Connacht’s finest handballers were honoured in Claremorris on Saturday night in what was a successful night for Galway Handball.
Martin Mulkerrins was named Connacht Men’s Player of the Year for 2018 after becoming the first Galway man to win the senior 40x20 All Ireland Championship. He also captained Team Ireland at the World Championships in Minnesota where he reached the 40x20 final, losing out in two tight games to Killian Carroll.
Diarmuid Mulkerrins received the Young Male Player Award after a stellar 2018. He became the first Galway handballer to win the 60x30 in the 52 year history of the competition. The Moycullen man also competed in the World Handball Championships where he won a silver medal.
The Young Female Player of the Year went to Niamh Heffernan who claimed U17 glory at the 40x20 Irish World Trials/Junior Nationals. The Claregalway woman won two golds and a silver medal at the World Handball Championships. She reached the final of the 60x30 singles championship this ear also.
Inis Mór won the Connacht Club of the Year and will go forward to represent the province in the National All Star Awards.
All the award winners will represent Connacht at the National All-Star awards on Saturday February 2.
John Gaffney Memorial Tournament
Martin Mulkerrins suffered a surprise defeat in the quarter final of the John Gaffney Memorial Tournament. The Moycullen man was beaten by Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy by 6-15 15-12 11-7.
Mulkerrins had earlier defeated Michael Hedigan, but Clare’s Diarmuid Nash, who won the tournament, reclaimed the 40x20 number one ranking.
Diarmuid Mulkerrins was defeated in the first round by Kilkenny’s Peter Funchion.
