WITH the Provincial Championships now wrapped up, the Irish Handball Association has totted up its men and women’s rankings with some young players climbing up the ladder and some longer established competitors slipping down the ranks.
Paul Brady, who only competes irregularly in Ireland nowadays, is not included since he didn’t play any of the major tournaments, as Robbie McCarthy tops the men’s rankings.
The Mullingar man won the All-Ireland Senior Singles Championship last year and tops the list on 65 points, 13 ahead of Ulster champion Charly Shanks with Cork’s Killian Carroll third on 45 points.
The list is compiled from the best eight-point scorers from the last nine ranking events within the past two years, with the Irish Senior Singles carrying the most points.
The St Paul’s Golden Gloves event and the Gaffney Memorial Tournament in Mayo are also highly ranked. McCarthy also won the latter tournament last month when he defeated Killian Carroll in the final.
Apart from Lurgan man Shanks, the only other Ulster player in the men’s top 10 is Belfast-based Owen McKenna who squeezes into 10th place. McKenna has not been a regular on the Irish circuit in recent times but he did play in the Irish Singles Championship, last year, earning six points of his 16 total. Michael Finnegan comes in at 12th and Darragh Daly is in 14th position.
Aisling Reilly, who has had a wonderful run recently, tops the women’s rankings with a bit to spare.
The Irish Senior Singles champion, who had to pull out of the Ulster final because of a finger injury, has amassed 83 points and is 13 ahead of her great rival Catriona Casey. The Cork girl won the She’s Ace tournament last month with defeat of Eilise McCrory in the final.
Reaching the final at Breaffy House in Castlebar earned the Tyrone girl 12 points and took her into 10th position in the rankings.
