Leinster Championship Juvenile Handball Finals 1987

While sorting through some loose newspaper clippings in Danny Dowling’s (1927-2021) vast collection a clipping was found regarding Dominic Fitzgerald, of Rathinure, Glenmore, who won an All-Ireland in handball. Over 130 newspaper articles, between the years 1984 and 1994, were found and read. As it transpired Dominic was the first Glenmore Handball Club member to win an All-Ireland in handball. In addition to handball, Dominic won Leinster and All Ireland championships in hurling and football with Good Counsel College, and helped Glenmore in Minor, Junior and under 21 hurling and football. To keep this post to a manageable length only select handball games will be highlighted, and Part I focuses on the years 1984 to 1987.

 Glenmore Handball Club only came into existence in 1978. According to the Kilkenny People (Fri. 3 May 1985, p. 17) the first set of All-Ireland handball finals commenced in May 1985. In 1994, the Kilkenny People (Fri. 10 June 1994, p. 21) reported that Dominic won single and doubles in the Kilkenny handball championships, also Leinster championships, and won two All-Ireland medals. The New Ross Standard (Thur. 6 Oct. 1994, p. 33) later that same year reported that Dominic won 4 Leinster and 3 All Ireland trophies for handball.

Made Glenmore Club History

The first article we located regarding Dominic and handball  was published in September 1984. The article also provides information concerning other Glenmore players. The Division B matches of the Lisdowney handball tournament, sponsored by Coca-Cola, commenced 17 September 1984. In the first-round singles: P.J. O’Connor (Glenmore) beat Nigel Dunpjy (Lisdowney).  Dominic Fitzgerald (Glenmore) lost to Kevin Wall (Lisdoney). In the doubles P.J. O’Connor and Shay Vereker (Glenmore) beat Brian Whyte and Andy Doyle (Talbot’s Inch) (Kilkenny People, Fri 21 Sept. 1984, p. 15).

However, just five months later, at the end of February 1985, Dominic made Glenmore Club history when he became the first juvenile from his club to represent Kilkenny in handball. “He would have preferred a less talented rival—his Wicklow opponent Damien McMahon won the under 12 Leinster title last year, and is still under age this year. So, Dominic was up against it from the start. He gave more than could be fairly be expected of him, and showed fine, two-handed play in some long and hotly disputed rallies. He was never really in with a decent chance of beating his vastly more experienced rival and was beaten 2-nil” (Kilkenny People (Fri. 3 May 1985, p. 17). Ironically, Damian McMahon (Wicklow) would later become Dominic’s doubles partner.

Playing for Kilkenny

Selectors Sean Kennedy (Glenmore) and Bobby Falsey took charge of the Kilkenny team. They started off strong when Clinton Maher (Talbot’s Inch) and Dominic Fitzgerald (Glenmore), combined at under 11 to defeat Wexford’s Francis Cleary and Paddy O’Connor 11-5. The Wexford pair soon reversed this with an 11-7 win. In other age groups Kilkenny secured four points in the race for the top two spots. Dominic Fitzgerald and Clinton Maher went one better than their first outing when they beat J. and D. O’Brien (Oldtown, Dublin) 11-2, 11-5.

Kilkenny played its last league games against Westmeath. Unfortunately, Fitzgerald and Maher lost 11-6, 11-1. Ultimately Kilkenny and Westmeath met in the final and Westmeath with home court advantage were the favourites. They won their league games 16-5 compared to Kilkenny 11-10. “This form seemed justified” when Clinton Maher and Dominic Fitzgerald lost again. However, this time the gap narrowed considerably. They lost 11-8, 11-4 to give Westmeath a 2-0 lead. Kilkenny won in the tight race. It was noted that Kilkenny scored 64 aces to Westmeath’s 48 in the final and brought the Leinster Division 1 title back to Kilkenny. The newspaper concluded that Clinton Maher and Dominic Fitzgerald “caught a few tartars in their rounds, but played very well and could be a major force in the  championships” (Kilkenny People, Fri. 2 Dec. 1985, p. 14).

Leinster Championship Finals 1986

The Kilkenny juveniles at Baltinglass played in the Leinster championship finals. Kilkenny captured four of the six championships they contested. Unfortunately, in the under 12 doubles Dominic Fitzgerald and Clinton Maher were defeated (Kilkenny People, Fri. 3 Oct. 1986, p. 10).

Leinster Championship Finals 1987: First Championship Medals for Glenmore

In 1987, the Kilkenny Juvenile team was comprised of under 11, Kenneth Cottrell (Glenmore) and Michael Clifford (Talbot’s Inch); under 13, James Bourke (O’Loughlin’s) and Dominic Fitzgerald (Glenmore); under 15, Graham O’Brien and Brian Aldridge (Mullinavat). The Kilkenny juvenile team won the Leinster League at Kells. They beat Meath, Louth and Westmeath (Kilkenny People, Fri. 2 Jan. 1987, p. 12).

In April 1987 it was announced that Kilkenny had good fortune at juvenile level when Kilkenny players beat the best of Meath and Louth to assure places for Kilkenny players in seven out of ten Leinster finals. Seán Kennedy, Ballinclare, Glenmore put a lot into juvenile handball in Glenmore. “Kenneth Cottrell and Dominic Fitzgerald did him proud with magnificent wins over strong opposition.”

