TUAMGRANEY’s Diarmaid Nash has been crowned an All-Ireland champion.
Nash upset the odds defeating number one seed and four-time champion Robbie McCarthy Jnr from Westmeath 21-8, 17-21, 11-8 at this year’s All-Ireland (40×20) four-wall Handball Championships finals in Kingscourt on Saturday.
After two previous final defeats against the same opponent (2014 and 2019), Nash’s first Senior Singles title is also the first for the Banner county since the great Pat Kirby in 1980. The legendary Kirby was also from Tuamgraney handball club. It was the first 40×20 final played in three years.
With kill shots aplenty coupled with passing shots and a dominant serve, Nash dominated the opening game with a tighter contest following in the second game. A series of unanswered points from the left-hander in the third game proved crucial as he closed out the win.
There have been just fourteen different winners of the championship in its 43 year history and Diarmaid is just the second Clare player after six time winner Pat Kirby (1975-1980) to claim victory in the 40×20.
Members of the Nash family including his parents Jim and Mary, sisters Dervla and Clodagh were among the proud spectators to witness Diarmaid make history. Jim has been an integral coach in the Tuamgraney club while Clodagh has All-Ireland titles at schools, Féile and Community Games to her name plus minor and intermediate doubles competitions, world success at U17 and U23 doubles. His late brother, Barry had claimed world titles at U13 and U15 level and an All-Ireland minor doubles title before his untimely passing in 2014.
A graduate of UCD, Diarmaid is also a member of the Scariff senior hurling team, lining out at midfield on the side crowned intermediate champions in 2020. He has also lined out for his county at minor and U21 level.
Fellow Tuamgraney clubman and Scariff native Paul Rodgers on Sunday in Kingscourt won the All-Ireland Under 14 Boys Singles title, defeating Monaghan’s Calum Sherry in an excellent final (15-8, 15-12).
There was no joy for Clare’s other juvenile All-Ireland finalists as Cliona Rodgers (Tuamgraney) lost out to Kilkenny’s Katie Jordan 11-15, 11-15 in the Under 15 Girls Singles final, while there was also defeat for the unlucky Danny Rodgers and Liam Murphy (Tuamgraney, Kilkishen) in the Boys Under 14 Doubles final against Kilkenny (Andrew Brennan and Matthew Murphy, 15-9, 13-15, 9-15) and for Aoife Frost and Ellen Collins (Kilkishen, Newmarket-on-Fergus) in the Under 16 Girls doubles decider, also versus Kilkenny (Katie Brennan and Holly Byrne).
There were two other All-Ireland Singles champions from Clare crowned in Kingscourt over the weekend as Kilkishen’s Con Collins, representing Antrim, won his Over 40 B Singles final 21-20, 21-11 against Wexford’s David Stanners and there was also success for Newmarket-on-Fergus native Conor Maxwell, who claimed Over 45 B Singles silverware for Dublin when he beat Kieran Hanley of Galway 21-4, 21-3.
This Saturday, Diarmaid Nash is back on court as he and Colin Crehan begin their bid for a three-in-a-row of All-Ireland Senior Doubles titles with a first-round fixture against either Kilkenny or Wexford this Saturday (fixture tbc).
Clare’s other victorious Munster Doubles finals winners await their All-Ireland semi-final dates, Shane Hayes and Darren O’Neill (Clooney, Mens Over 35B) and Chloe Philpott and Orla O’Brien (Kilkishen, Ladies Junior).
