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Handball Icon Eoin Kennedy wins 3rd Vodafone Handball Allstar - Wed, 15 Feb 2006

Kennedy's third All-Star Handball Award.

Eoin Kennedy was presented with the Vodafone All-Star Player of the Year Award at a presentation luncheon held in the Westbury Hotel Dublin on Monday 13th February last.

Kennedy having previously won the prestigious All-Star Awards in 2002 & 2004. Kennedy had another excellent year in the handball courts winning the All-Ireland Senior Doubles 40 x 20 and 60 x 30 championships with Egin Jensen and hardball singles. Kennedy and Jensen helped to create handball history as the last pair from Dublin to win the Senior Doubles crown was won by the Rowe brothers back in 1948. The Blanchardstown Clubman claimed the FBD Player of the Year award for 2005 and found time to finish his studies, he graduated with a P.H.D. in Electronic Engineering. He is now a Lecturer in N.U.I Maynooth. Eoin was accompanied to the awards ceremony by his parents Eugene and Carmel Kennedy. Also in attendance were officials from the Dublin Handball Board, and members from the DCU and St. Brigid's club, Irish Handball Officials Tom Walsh President of the Irish Handball Council, Lorcan O'Ruairc National Secretary and members from the National media.

Eoin is a true champion and epitomizes all that is great in Irish Handball - Tom Walsh

Enda Lynch from Vodafone welcomed everyone to the Presentation. He also welcomed Eoin's family, and officials. Lynch praised Kennedy for another astonishing achievement in winning the award for the third time in four years. He captained Ireland against the Basque country last December. He is a great example to young people in the country for the level of hard work he puts into his game said Lynch. Tom Walsh on behalf of the Irish Handball Council then spoke and said for Eoin it was a special occasion to be honoured. It is no surprise that Kennedy won the award again. "Eoin is a true champion and epitomizes all that is great in handball" said Walsh. Eoin excels in 60 x 30, hardball and 40 x 20 and is an unbeatable champion in handball. Walsh paid tribute to the Kennedy family and to Michael McCluskey his mentor at an early age. Walsh said it must give Michael McCluskey great sense of satisfaction that Eoin has achieved so much. Walsh thanked Vodafone and hope the relationship with them would continue for many more years. Eoin then spoke and said it was a very nice to receive the award and it means a lot to him. The Blanchardstown club man thanked his family, Michael McCluskey who drove him all over the country along with the late Shay Reilly R.I.P. Kennedy had words of thanks to St. Brigid's Club, Eugene Reilly Chairman of DCU, Derek Henry, Tom O' Donnell. Co. Board Officers, Irish Handball Councils Officials for promoting the game, Egin Jensen for a great year and he is determined to try to do it all again this year. Eoin had special words of thanks to his parents, family and friends and appreciated all the help and support from them. Donal Keenan mentioned years ago, the names of Paddy Perry would be on everyone's lips and in more, recent times the great Michael Duxie Walsh. Now we have a new legend in Eoin Kennedy he concluded.

World wide successes for Kennedy

Kennedy won his first All-Ireland at U-14 level winning the singles in the 60 x 30 court in 1993. The following year he represented Ireland in the U.S. Juniors in San Diego and achieved notable success. In 1995, he won the U-16 60 x 30 Singles. Over the following years, he won Minor Singles in 1997, U-21 singles in 1998 and the Intermediate title in 1999. Two years later also proved a great year when Eoin claimed the U.S. Collegiate title and in May of that year won the Canadian singles over twelve times champion the legendary Merv Deckertt in Halifax Nova Scotia by 21-7, 21-7. Eoin has made the step up to Senior ranks effortlessly and already has won 3 Softball singles, 1 40 x 20 singles, 1 40 x 20 doubles, 4 hardball singles and also triumphed in the FBD Nationals finals 3 years in a row. Kennedy comes from a fine handball pedigree. His grandfather Paddy Kennedy (Roscommon) won an All-Ireland junior softball doubles medal in the forties. His father Eugene is also an accomplished handballer having won a number of All-Ireland's and still playing exceptionally well to this day. Kennedy was a member of the Irish team that travelled to the Basque region in 2002 and 2004. Eoin was the captain of the Irish team as they beat the Basque Country last December in an historic contest and showed great leadership.

Eoin's goal to be a World Champion

Eoin and I began by asking him how important is these awards to the top players in recognition of there successes each year I know for all the top players you really want to be remembered for what you have won on the court, whether it is All-Ireland's, Nationals, International competitions. At the same time, it is nice to get an award outside of that. Vodafone G.A.A. is probably the biggest of those awards that you can get. I asked Eoin what is his goals for the season ahead. His aim is to regain the titles he won last year, the doubles with Egin Jensen and to improve his game overall. Obviously, the World Championships is on this year and that is a big goal for all handballers. I asked Eoin what is his preparations for the big championships like the All-Ireland series. Eoin usually trains 5 -6 evenings a week between playing games, weight training, running and sprints together with a lot of practise on the court by himself to get the skills right. He puts in heavy training early in the year and as the games come up tries to keep fresh and keep the skills levels high. Next question put to Eoin was that Paul Brady and Tony Healy are the top two players in the country and the World, does he feel he can make up that ground in the next 2-3 years. Eoin is positive that he can. I have done well in the 40 x 20 winning All-Ireland's and Nationals and its something that I want to achieve to try to win another All-Ireland 40 x 20, definitely. A final question put to Eoin that this year is an important year with the World Championships taking place will this be the year Eoin Kennedy wins a World Open title. He laughs I do not know about that he said. From our own Irish players there is Tony Healy, Paul Brady, Ricky McCann, Dessie Keegan, Michael Finnegan, Ciaran Curran, and Michael Gregan all want to win too. All the American players will be trying to win it. It will be stiff competition but at the same time you train, you're hardest to go out and do your best and hopefully things will go right in the week. We will see what happens concluded Eoin.

Kennedy is without doubt a role model in Irish Handball. Despite all his wonderful achievements, he is still very focussed in pushing himself as far as he can. A true professional, he loves his handball and looks forward to new challenges. He puts in a huge amount of hard work training and on his own perfecting his skills. With huge dedication to the sport, he puts in enormous amount of his time perfecting his skills to a higher level. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is one fiercely determined young man that wants to keep winning, pushing himself to reach even higher goals. Even in tight games, he some how conjurers up an unbelievable fighting spirit and delivers the knock out to his opponents. Kennedy had an excellent 2005 and who knows this year may be his greatest yet.

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