Two GAA Sports - One proud Parish Club Article for Ballinlough GAA Match programme Sunday 7th May 2017 Official Opening Meath v Cavan

Two GAA Sports - One proud Parish 

Crossakiel Handball and Ballinlough GAA clubs have been intrinsically linked for well over 70 years, writes Michael McGee.

Crossakiel handball club members have proudly played with distinction on Ballinlough winning teams. Veterans such as Hugh Tully, Mattie Corcorcan, Tom McDonnell all pulled on the Ballinlough shirts. The trio showing a keen eye on the other small ball sport in the Parish while also winning County hurling titles with Kilskyre in the 1960’s. More recently handball club players such as Goalkeeper Tommy “dropsy” Smith was a safe pair of hands on the winning Ballinlough teams (Junior 1998 and Intermediate 1991). Other players of note who played both GAA codes were Seamus Byrne, Joey Byrne, Brendan Smith Ballinlough. Stalwarts such as Cathal Flynn former Chairman of the football Club and Padraig Gaughran served on handball committees. Michael Gaynor & John Farrell won Leinster U-17 doubles titles back in 1999 and also lined out with Ballinlough at underage level. Michael’s brother Shane also proving a versatile handball and football player. Mark Farrell the present Juvenile handball officer played in goals with Killough Gaels (Ballinlough/ Kilmainhamwood amalgamation) were narrowly beaten by Round Towers in the Meath Minor Football Championship decider in 1993. Another Crossakiel handball player who also played in goals with the reds was Basil Balfe. 

Another handball/football/Cavan link is the one and only Paul Brady. The five time World handball champion and arguably the greatest handballer of all time came to Crossakiel on a cold Sunday evening last January to officially open the club’s new defibrillator kindly sponsored by An Post and Crossakiel handball club. Brady was first called into the Cavan senior panel by Meath Man Mattie Kerrigan in the winter of 2002. He played for Cavan for nine years, generally at wing-back but also in the half-forward line, and was regarded as one of the most consistent players in the county. He earned a call-up to the Ulster squad for the inter-provincial series and has two county U21 medals, three Cavan SFC medals (1998, 2006 and 2012) and one Senior League medal (2012) with Mullahoran Dreadnoughts. He was Man of the Match in the 2012 county final win over Kingscourt Stars. Brady's uncle was the great Phil 'The Gunner' Brady who played for Cavan for many years, winning three All-Ireland medals.

The Farrell family dynasty of Crossakiel also provided 3 more accomplished players to both handball and football with Christopher winning a Meath U-17 doubles title with Eugene O’Reilly in 1999, Barry a County handball champion also in 1999 and Robbie a member of the recent winning Ballinlough side that won the Mattie McDonnell Intermediate Cup in 2014 and reached the Leinster Intermediate Cup final later that year. Mark’s two sisters Jacquie and Susan are heavily involved on the Club Committees with Susan the present Ballinlough Juvenile club secretary and handball Club PRO. Johnny Reilly the clubs committee member was a selector for the Intermediate team. 

In the club’s golden but short era in Juvenile handball gained unprecedented success between 2010-12. With the “conveyor belt” under the expert guidance of national and international handball star Eugene O’ Reilly reached stellar heights with the likes of Gary Reilly, Johnnie Reilly, James Baugh, Jack Tunney and the late Ricky McDermott R.I.P. all doing the Crossakiel handball club proud in Leinster handball championships. A number of players going on to win underage titles with Crossakiel & Ballinlough and breaking into the Ballinlough senior side subsequently. The aforementioned Eugene O’Reilly reached dizzying heights when winning the both the Men’s singles and doubles titles (with Kells man Peter Flanagan) Canadian championship in Burlington Ontario Canada in 2008. Reilly also won the Men’s C One Wall National title in Sligo the previous year and also scooped the U.S. Collegiates title and the Men’s C U.S. title in Los Angeles. The Patrickstown man also received the “National Handball Coach of the Award in 2010”. Eugene somehow found time to be an important member on Ballinlough teams. 

