to an astounding 16-12 lead. However Peter found his feet again and closed out the first game on a 21-17 scoreline. The UL man burst out of the traps for the second game and built up a comfortable lead. Corey showed flashes of what had gotten him to the final stage of the competition, but was unable to threaten Peter's position as he had in the first. Peter closed out the game to win on a score of 21-4. Other players who represented UL in the Men's A grade included Liam Bradshaw and Alex Sheehan who were unfortunate not to advance to the finals by meeting stiff opposition. In the Men's B UL was again proudly represented by Martin Kennedy who took the title from UCC's PJ O Brien in emphatic. Other UL players who reached the semi finals of the B grade include John Hurley, Cathal McNamee, Rob O Hara and Conor Quinlan who were defeated in the quarter finals. UL's B team, which featured John Hurley, Alex Sheehan, Cathal McNamee and Liam Bradshaw, also went one step further than last year, by besting DIT at the final hurdle. The team were in stunning form all weekend and winning the event was just rewards. That wrapped up the proceedings, and brought the curtain down on another 60x30 season. UL Handball Club would like to congratulate all those who successfully represented our club and aided us in making club history which, hopefully, will be broken again in the future. Next up on our calendar of events is the 40x20 Teams event in Wexford. Watch this space.

2013/14 was beyond doubt one of the most successful years in the handball club’s history. UL finished the year with runners-up in the 60x30 Teams A and B divisions, Winners and runners-up in the 40x20 Teams A and B divisions, several singles titles across all divisions in 60x30 and 40x20. It was therefore with great optimism that during the month of February fourteen members of UL Handball Club made the long trek to North Carolina State University, USA for the USHA National Collegiate Championships 2014. This is a record number for the Irish team not only for the amount of players but also for the number of victories. UL Handball Club had several exceptional performances from all players and returned with second place in the Men's Open Teams, sixth place in the Overall Open Teams, the Women's Open Singles and Doubles gold medals, the Men’s A Singles gold medal, Men’s B Doubles gold medals and silver medals in the Men's Open Doubles. The trip was an extremely successful one for our club and we hope to add further titles in the coming year when we travel to Portland Oregon for next year’s Collegiates. UL’s handballers did not rest on their laurels following the trip and returned to training to prepare for a gruelling summer of handball. Numerous trophies were claimed by UL players encompassing local club tournaments to All Ireland championships. The prestigious tournament of the summer took place in the 30 degrees heat of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Four pale-skinned Irish handballers struggled to adapt to the heat but once the US Nationals kicked off Killian Carroll, John Bosco Hurley, Catriona Casey and Martina McMahon produced some exhilarating handball. Killian Carroll and John Bosco Hurley overcame several experienced players to reach the semi-finals of the Men’s Open and Men’s C respectively. However, the women overshadowed the men once again. Catriona Casey awed the crowds with pinpoint precision handball to overwhelm all opponents and claim the Women’s Open title. She then combined with Martina McMahon in devastating fashion as they refused to concede more than ten points in a game to capture the Women’s Doubles title. Martina McMahon used her unorthodox style to follow-up the doubles win with a 5th place finish in the Women’s Open. The team then returned to Ireland, slightly sunburnt, to compete in the Irish One Wall Nationals. For the first time in a number of years, five UL handball players were present at the Irish One Wall Nationals in the majestic surroundings of Breaffy House, Castlebar. Those include Paudi Quish, Conor Quinlan, John Bosco Hurley, Stephen McNicholas and Martina McMahon. Following intense training on every players behalf, hopes were high going into the tournament with Martina competing in the Women's Open grade, Paudi in the U19, and John, Conor and Stephen in the Men's C division. During the tournament our players definitely turned a few heads with four out of the five reaching at least the quarter final stages. However, the highlight of the tournament was undoubtedly Martina McMahon, as she displayed some immense retrieving skills to restle the crown from One Wall Queen, Lorraine Havern, in an intense final. Martina overcame a stuttering start to overpower her opponent and claim an 11-6 tiebreaker victory to take her first Women's Open Title. Players will return to college in September to prepare for upcoming intervarsities. The club will be travelling to places such as Kilkenny, Wexford, Cavan, Dublin, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway, Antrim, Oregon, Los Angeles, Calgary, Italy and Belgium in the coming year for tournaments. Training will take place in the PESS building Monday’s 7-815pm and Thursday’s 8-1030pm. Membership is ¤5.

It's been a busy summer for the handballers. Catriona Casey has claimed the inaugural Women's pro handball tour in the US and followed this up with a win in the US Nationals Women's Open Singles and combined with fellow handball player Martina McMahon to claim the Doubles. Catriona then spent 5 weeks coaching handball in Tucson, Arizona. Martina McMahon also finished 5th in the US nationals before returning to Ireland to upset the favourites and win the Women's Open One Wall Nationals. Killian Carroll won the Boston Open and the Canadian Nationals Men's Open titles and reached the semi-final of the US Nationals. John Hurley reached the semi-finals of the Men's C in the US Nationals, played some 3-wall and 1-wall handball in Chicago and New York and returned to Ireland and put up a strong performance in the One Wall Nationals. Paudi Quish, Conor Quinlan and Stephen McNicholas all performed exceptionally at the One Wall Nationals also. Finally Paudi Quish, Martina McMahon and Catriona Casey now enter the race for the Senior 60x30 Singles and Doubles titles