The 2024 World Four-Wall Handball Championships took place recently across Ireland, including two venues in Laois – St Brigid’s Monavea and Cullohill Handball Club.
Close to 1700 competitors from Ireland, Europe, USA, Canada and Mexico took part.
These World Handball Championships are a triennial event traditionally hosted in rotation by Ireland, the United States and Canada and represent the pinnacle of the sport.
These championships proved hugely successful for Laois GAA Handball with Plate titles won by handballers from all three clubs in the county.
The first Plate title captured by Laois was in the Men’s ‘B’ Doubles where Andrew Dowling and Tómas Lennon recorded a marvellous victory.
The St Brigid’s Monavea pairing were 21-12 winners in a highly entertaining semi-final contest against Anthony Crotty (Ballyporeen) and Christy McGrath (Carrick-on-Fergus) to reach the World Handball Championships Men’s ‘B’ Plate Final.
Coolgreany Handball Club played host to the final with a huge crowd in attendance for the eagerly anticipated encounter that pitted the Laois pairing against JP O’Connor (Hospital) and Cían Ó’Dálaigh (Na Fianna).
As expected, the final proved a close and exciting affair with Dowling and Lennon having to dig deep to secure a hard fought 21-17 victory.
This victory secured a second World Handball Plate Title for Laois, with the Monavea pair having already won the Plate competition at the World Wallball Championships this summer in Limerick.
Further Laois success was soon to follow with Cullohill handballers Ollie Delaney and Orla Brophy winning their respective World Handball Championships Plate finals.
In the Boys U-15 ‘B’ competition, Ollie Delaney produced a number of outstanding performances to progress through the competition.
In the final, Delaney showcased immense skill, determination and composure to defeat the talented Ethan O’Rawe (St Gall’s) in a gripping game, 21-19.
In one of the best games of championships, Orla Brophy won by the narrowest of margins, just edging out Wexford’s Boo Murphy 21-20 after a titanic struggle to capture the Girls U-17 Plate title.
In the doubles competition, Brophy partnered with Mia O’Connell from Kells, with the duo reaching the quarter-finals of the Girls U-17 Cup competition.
2024 has been a very successful year for the talented Cullohill handballer and her Plate victory highlights once again her potential to compete with the very best over the next number of years.
A further Plate title was achieved when Kevin Brennan of Clough-Ballacolla teamed up with Carlow’s Kevin Rossiter to win the Men’s O-45 ‘B’ Doubles.
In a high-quality final played in Cullohill, the pair proved too strong for the Glenville-Hospital combination of Philip O’Carroll and Mike O’Connor.
Both pairings had moments of superiority, but it was the Laois and Carlow partnership who finished the stronger to take the title on them on a 21-15 score-line.
In the Men’s O-45 ‘B’ singles, Brennan progressed through a number of the rounds before going down to experienced James Stanners of St Martin’s, Wexford.
Further World Championship titles evaded Laois handballers but there were a number of very notable performances.
Aoife and Úna Brophy (Cullohill) progressed to the Ladies ‘A’ Doubles World Championship semi-final with a number of notable victories including a 15-02, 15-07 defeat of Margaret and Deirdre Purcell (Windgap).
In the semi-final, the Cullohill sisters faced the formidable partnership of Amy Brennan and Aoife Holden (Kilkenny). Despite a spirited performance, victory went the way of the Kilkenny pair on a 15-03, 15-07 scoreline.
Aoife Brophy (Cullohill) also reached the Ladies ‘A’ World Championship Plate Final where she faced Maria Walsh of Kells (Kilkenny).
In a very entertaining final, the Cullohill handballer was defeated on a scoreline of 21-12.
Despite missing out on a title at these World Championships, Aoife and Úna Brophy enjoyed a fantastic week and were involved in a number of high-quality games that excited and entertained the sizeable Laois support throughout these championships.
In the Men’s ‘C’ competition, Paudric Walsh (Cullohill) played some excellent handball before exiting these championships at the quarter final stages of the Plate competition.
In the juvenile section of these World Handball Championships, Monavea’s Annie Grant showed great promise playing along Grace Diviney of Micheal Breathnachs in the Girls U-15 ‘B’ doubles and defeated the strong Liscarroll pairing of Kate O’Connor and Freya Mortell before bowing out at the quarter final stage.
Theo Neale also recorded an impressive victory when winning his opening game in the Boys U-13 B singles against Kerrill Hynes of Claregalway 15-01, 15-04.
Liam Ellis and Tadgh Hennessy of Cullohill performed brilliantly throughout the week recording a number of fantastic victories in the Boys U-13 ‘B’ doubles before losing out at the Plate quarter final stage.
Liam Ellis also recorded a superb 15-10, 15-03 win over Loughmacrory’s Charlie Gallagher in the Boys U-13 ‘B’ singles.
Aoife Kelly and Ellie Lafferty performed superbly in the Girls U-15 ‘B’ Doubles but unfortunately encountered very strong Kilkenny opposition in their opening game.
Ellie Lafferty did produce a magnificent performance in the singles competition to defeat Alannah Culleton of Bawn 15-02, 15-04.
In the Boys U-11, Darragh Phelan and Charlie Dunne (Cullohill) produced some excellent handball in their games played at the National Handball Centre in Croke Park.
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