Nash brings All-Ireland handball title back to Clare

Clare's Diarmuid Nash created history at Kingscourt, Co Cavan as he became the first player to bring the All-Ireland senior singles handball title back to the Banner county since the legendary Pat Kirby in 1980.

Left-hander Nash played brilliantly to defeat hot favourite, four-time winner Robbie McCarthy of Westmeath, in a nailbiting tiebreaker.

The Tuamgraney clubman was magnificent in the first set, winning 21-8 with a career-best display of two-handed offense but McCarthy found his range and raced into a 19-7 lead in game two.

Nash continued to battle and rallied to reach 17 and although he was held there, he carried the momentum into the tiebreaker, tearing into a 6-0 lead. Mullingar’s McCarthy cut the gap but could never get in front and on his second attempt at game ball, Nash closed it out with a pass shot for a famous win.

Nash, 31, had previously lost finals to McCarthy in 2014 and 2019 but the former Clare underage hurler was not to be denied on this occasion and delivered a masterful performance in the first senior 40x20 final played in three years due to pandemic-related restrictions.

Earlier, Cork’s Catriona Casey [above] defeated her great rival Martina McMahon of Limerick 21-18, 21-15 in the ladies Senior Singles final.

McMahon was hampered by a back injury but Casey’s play was flawless as she served superbly and retrieved the explosive Treaty star’s best attacking efforts.

Clodagh Munroe [Tyrone] and Cormac Finn [Sligo] won the Minor Singles finals, both in tiebreakers.