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Eoin Kennedy goes for 4 in a Row this Saturday in All-Ireland Singles Final in Croke Pk - Wed, 29 Aug 2007

Eoin Kennedy takes on the legendary Kilkenny maestro Michael Duxie Walsh in a repeat of the 2001/2002 finals. It promises to be another memorable final between the two handball giants in the 60 x 30 code. It's an amazing statistic Eoin Kennedy was only 7 y.o. when Duxie was winning the first of his 16 softball singles titles in 1986. Twenty one years on and at 41 Duxie is in the final yet again. The Kilkenny Cat must have 9 (or 16) lives as Walsh announced his retirement after the 2002 final. Walsh still has the hunger and has trained very hard.

He even finished last year's Dublin City Marathon and just last weekend hammered the young pretender Michael Gregan in the semi-final with some explosive finishing in Garryhill. I caught up with the champion Eoin Kennedy and began asking him the secret of his success in handball. Eoin responded by saying ?I train hard over the years I have always put in a big effort. This year in the 60 x 30 myself and Egin Jensen have been playing well. In the singles this is my fourth final in a row hopefully I will do the business in that too.

You have taken over Duxie's mantle since 2002 with great achievements in softball, hardball, 1 wall and World Champion. Duxie is in the final five years on from that momentous occasion. I am sure you must be very impressed at how Duxie at 41 is at the top off his handball after all those years? Yes, Duxie is phenomenal. It's incredible that he is such great shape. The thing about Duxie age isn't such an important thing for his game because the way he plays. He has got a great serve and he cuts the ball off inside. Straight away he has you on the defensive and it is something I am going to have to think about how to combat that.

I asked Eoin, what does it take to become an All-Ireland handball champion?

You played very impressively in all your qualifying games this year albeit with the 21-20 scare over Dessie Keegan in the first game in the singles semi-final. You're displaying superb form at the present time which must give you great confidence in your own ability's. Does the favourites tag rest lightly on your shoulders and how will you cope with this? "The favourites tag never rests lightly on anyone's shoulders said Kennedy. I have always said it is much easier to win the first title than it is to defend it. There is definitely more pressure going into the game as the favourite. In saying that I enjoy that because it means people have to try and knock me off the perch. Off course it is different with Duxie he has won 16 All- Ireland senior softball singles titles. It is not like he is going into to win his first title so it is slightly different in that respect." In each time you have played Duxie it has been close.

Without giving too much away how will you go about winning the title again?

"To be honest I don't think about what the opponents are doing. I will deal with that during the match. Usually I concentrate on getting my own game right. I believe that if I play my own game it is good enough to beat anybody. Doing that to the best of my ability on the night is the most difficult thing."

My last question to Eoin was in the days leading up to the final how he will prepare himself?

"Physically all the work has already been done. So it really is just a matter of mental preparation to make sure I am focussed on the night. You would be thinking a lot about the game and the occasion maybe trying to visualise what it is going to be like. But basically, just getting yourself ready so that you won't be too nervous."

I could see in Eoin Kennedy's face he is focussed for the battle to come. Just like a heavyweight boxer before the start he is quiet and restrained waiting to un leash his powerful right and left hand in the Croke Park ring. Duxie has fought many a battle in the heat of the Croke Park cauldron. The Kilkenny man is a colossus in Irish handball that is assured. Kennedy on the other hand is a gifted handballer he weighs up his options a master tactician in his own right a chip off the old block. Coolness personified in the heat of battle. Duxie the King of 16 victory's on his journey now meets the crown prince from the East. This could be the defining year in Walsh's amazing career. Kennedy ended Walsh?s stranglehold in 2002 but Duxie Walsh's amazing appetite and hunger for the game has given him a new lease of life in the court to keep battling. The Talbot's Inch warrior on what could be his very last stand. A defining evening for the Kilkenny star, a hero for Kennedy growing up. One way or another Walsh looks likely to get his second standing ovation at the end no matter what way the contest goes and fully deserved. This time the end could be for good. A fascinating fight is a great prospect. Who will win nobody knows. Duxie will have massive support from the hurling clad black and amber from places as Bennettsbride, Goresbridge, Talbot's Inch and everywhere in between.

Kennedy will have the Sky blue army from Na Fianna, Portobello, St Brigid's & Brian Boru's from the capital descending on Croke Park . The great imponderable Duxie's 17th title or Kennedy's fifth all the questions will be answered next Saturday. The time for talking is over and the handball fraternity are looking forward to what could very well be another epic encounter between the top two handball giants in Irish softball at the present time. Nobody will want to miss this latest chapter in Irish handball.

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