Gaelic Senior Softball Singles
The All-Ireland Senior Softball Singles title (M Donnelly 60 x 30 Singles) is an all-Ireland Gaelic Athletic Association competition between all 32 counties of Ireland which first commenced in 1925. The first senior hardball singles title was won by M. Joyce of Dublin, a player from Urlingford, County Kilkenny. Kilkenny have won the most titles, with a total of 22.
The 2007 final will was contested by Michael 'Ducksy' Walsh of Kilkenny and Eoin Kennedy of Dublin and Saint Brigid's GAA.[1] Eoin won the final in two straight games by winning 21-20 and 21-6 to retain his title.[2] Eoin then went on to win it in 2008, 2009 and 2010, which means he has now won the title seven times in a row.[3] Since then, he has won three more titles, while Robbie McCarthy of Westmeath and Mullingar Handball Club won seven titles.
Champions
[edit]| Year | Champion | County |
|---|---|---|
| 1925 | M. Joyce | Dublin 
|
| 1926 | T. Behan | Kilkenny 
|
| 1927 | W. McGuire | Dublin
|
| 1928 | J. McNally | Mayo 
|
| 1929 | D. Brennan | Kilkenny
|
| 1930 | P. Perry | Roscommon 
|
| 1931 | P. Perry | Roscommon
|
| 1932 | P. Perry | Roscommon
|
| 1933 | P. Perry | Roscommon
|
| 1934 | P. Perry | Roscommon
|
| 1935 | P. Perry | Roscommon
|
| 1936 | P. Perry | Roscommon
|
| 1937 | P. Perry | Roscommon
|
| 1938 | J.J. Gilmartin | Kilkenny
|
| 1939 | J.J. Gilmartin | Kilkenny
|
| 1940 | M. Walsh | Galway 
|
| 1941 | J. Dunne | Kilkenny
|
| 1942 | No championship | |
| 1943 | No championship | |
| 1944 | No championship | |
| 1945 | No championship | |
| 1946 | J.J. Gilmartin | Kilkenny
|
| 1947 | L. Rowe | Dublin
|
| 1948 | J. Bergin | Tipperary
|
| 1949 | L. Rowe | Dublin
|
| 1950 | J. Bergin | Tipperary
|
| 1951 | L. Rowe | Dublin
|
| 1952 | J. Ryan | Wexford 
|
| 1953 | M. Griffin | Cork 
|
| 1954 | J. Ryan | Wexford
|
| 1955 | J. Ryan | Wexford
|
| 1956 | J. Ryan | Wexford
|
| 1957 | J. Ryan | Wexford
|
| 1958 | P. Downey | Kerry 
|
| 1959 | F. Confrey | Louth
|
| 1960 | F. Confrey | Louth
|
| 1961 | P. Downey | Kerry
|
| 1962 | J.Delaney | Kilkenny
|
| 1963 | J. Maher | Louth
|
| 1964 | J. Maher | Louth
|
| 1965 | R. Lyng | Wexford
|
| 1966 | S. McCabe | Monaghan 
|
| 1967 | S. McCabe | Monaghan
|
| 1968 | J. Maher | Louth
|
| 1969 | J. Maher | Louth
|
| 1970 | J. Maher | Louth
|
| 1971 | R. Lyng | Wexford
|
| 1972 | P. Murphy | Wexford
|
| 1973 | J. Maher | Louth
|
| 1974 | P. Kirby | Clare 
|
| 1975 | P. Kirby | Clare
|
| 1976 | P. Kirby | Clare
|
| 1977 | P. Kirby | Clare
|
| 1978 | R. Lyng | Wexford
|
| 1979 | T. O'Rourke | Kildare 
|
| 1980 | P. Ryan | Dublin
|
| 1981 | P. Reilly | Kilkenny
|
| 1982 | O. Harold | Kilkenny
|
| 1983 | A. Ryan | Tipperary
|
| 1984 | T. O'Rourke | Kildare
|
| 1985 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1986 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1987 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1988 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1989 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1990 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1991 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1992 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1993 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1994 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1995 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1996 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1997 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 1998 | W. O'Connor | Meath 
|
| 1999 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 2000 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 2001 | M. Walsh | Kilkenny
|
| 2002 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2003 | T. Sheridan | Meath
|
| 2004 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2005 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2006 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2007 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2008 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2009 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2010 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2011 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2012 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2013 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2014 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2015 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2016 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2017 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2018 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2019 | E. Kennedy | Dublin
|
| 2020 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2021 | No championship | |
| 2022 | R. McCarthy | Westmeath
|
| 2023 |
Winners by County
[edit]| Team | Number of Wins | Winning Years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilkenny
|
25 | 1926, 1929, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1946, 1962, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| 2 | Dublin
|
16 | 1925, 1927, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1980, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2019 |
| 3 | Westmeath
|
9 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 |
| – | Wexford
|
9 | 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1971, 1972, 1978 |
| 5 | Roscommon
|
8 | 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937 |
| – | Louth
|
8 | 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973 |
| 7 | Clare
|
4 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 |
| 8 | Tipperary
|
3 | 1948, 1950, 1983 |
| 9 | Kerry
|
2 | 1958, 1961 |
| – | Monaghan
|
2 | 1966, 1967 |
| – | Kildare
|
2 | 1979, 1984 |
| – | Meath
|
2 | 1998, 2003 |
| 13 | Mayo
|
1 | 1928 |
| – | Galway
|
1 | 1940 |
| – | Cork
|
1 | 1953 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "All-Ireland handball final a sell-out | Sport | BreakingNews.ie". Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
- ^ Hoganstand.com - GAA Football & Hurling
- ^ "King Kennedy takes 20th title - HoganStand".