Eight years previous came another Canadian double success story with Michael McGee also claiming both the singles and doubles Canadian Championship in Vancouver in May 2002. McGee also created history when teaming up with Kells man John “Boy” Molloy” as the first Irish handball doubles pairing to win a Welsh One Wall doubles title back in August 1999. He has also served on National & County handball committees in Meath, Dublin & Sligo as Secretary & PRO. Michael, brother of former Club Chairman Seamus also played with Ballinlough for many years at underage and Junior level. Michael also reported on many Sligo Senior GAA matches in Markievicz Park for the local press Sligo Champion & Sligo Weekender. 

A Club article without the mention of one Hughie Reilly R.I.P. (August 2016) would not be an article at all. Our esteemed leader left a devoid that will never be fully filled in the Club. Hughie, larger than life was instrumental in getting the old 60 x 30 open court fully covered (officially opened in 1986) and where it is now recognised as one of the best 60 x 30 courts in the country having hosted National and All-Ireland championships matches. Hughie installed in us the love of handball and I can remember clearly he bringing his young handball stars to competitions in Kells, Rathmore etc in his yellow Hillman hunter car. Hughie, alongside Phil Mattews was immensely proud of one young Steven Quinn from the village (now the present Club Chairman). The mighty Quinn proved unstoppable when winning both All-Ireland 60 X 30 & 40 x 20 U-12 singles titles in 1991 an outstanding achievement. Hughie’s dedication to the club will never be forgotten. Already a Handball Cup competition in Hughie’s honour will be played for later in the later. And the club’s new playing shirt will bear the birthdate of our inspirational leader. Hughie’s brothers Kevin & Paddy also played handball with Crossakiel and football with Ballinlough. 

The Crossakiel handball club congratulate Ballinlough GFC on its opening. The Club has come a long way since the pitch opening in September 1976. A huge amount of work has gone into the upgrade of facilities in the last decade and its members can be immensely proud of their achievements both on and off the field into turning the playing facility into one of the top GAA County grounds in Meath. 

Comhghairdeas Baile an locha

Michael McGee

Runai
Crossakiel handball club

The Story of Welsh Handball by Author Kevin Dicks

Press Release

Date
20.3.2017
Contact at Y Lolfa
fflur@ylolfa.com

WHAT IS THE TRUE NATIONAL SPORT OF WALES?

The debate about the true national sport of Wales has been raging for years between rugby and football fans. But a new book claims that the first and true national sport of Wales is neither of these, but the little less know sport of Handball.

In industrial Wales Hanbdball (or Pêl-law) was the predominant sport – drawing crowds of thousands to watch the game that could be described as similar to squash, but without the rackets. Courts were to be seen in many parts of the Welsh valleys and it was played in yards of pubs in front of betting spectators. The game was a national obsession, with people travelling from far and wide to watch thrilling matches between the sporting heroes of the day, and fortunes being won and lost through side stakes and gambling.

Today only one ball court survives, in the village of Nelson in the Caerphilly Borough. 

In Handball - The Story of Wales' First National Sport, handball player and former miner Kevin Dicks’ meticulous research traces the long history of this folk sport played with any ball on any wall, from Welsh myth and folklore and the outlawed ‘devil’s game’ of the churchyard, through its glory years in the 18th and 19th centuries and strong links with the mining industry, to its decline in the 20th century as it failed to modernise, and its reboot in the present day. He questions the origins of the grammar school version of the game known as fives, and precisely dates the Nelson ball court – a date that has eluded historians for years.

The book also shatters a widespread modern myth regarding an Irish origin to the court and therefore to the sport in Wales.

‘This is untold story of Wales deserves a wider audience’ said Kevin Dicks, ‘Nothing has been written as in depth as this on any folk sport in the UK’.

‘After a while it dawned upon me that I’m the last miner to play handball in Wales, and it then became somewhat of duty continue the research and complete a work on the subject. It was as if the last man left in had to tell the tale’ added Kevin. 

The cover of the book feature the classic 1906 handball at Nelson. Two players and two officials stand on the ball court with a crowd of 1,200 in attendance. 

The author Kevin Dicks has been a Welsh handball player and official for nearly fifty years. He has written extensively on handball for various outlets including the BBC, the Daily Mail, the American Welsh paper Y Drych and the Caerphilly Campaign. He has also spoken on the subject abroad in Ireland, Canada and Italy and has contributed to the United States Handball magazine, and this book is the product of 22 years of trawling the archives. An ex-miner, he formerly worked as a Surveyor’s Assistant at Deep Navigation, Treharris. A part-time writer he now works for Admiral and currently lives in Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed.

