Handball World Championship Reflections

Wednesday 27.11.2024

 

Fifteen gold and silver medals for Tyrone’s young stars at 40×20 world championships…

13 GOLDS LIFTED FROM 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS…

As the dust settles on the 2024 world handball championships in Ireland, it’s important to highlight the hugely significant results accomplished by young Tyrone players at the highest level in what has been a truly historic and memorable period.

Seven gold medals and eight silver medals were brought home by Tyrone players from the recent World four wall championships hosted by Leinster venues, with Greencastle leading the way by capturing five of those golds.
When this is added to Tyrone’s medal haul from the world wallball championships in August (6 gold and 5 silver), the final tally of world championship medals collected by Tyrone players in 2024 is 13 golds and 13 silvers, which is a breathtaking total never achieved before.

It’s an incredible story for the Greencastle club in particular to be achieving the level of success that they’ve just registered on the world handball stage.
While it was Loughmacrory who led the way for Tyrone at the World one wall championships in Limerick at the end of August, it was Greencastle who were flying the Tyrone flag highest in the 40×20 code two months later.
Between the two clubs, they’ve lifted twelve gold medals over the two championships, six apiece, with Loughmacrory players adding four silver medals and Greencastle winning two silvers.
Caislin Tracey has ended the year with two world gold medals and a silver medal from the two world championships, with her 17&UA world singles triumph in Kilkenny three weeks ago earning her the biggest win of her career.

This was a stunning coup for Caislin to lift one of the most prestigious underage handball titles at the world championships and the Tyrone success story in this age group is even more remarkable when you combine the honours that Caislin Tracey and Laura Duff have brought back to Tyrone in 2024.
These two girls have enjoyed a healthy rivalry from a very young age and have continually pushed each other on to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
At the beginning of 2024 there were seven elite singles titles available for U18 girls across the three codes of handball and all seven have now been claimed by Caislin and Laura.

And this was an age group packed with brilliant young players such as Cork’s Carmel Kelleher, Kilkenny’s Katie Jordan and Clare’s Claire Minogue, all high achievers at the top level.
Loughmacrory star Laura has lifted the All Ireland minor singles titles in both 40×20 and 60×30, two of the most valuable underage titles available, and she’s added to these by winning the World 17&U wallball singles title and the Irish wallball nationals prize.

Caislin has brought the World four wall singles and Irish 40×20 nationals titles back to Tyrone at 17&U level and has added the All Ireland minor wallball singles title.
So that’s all three All Ireland minor singles titles, both world singles titles and the two Irish nationals singles titles shared by the two Greencastle and Loughmacrory girls.
Tyrone handballers have rarely achieved these grade one singles titles at minor level over the years but to have all seven in the county at the one time is a phenomenal feat.

Caislin and Laura have also been leading and inspiring others in their clubs because younger players such as Greencastle’s Emma Conway, Aimee Fox and Mary Jo Morris and Loughmacrory’s Lucy McCullagh, Eolann Kelly, Michéal McCrystal and Damhán Meenagh have also collected world gold medals from the 2024 championships.
It means that four of the nominees for this Friday night‘s Teamtalk handball awards are world champions, including all three names shortlisted for the young player award.

Emma Conway and Lucy McCullagh are very worthy contenders for the young handballer of the year award alongside Caislin this Friday night in Bundoran, while Laura is ready to challenge for the overall player of the year award after securing the young player trophy for the last two years.
While Caislin and Laura have been dominating the national and international handball scene at U18 level, Emma Conway has been cleaning up the titles at U14 level and has just completed a sensational year by lifting the World 13&U singles and doubles titles (alongside Aimee Fox) in Kilkenny.
Emma’s magnificent list of honours for 2024 includes All Ireland U14 singles titles in 40×20 and 60×30, Irish junior nationals titles in 40×20 and 60×30 (partnered by Aimee again in 60×30), and now she’s the World 40×20 singles and doubles champion in the Girls 13&UA division.

Lucy McCullagh just missed out on the gold medal at the recent World 40×20 championships but came home with a silver medal to add to the gold medal she had secured in the 15&U girls singles category at the world wallball championships. Lucy has also been crowned All Ireland U16 singles champion in the 60×30 code this year and is the reigning Irish wallball nationals champion, so it’s been another fantastic year for the young Loughmacrory star.

