Another All Ireland title for Kildare handballer, Mick Dowling

By Gavin Grace

"Veni, Vidi, Vici".......according to Google this phrase was first attributed to Julius Caesar after winning a battle in Asia minor (modern day Turkey). Many people, especially in Britain (unsurprisingly), think it was uttered after he defeated a British army. It’s also a phrase that could be used when describing Mick Dowling's performance yesterday up in Kingscourt, against Tyrone man Conor Kerr in the Emerald Masters A Handball final.

A large Ballymore and Kildare crowd travelled north to see Mick's game and their journey was not in vain. From the start, Mick blitzed the Red Hand county man, with his famed spin serve bewildering his opponent. The serve, combined with plenty of "bottom brick" kill shots saw Mick won the first game to a duck-egg, 21-0.

The second, understandably, was less one sided. Kerr settled into the game and started to use the roof a bit more which paid some dividends. It was a case of damage limitation for the Ulster champion however, as Mick won the second on a scoreline of 21-14 to bag the title.

It's a richly deserved reward for Mick, his application and dedication to the game of Handball is second to none and this title was hard earned. A victory against old sparring partner Robbie McCarthy in the Leinster final followed by a three game tie-break victory against the Munster champion at the Semi-Final stage meant he had to at his very best this season. Maith thú Mick!!

Ballymore also had two players make it to the All-Ireland series in this year’s small alley Championship. Brendan Higginbotham's journey ended at the semi-final stage, he travelled to Cappagh, Limerick to take on John Ryan in the Golden Masters B semi-final. Unfortunately Brendan never got a foothold in the game and came out on the wrong side of a 21-9,21-7 result.