A refreshing look at a sport devoid of modern commercialism, this is a lively story full of colourful characters, a revealing glimpse into social history, folk sport and the passions of the working man, and a fascinating insight into what can fairly be claimed as Wales’ first national sport.

Handball - The Story of Wales' First National Sport by Kevin Dicks (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

Title
Handball - The Story of Wales' First National Sport
Publishing date
March 2017
Price & ISBN
£14.99 9781784613761
Author
Kevin Dicks
Tel., email, website
01443 862 698, 07570 212378 , kevinjohndicks@gmail.com

Congratulations to my very good Welsh Handball friend Kevin Dicks who has finally published a comprehensive and exhaustive research on Welsh handball. It took something like 20 years in the making but Kevin's determination and unwavering willingness to stick with it never relented.It was a labor of love and his meticulous and painstaking work to the book is clear to be seen.  

I had the pleasure of meeting the very affable, efficient and former Welsh Secretary a number of times both in Ireland and over in his beloved Nelson. In 2000 Myself and Kells man John Boy Molloy travelled to Nelson where we eventually brought home the Welsh doubles title a first for an Irish doubles team defeating a very strong Philip Rees & Ashley Lloyd in an absorbing final winning it 21-14 and in 30 degrees of heat. I can clearly remember Kevin showing me numerous historic old black and white handball photos that adorned the walls in the Royal Oak Hotel directly opposite the famous handball court in Nelson.

In fact the the entitre Welsh squad stayed with us along with Irish international Officer Tom O' Connor in 2001 on route to the Irish One Wall Nationals in Sligo. I had the pleasure of showing the team a number of sights in Kells, Trim and around the Crossakiel handball 60 x 30 court. The team were impressed going to see the Loughcrew Neolithic burial chambers which date back older than the Pyramids of Egypt. The team also took in a visit to Abbeylara One Wall court. All this was mentioned in Kevin's Welsh report which appeared in the Irish Handball yearbook Annual in 2001.

It is an excellent book chronicling the history of Welsh handball over the last 300 years and up to the present day. It's a must read handball book for all handball players, officials, supporters and historians alike and I strongly recommend this historic book.

Michael McGee

Crossakiel club members complete Safety Awareness workshop in Windtown

The Magnificent Seven: Michael McGee, Steven Quinn, Mark Farrell, Jackie Farrell, John Farrell, Vinnie Farrell & Susan Farrell

Crossakiel handball club members pictured with Mary Walsh Course Tutor following the presentation of certificates 

Seven members from the Club completed the Code of Ethics Good Practice for Children's Sport Safety Awareness Training organised by the  Meath Local Sports Partnership in Windtown Unity Centre in Navan last evening. The workshop was conducted by Tutor Mary Walsh. Members found the 3.5 hours introductory workshop very meaningful and informative.

The club expresses its appreciation to Lynn O'Reilly Meath Local Sports Partnership and Course Tutor Mary Walsh for facilitating the Club in the Workshop.

A further workshop will  take place on Thursday May 4th next also in Windtown  on the Safeguard Child Club Officers Level II. Mark Farrell & John Farrell will be the clubs representatives in this workshop

_________________________________________________________________________________

Defibrillator training for Crossakiel handball club

Members of Crossakiel handball club held a Defibrillator course in the Club’s meeting rooms on Saturday February 18^th last. Sean Rooney from the Heartsafety Solutions Company in Dublin gave a very informative talk on the use of and workings of a Defibrillator. Following the talk members got hands on practical training in the use of the defibrillator.

Club Chairman Steven Quinn thanked the Reilly family for allowing the club to be the custodians of this invaluable community resource. The Chairman also complimented “all the local volunteers who gave their time to undertake the training.  It gives a sense of community and purpose back to the village. Working hard together is really important to a village like Crossakiel .”

 The lifesaving equipment was kindly sponsored by An Post and the Crossakiel handball club in memory of the late Hughie Reilly former chairman of the club.

Photo:

Back row left to right: Noelle O’Driscoll, John Farrell, Mark Farrell, Vinny Farrell, Angela McCabe & Valerie Quinn.

Front row: Michael McGee & Noel Kane