WHERE
THERES A WALL THERES A WAY
Chris Brown
Downpatrick
Handball Club has gained a welcome
boost by joining forces with
the Downpatrick RGU.
Previously
separate, the addition of the
Handball club means that all
three main Gaelic games now
have a base for the first time
ever in the town.
Founded in
1986 the handball club has gone
from strength to strength producing
some of the finest handball
talent in Ireland and has been
represented at the local national
and world stage.
Martin Murphy handball club
Secretary expressed delight
with the joining of force. ‘For
a long time now we have wanted
to be part of the RGU. Now that
our club structure is strong
enough we can be part of a wider
family of support and really
encourage young girls and boys
in the town to try the sport.
Teacher Murphy,
the driving force behind the
county down Handball scene believes
that the handball club can really
offer the RGU an solid outlet
for success in the future. ‘For
years the calibre that has come
from the club has been nothing
short of spectacular. You only
have to look at the recent history
pages to read the list of County,
Ulster and Irish Champions but
ever more so, the increasing
number of young talent from
the club that have represented
their country on the world stage.
Not so long ago we had the World
Championships in Ireland and
next year we hope to bring some
players to Canada to play on
the world stage again.
‘Only
in 2003 some current RGU footballers
such as John Connelly and goalkeeper
Gareth Brown competed in the
world championships held in
Dublin. Over the years many
of the club members have played
handball but in effect played
for two different clubs. The
merge will allow for a greater
sense of pride in the green
and white’. Murphy added.
However this
has not been a recent trend.
For many years All Ireland winning
stars such as Barry Breen, Conor
Deegan, Greg Blaney and James
McCartan have all been part
of the handball community, even
the greats of yesteryear such
as Dan McCartan still dons the
gloves in pursuit of more medals.
The club which
has had its home at the Downpatrick
Leisure Centre for many years
has been able to train and play
matches at the Ballyduggan road
venue. In the future the potential
to build courts at the RGU’s
Thomas Russell Park will be
great after a swift period of
development with the recent
addition to a training pitch
and the latest venture to raise
funding for floodlights for
the club.
RGU club Chairman
Sean Fitzsimmions was excited
at the prospect of the development
of handball in Downpatrick.
‘ This is not only a groundbreaking
coming together of two sports
under a wider organisation it
is also about the progress of
the club as a whole and what
it has to offer the young people
of the town taking up sport
for the first time. Handball
is an international sport and
it is up to us here at the club
to realise that and support
those who participate. For years
we had a small existence with
no changing rooms and pitch
we could call our own. Now we
have fantastic club rooms, solid
committee structure and with
the joining of the handball
club a full compliment of Gaelic
games available for all. We
are well and truly on our way
to achieving the vision we had
many moons ago.
The handball
club’s success has been
unparalleled in County Down
and holds one of the best records
in Ulster. Developing a strong
youth policy has ensured that
the standard and popularity
of Handball in the county continues
to rise. This has been exemplified
by the club’s progress
from the lower ranks in Division
six to the top of the Ulster
League Division one since 1998.
Looking to
the future Coach Murphy is confident
of the new partnership. ‘For
many years teams in South Down
have always had their handball
and football clubs joined. Team
such as Rostrevor and Saval
have always recognised the sport
and supported it well. To allow
us in the town to have a competitive
advantage and be successful
it makes perfect sense to become
part of a wider project that
will bring more trophies and
success to the RGU’.
