Kilkenny handball legend, Michael ‘Ducksy’ Walsh will lead the Irish Junior National troop to Tucson, Arizona this December for the USHA Nationals. Walsh, a 38-time All-Ireland winning senior champion, is delighted to have sealed the job.
“I was over the moon when I got the call,” said the Talbot’s Inch handballer, who was defeated in this year’s 60x30 Senior Singles final. “I wasn’t going to go for the job, but I’m delighted I did now and I’m really looking for to taking the best underage players we have to the Juniors.”
Walsh was the first Irish player to win a USHA Junior title, which ironically he collected in Tucson, Arizona in December 1981 in the 15 and Under category. Twenty-six years later, he will return as the Irish Manager.
“I suppose it is a bit strange and I have great memories from my time playing at the Juniors,” he said. “I just hope these kids have the same good experiences.”
Walsh’s record at the USHA Juniors was amazing and following his Arizona win in ྍ, he added the 17 and Under championship a year later in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the 19 and Under title in Fountain Valley, California in 1985. Now he is on a different kind of mission.
“I aim to have the players as fit as they can be for the tournament,” said Walsh. “They are all great handballers, the crème of the crop in Irish circles; some of them are even World Champions.”
Walsh, and Assistant Manager, Niamh Egan, have indeed a fine crop of players to work with. Kilkenny senior hurler, Richie Hogan will lead the group in the 19 and Under bracket and has fantastic skill and power. His female counterpart, Antrim’s Ashling Reilly, is rated as one of the top female players in the world, having taken the 17 and Under World Singles title and 19 and Under World Doubles in Edmonton, Canada last year. In the 17 and under bracket, Clare minor county hurler Diarmaid Nash will fly the Irish flag and he will also be representing Ireland in November at the Basque International Tournament at the end of the month.
Roscommon's Leona Doolin, the current 15 and Under World champion, will be in search of further glory stateside in the 17 and Under category, and having been recently crowned Connacht Young Female of the Year, she has all the talent and ability to take the title. In the 15 and Under grades, the Cats have a second representative in Eoghan Hennessy, while Ballydesmond’s Catríona Casey will hope to add to the Féile title she collected earlier in the year.
“We have six weeks to get this team together and with the talent these players possess, I know we will have them prepared,” said Walsh.
The tournament gets underway on December 27th, with the team traveling to the US on December 22nd. The groups’ first training is scheduled for this weekend in Kilkenny.
IRISH JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM
19 and Under Boys: Richie Hogan (Kilkenny) 19 and Under Girls: Ashling Reilly (Antrim) 17 and Under Boys: Diarmaid Nash (Clare) 17 and Under Girls: Leona Doolin (Roscommon) 15 and Under Boys: Eoghan Hennessy (Kilkenny) 15 and Under Girls: Catríona Casey (Cork)
Manager: Michael ‘Ducksy’ Walsh Assistant Manager: Niamh Egan
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