The UCD Handball team travelled to the Kingscourt Intervarsity tournament in Carlow last weekend and although not coming home with all honours, the competition highlighted the amazing talent here in UCD.

Mulkerrins run to the open final:

The first weekend in February brought with it the College term’s most high profile GAA Handball intervarsity. UCD’s twenty strong team comprised several players with a strong chance of winning their division. Despite a dominant showing in the top divisions it is a tale of what might have been for many of the University’s top athletes.

UCD’s number two ranked player Martian Mulkerrins played the tournament of his life. Coming through on the hard side of the draw, Mulkerrins showed fantastic stamina to reach the Open final.

The talented fresher powered past NUIG’s Naill Malone in a bruising encounter, only to meet defending champion, top tournament seed and fellow UCD man Diarmaid Nash in the semifinal.

Nash, one of the nation’s top senior players, was expected to make short work of Mulkerrins – especially after his two-hour-long quarterfinal. It appeared as if this was the case, with Nash racing into an 11-2 lead in the first game.

However, at this point Mulkerrins showed his true colours. A heroic display of picks, gets and dead-roll-outs ensued as Mulkerrins levelled the match. Nash stuck to his distinctive methodical style of handball, but Mulkerrins was catching him out with his speed around the court.

A spectacular comeback in the first game was followed by a more even and explosive second game. Mulkerrins came through this encounter on a scoreline of 21-17, 21-19 in just shy of two hours.

With so much court-time clocked up it wouldn’t have been suprising for the Galway native to fade in the final against LIT’s Seamus O’Carroll, the 2010 champion.

But Mulkerrins is made of sterner stuff. The first game of this titanic final saw him move the Limerick man around the court with splendid accuracy and pace. O’Carroll was picking Mulkerrins kill-shots well, but the UCD man looked determined for the win taking the first game 21-15.

The second game was on an epic scale like no other. Fifty-two minutes in length, the display of speed, agility, picks and gets was truly astonishing. With numerous rallies lasting over 30 shots this was a true test of ability.

Mulkerrins started well, going 8-1 up, but at this point O’Carroll hit a purple patch. Levelling the match at 11-11 he gave an awesome display of power and speed.

Mulkerrins seemed somewhat taken aback by this, as his long and gruelling route to the final began to tell. The UCD man did manage to retake the lead at 18-17 and looked as if he may serve out the game O’Crroll battled back to take the game 21-19.

The tie-break decider was packed with action as neither player would give an inch in the rallies. Returning the ball from seemingly impossible angles and picking almost dead-roll-out shots, both players were showing tenacious apatite for the title.

Mulkerrins, weary after so long a match, was playing on pure desire. However, a few misplaces left handed kill shots gave O’Carroll an advantage he would not surrender. The advantage of an easier draw and the added fitness of playing senior football and hurling for Limerick told in the end, as the LIT player came through to take the title 11-5.

Nevertheless, this was a coming-of-age weekend for Mulkerrins. Still in his first year at UCD there is surely much more to come from this player in the years ahead.

Sheridan wins the B title:

Marcus Sheridan won through one of the most competitive Men’s B graded there has been at Intervarsity level in years. Playing a total of 6 matches to take the title and battling through a back injury this is truly one of the most impressive club achievements of the last few years.

His quarter and semifinals went right down to the wire, with the Cavan native having to pull out all the stops for victory. His unique style of play threw opponents off, working rallies masterfully to set his clinical left hand kill-shot.

Sheridan is also renowned as great flare player. Continually taking shots between his legs of behind his back he garnered rapturous applause from the packed gallery en route to the final.

In the final he faced off against ITCarlow’s John Farrell. Here Sheridan’s superior fitness proved the difference. Farrell is renowned for his never say die attitude, so Sheridan game plan was to push hard at the start and then hold his lead.

This is exactly what he did, running out deserving winner on a scoreline of 21-11, 21-5.

Rushe narrowly beaten in semis:

UCD’s most successful ever handballer, Marianna Rushe, was narrowly beaten in the semifinal on the women’s open event by eventual champion Catriona Casey from UL. Rushe, who recently claimed the Connaught senior title, never really got going in the match. At 16-0 down in the second game of the semi she rallied and pulled it back to 16-16 in spectacular fashion. However, the huge physical effort of this comeback took its toll and Casey went on to take the match 21-17, 21-16.

Casey would then go on the claim the title with ease leaving many to speculate that had Rushe, a former three times champion, been seeded differently and they had met in the final the result could have been different.

All in all this was an extremely successful tournament for UCD GAA Handball club. Just four years ago UCD was one of the smallest clubs on the intervarsity circuit. Now, through the hard work of the committee and players in training they are one of the strongest and largest presences at the intervarsity events.