In the Under 12 singles, Kenneth Cottrel was brilliant when he hammered John Heany of Meath 15-1 and 15-2. The newspaper noted that Kenneth must be favourite to win a title. In the under 13 singles, Dominic Fitzgerald was “up against it” when he played a strong Meath player named Tom O’Connor. In one of the best games of the day, Dominic lost the first game 7-15. “He showed tremendous heart and won the others 15-10 and 15-13” (Kilkenny People, Fri. 3 April 1987, p. 14).

Ultimately, Dominic won the Leinster under 13 singles and Kenneth Cottrell (Aylwardstown) won the under 12 Leinster singles. These were the first Leinster Championship handball medals won by Glenmore Handball Club members (Munster Express, Fri. 17 April 1987, p. 11). Later in the year they went on to win Leinster handball championship medals for the 60X30 grade (Munster Express, Fri. 4 Sept. 1987, p. 14).

First All-Ireland Handball Medal for Glenmore

Later in April 1987, Kilkenny travelled to Monaghan to contest the under 12, 13, 14 and 16 single All Ireland Semi-Finals. “Ken Cotterell was under pressure from the start against M. Finnegan (Cavan) in under 12 singles”. Ken lost 7-15, 3-15. Dominic was in excellent form and easily dismissed P. Cunningham (Donegal) 15-3, 15-12 in the under 13 single semi-final (Kilkenny People, Fri. 17 April 1987, p. 7).

Dominic played in the juvenile handball All-Ireland final at a packed Croke Park on 10 May 1987. Dominic faced a tough opponent in Martin Murphy (Limerick), but Murphy soon knew he was in a battle. They were level again on 10, Dominic looked anxious when he fell 12-10 behind but came back to 12-all and went 13-12 up. Back came Murphy to level on 13. With excitement at fever pitch, Fitzgerald took a very vital first game 15-13 lead. Fitzgerald, serving brilliantly, and killing shots all over the court, went on to record a 15-4 victory. This was a marvellous win for the young Glenmore player (Kilkenny People, Fri. 15 May 1987, p. 24). This represented the first time an All-Ireland came to Glenmore in handball (Munster Express, Fri. 22 May 1987, p. 21).

Mullinavat’s Graham O’Brien made a valiant bid to win the under 16’s title but failed against Martin McLoughlin (Ballina, Co. Tipperary). The senior singles semi-final at Newry was very controversial in 1987. International player, Michael “Ducksie” Walsh was told his game was at 7 p.m. at Newry, but was never informed that the time was moved to 2 p.m. (Kilkenny People, Fri. 15 May 1987, p. 24).

Kilkenny Juvenile Championships at Glenmore 1987

In July 1987, the Kilkenny County Juvenile Championships were played at Glenmore. It was reported that titles were well spread among top clubs “Glenmore court was looking great after its recent painting.” Alan Hawe (Windgap) won the under 11 championship beating D. Cottrell (Glenmore) in the final. Kenneth Cottrell (Glenmore) easily beat Nial Kenny (Windgap) in the under 12 final while his clubmate, Dominic Fitzgerald, had a close encounter with Clive Carroll (Talbot’s Inch) in under 13 winning 15-10, 15-10. Alan Hawe, Kenneth Cottrell, Dominic Fitzgerald and Graham O’Brien all brought off the double as they had won their respective 40X20 county championships earlier in the year (Kilkenny People, Fri. 24 July 1987, p. 14).

Dominic went on to play in the All-Ireland 60X30 Juvenile Championship finals. In the under 13 singles M. Crowe (Limerick) beat Dominic 15-8, 15-13 (Irish Examiner, Tues. 6 Oct. 1987, p. 16).

Glenmore Handball Club 1987 Awards Night

In January 1988, Glenmore Handball Club held a function in the Rue Glen to celebrate their club’s success during 1987 and to mark the tenth anniversary of the club’s founding. County Chairman, Eamon Hanrahan and Leinster Secretary, Tommy O’Brien praised the club’s players and officials on their achievements during the year and especially in 1987 when Dominic Fitzgerald won the club’s first All-Ireland championship in under 13 singles. Dominic also won the Leinster under 13 singles championships in both 60X30 and 40X 20 courts.

County Secretary, Con Moore, presented Dominic with the 1987 juvenile achievement award and complimented coach and trainer Sean Kennedy on the great work that he put into Glenmore and Kilkenny over the years. Kenneth Cottrell also had a magnificent year, winning Leinster under 12 singles in both 60X30 and 40X20 courts. Leinster secretary Tomás Ó Briain presented Kenneth with Kilkenny Crystal in recognition of his achievements in 1987.

“Sean Kennedy the man behind Glenmore handball club, was praised for his work for the club over the years and especially for devoting his time to juvenile members. Dominic Fitzgerald gave a fitting oration to his trainer and Kenneth Cotterell presented Seanie with a silver tankard in recognition of his help in coaching the juvenile players in Glenmore to the standard where they are among the best in Ireland” (Kilkenny People, Fri. 22 Jan. 1988, p. 13).

In Part II we will cover 1988 through 1994 which includes his time playing for Good Council College, New Ross.

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Special thanks to Dominick’s parents, John and Rita Fitzgerald of Rathinure for sharing photos of Dominic and some of Dominick’s trophies and patiently answering my questions about handball. I did not realize there are two different size courts!

Any and all errors are mine, and please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com .

For a concise history of handball see, Tom O’Connor, “A Brief History of Handball” (GAA Handball).

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh