Eoin Kennedy, DCU Postgraduate student, named `National Handballer of the Year'
17 February 2005

Eoin Kennedy

DCU engineering postgraduate student, Eoin Kennedy, was honoured as `Handballer of the Year 2004' at a reception hosted by Vodafone in the Westin Hotel on Monday 14 February 2005. This is the second time in three years that Eoin has received this prestigious award. The award was presented by President of the Irish Handball Council, Tony Hayes, and Vodafone's Head of Brand and Marketing Helen Marks.

Eoin, who also won this prestigious award in 2002, enjoyed a record-breaking season last year when he became the first player ever to win the Irish Nationals Men's Open Singles title three years in succession.

From the St Brigid's club in Blanchardstown, 26-year old Eoin swept the boards during the season. He won the All-Ireland Hardball Singles, the All-Ireland Third Level Colleges Men's Singles when representing DCU, the All-Ireland Senior 60 x 30 Softball Singles, the Connacht Open as well as the Dublin Senior Singles and Doubles.

At international level, Eoin represented Ireland in the Basque-Irish compromise rules contest in the Basque Country and was a quarter-finalist in the Ultimate Handball Showdown in the USA.

A former US Open, US Collegiate and Canadian Open champion, he also holds the unique distinction of winning the singles treble in Ireland of All-Ireland 40 x 20, All-Ireland 60 x 30 senior and the Irish Nationals 40 x 20 Open which he achieved in 2002.

Paying tribute to Eoin, the president of the Irish Handball Council Tony Hayes said; "Our handballers are a remarkable bunch of athletes who have brought distinction to the association and to the country around the world. Eoin has been a great ambassador for a number of years and he is thoroughly deserving of this award."