Irish handball is back on top following an 11-10 defeat of the USA in the Casey Lawlor Cup, held at the South End Rowing Club in San Francisco over the weekend. Cork’s Tony Healy, captain of the jubilant squad, was delighted with the team’s performance.
“It’s always great to beat the Americans and prove our worth on the world stage, but the team performance was fantastic this weekend,” he said.
Ireland were hopeful of exacting revenge for their 2005 defeat by the USA but in the absence of Cavan’s Paul Brady, and Antrim’s Ricky McCann, the squad were forced to work hard for their victory.
The Casey Lawlor Cup is named in memory of a 21-game epic battle (known as the first world championships) which took place between two of the best handballers on either side of the Atlantic, John Lawlor and Phillip Casey, in Cork in 1886 and in New York in 1887.
In the first set of singles games on Saturday, Ireland rose to every challenge the American’s set down, losing out in just one match-up where Allan Garner proved too strong for Belfast’s Owen McKenna. In the other 15 minute timed games, Mayo’s Dessie Keegan defeated Luis Moreno 11-10, while Dubliner Eoin Kennedy had an emphatic win over current US number one, Sean Lenning, on a 23-8 scoreline.
In the doubles match-up, worth one point, Armagh’s Charly Shanks paired up with team captain, Healy, and the duo defeated a Californian partnership of Emmet Peixoto and Naty Alvarado. In the Master’s exhibition match, Kilkenny handball legend, Michael ‘Ducksy’ Walsh showed he still has the flair to take the best, when he defeated former US number one, John Bike, 21-16, 21-6.
Going into the final round games, worth three points each, Ireland led 5-1, but the USA fought back into contention early in the second round. Arizona’s Luis Moreno defeated McKenna, 15-3, 15-6, while Texan, Allan Garner, overcame Shanks 11-8 in a tie-breaker finish. When Keegan took to the alley, Ireland were 7-5 down overall, but a 15-10, 15-6 victory for the Mayo man put his side ahead once more, and they were 8-7 to the good when Kennedy prepared to face Alvarado.
The 60x30 supremo put in a Trojan performance to take the three points and put the Casey Lawlor Cup out of USA reach. Kennedy won 15-14, 15-14 after a testing battle with the Californian handball hero to put Ireland 11-7 up, leaving Healy to relax in his final game against Lenning. The Washington State handballer took the last match 15-6, 15-7, but it was too late for the American’s as Ireland celebrated their first ever Casey Lawlor Cup victory.
This win puts Ireland firmly back on top in the competitive Ireland/USA battle, and with the next World Championships looming in 2009 in Portland, Oregon, this is the place Irish handball wishes to remain.
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