Eolann Kelly was the only Tyrone player in the juvenile boys divisions to lift a World grade A 40×20 singles title and what an unforgettable championship it was for the Loughmacrory 13 year old as he saw off all challengers in brilliant style to become world 13&UA singles champion in Kilkenny on the last day of October. He topped it all off with a thrilling 11-8 tiebreaker win over number 1 seed, Wexford’s Charlie Roche, in the world decider.

It’s the first time this prize has been lifted by a Tyrone player in history and it means that both the 13&U boys and girls world singles champions are from Tyrone.
The future looks extremely bright for Eolann and Emma who are dedicated to their sport and are both exceptional talents.
Eolann also picked up a silver medal at the world 40×20 championships and was unlucky not to match Emma’s two golds as he lost the 13&U doubles final narrowly to Wexford alongside clubmate Cahir Mullin.

Mary Jo Morris added to the list of Greencastle conquests by going all the way to win a competitive 15&UB girls singles title in great style and she also took home a silver medal in the doubles after reaching the final alongside Kayleigh McCoole.

Sarah Devlin brought a gold medal home to Breacach from the World 40×20 championships following a terrific success in the Ladies C singles category and she almost added another winners medal in the doubles but still managed to lift the silver to complete a fabulous world championship. Sarah has really pushed on in 2024 and only last week added the Golden Gloves ladies B title to her collection in Belfast.

Shea Munroe was also a silver medalist in the World 40×20 championships after reaching the 17&UA doubles final and it means he has picked up two world silver medals in 2024 as he was also a doubles finalist in the wallball event, adding to his Irish 40×20 nationals success and his All Ireland U17 singles triumph earlier this year.
Shea’s clubmate Aaron McElhone has also enjoyed a great year and although he just missed out on a place in the World 15&UA Boys singles final, he has since won the Golden Gloves title in Belfast, beating World champion Sean Considine in the decider.

Apart from the gold and silver medals won by Tyrone representatives at the 40×20 world championships, there was also success in the plate competitions as Cahir Owens won the 17&U plate singles and Loughmacrory pair Michéal McCrystal and Owen Kelly won the 15&U plate doubles.
Tarlach Tracey and Cathaoir Kelly also combined to reach the 15&U plate doubles final and Orlagh Toner and Aimee Rose McElduff reached the Girls 13&UB plate doubles final.
At open level, Clare Conway lost the ladies open singles plate final, while Tyrone’s big hope in the Ladies open division, Eilise McCrory, bowed out in the quarter finals.
Eilise has competed strongly at open level all year without reaching any of the big finals at national or international level. She is consistently knocking on the door however and will no doubt be back to challenge again strongly for honours in 2025.

Overall though, it’s been a world championship year to remember for many young Tyrone players and the gold and silver medalists are all players who will hopefully continue to challenge for major honours in the future.

WORLD FOUR WALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024 MEDAL SUMMARY

Gold medals won by Tyrone…

Eolann Kelly – Boys 13&UA singles
Emma Conway – Girls 13&UA singles
Emma Conway and Aimee Fox – Girls 13&UA doubles
Caislin Tracey – Girls 17&UA singles
Mary Jo Morris – Girls 15&UB singles
Sarah Devlin – Ladies C singles

Silver medals won by Tyrone…

Lucy McCullagh – Girls 15&UA singles
Eolann Kelly and Cahir Mullin – 13&UA doubles
Caislin Tracey – 17&UA doubles
Shea Munroe – 17&UA doubles
Mary Jo Morris and Kayleigh McCoole – Girls 15&UB doubles
Sarah Devlin – Ladies C doubles

Plate winners…

Cahir Owens – 17&U plate singles
Michéal McCrystal and Owen Kelly – 15&U plate doubles

REMINDER OF WORLD WALLBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALISTS 2024…

Gold medals won by Tyrone…

Lucy McCullagh – Girls 15&UA singles
Laura Duff – Girls 17&UA singles
Caislin Tracey – Girls 17&UA doubles
Michéal McCrystal and Damhán Meenagh – Boys 13&UA doubles
Caitlin Conway – Ladies A singles

Silver medals won by Tyrone…

Michéal McCrystal – Boys 13&UA singles
Tiernan Kelly and Ciaran Corr – Boys 13&UA doubles
Shea Munroe – 17&UA doubles
Niall Kerr – Mens golden masters doubles