For the third successive year, Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy will have to overcome the challenge of Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy if he is to retain the M Donnelly Handball All-Ireland Open 60x30 Softball title.
Kennedy has dominated the elite bracket since he first captured the most sought after piece of silverware in the men’s game in 2002. A win for the 31-year-old this Saturday at Abbeylara would grant him his eighth in a row and ninth in total, ranking him second in the overall standings, since the series began in 1925.
Only Kilkenny’s Ducksy Walsh has secured more 60x30 gold medals with an astonishing 16 to his credit, which included 13 straight wins between 1985 and 1997.
Paddy Perry achieved eight on the trot from 1930-1937 but the Roscommon man never got his hands on title number 9.
McCarthy did manage to push Kennedy close twelve months ago when he lost out 21-20 21-15.
Mullingar’s McCarthy has yet to get the better of Kennedy in softball although he has taken senior honours in 2011 at the 40x20 Irish Nationals.
McCarthy’s beat Meath’s Tom Sheridan in the quarter-final and Wexford’s Barry Goff 21-7 in the semi-final.
McCarthy said: “I’m healthy and in good condition and I have trained very hard all year for the softball title. It was my target at the start of the year to get back to another final with Eoin and now that I’m there, I can look forward to it.”
“I’m fitter than last year and have worked harder than before to get back to the final. This is the title that I’ve always wanted to win growing up as it’s the Irish traditional game.”
Making history is not something that Kennedy has wasted any time assessing, at least for the interim. He said: “To be honest, at this point, it’s of little relevance to me. I am treating Saturday's final as just another match that I need to prepare for as well as possible.
“Of course, it would be great to achieve the eight in a row and nine titles overall but I am certainly not allowing it to affect my focus for the final with Robbie.
“Robbie is an amazing young player with perhaps the best, most skilful pair of hands in the game. We've met in the last two finals and also in the quarter-final of the previous year's championship and he has been improving year on year. From my perspective, I know I am going to have to play my very best handball to beat him.”
In the opening match of the Abbeylara programme, last year’s minor champion, Galway’s Martin Mulkerrins, is in action against Kildare’s Niall O'Connor.
Mulkerrins advanced to the final with a two-game win over Limerick’s Eamon Davern 21-8 21-17, while recently crowned minor hardball champion, O’Connor, from the Leixlip club easily accounted for Ulster champion, Monaghan’s Terry McElvaney, 21-1 21-5.
Preceding the senior final, Roscommon’s Aenghus Cunningham and Chris Doolin will go head to head with Meath’s Gary McConnell and Peter Reilly for the Intermediate doubles title.
