The TG4 cameras rolled into the sun drenched village of Crossakiel this morning to begin part one of a two part salvo to cover the Hughie Reilly Memorial Cup Tournament, writes Michael McGee.

The event which begins on Sunday morning at 10 am with players from Kells, Virginia and the host club all vying for honours to win the prestigious Cup 60 x 30 doubles tournament in honour of Club Stalwart Hughie Reilly who passed away in August 2016.

Grainne McElwain the well known columnist and Sports Broadcaster arrived into the village along with The TG4  Camera crew. The team left Belfast at 9 am this morning and arrived laden down with camera gear and fittings ready to film the Club who are 104 years in existence. The Camera crew of  Blaine and  Mark on sound recording  took shots from outside the handball alley from various angles and ably assisted by Catherine who took some outstanding views of the handball club and village operating her drone machine as it hung over the handball area showing off the splendid views of Crossakiel from the air.  Hanna the official Co Ordinator did an excellent job throughout.

Louise Byrne from Kilskyre who could have a new career in Television represented the club with aplomb and gave a good account of the Club in Irish and the life of the late Hughie Reilly to Ms McElwaine. The late Hughie Reilly was a larger than life personality. Everyone knew the Jolly Postman who served as a postman for over 42 years. Hughie was the main driving force that fundraised to get the open 60 x 30 alley covered in and this was achieved when the superb facility was officially opened by the then Leinster Handball President Tommy O’Brien in October 1986.  Not alone was he a handball visionary and way ahead of his time but he was instrumental in donating a piece of ground adjacent to the handball club where there is a monument commemorating Jim Connell a Kilskyre native who wrote the words to the socialist anthem The Red Flag in 1889. The Jim Connell weekend is celebrated in Crossakiel on the May Bank Holiday each year. Not alone that Hughie also attended the very first meeting of the Kells Motorcyle club in 1995 and he help to bring the motorbikes to Crossakiel in an event which sees thousands of motorcycling enthusiasts descend on Crossakiel for the two day event.  His dying wish was that he would get a motorbike escort around the circuit in Crossakiel. His wish was duly granted . It was something that reminded me of the motorbike cavalcade that was afforded to U.S President John F Kennedy at his burial back in 1963. It was a moment in time never to be forgotten in the village of Crossakiel. The An Post Communications Workers Union raised money for the Memorial Stone outside the handball alley in 2017 and donated the Cup to the Club in memory of their life long colleague. The work was carried out by local craftsman Louis Leavy.

Hughie was immensely proud of the young club members with Steven Quinn reaching dizzying heights winning both  U-15 singles titles in 1992. Ten years later Michael McGee travelled to Vancouver and carried off both the Men’s C singles and doubles titles in the Canadian Champions and also won a Welsh doubles title with the great John ‘Boy’ Molloy of Kells. Eugene O’Reilly in 2008 won the U.S. C singles title in Los Angeles while the following year he won the Men’s C National One-Wall singles title in Sligo and won the Boston Open singles title for good measure. And in 2010 Reilly did the very same feat as McGee when winning the Canadian Singles and the doubles title with Kells man Peter Flanagan.  Reilly was also awarded the Irish handball Coach of the year also in 2010. The Clubs Juvenile Officer Mark Farrell was now amassed the next generation of handball stars such as Darren O’Higgins, Ryan Corcoran, Paddy White, Warren Farrell, Cian Gaughran, Liam Fanning and Conal Farrelly.    Last year’s Hughie Reilly Memorial Cup winners seen Liam Fanning from the host playing what can only be described as sensational handball alongside Kells player Liam Dardis to take the title.
The seen is now set, the script has been written. Forget about Armagh & Galway in Croke Park. Come to Crossakiel on Sunday where you will be guaranteed  to see silken handball skills from the young handball players from Crossakiel, Virginia and Kells giving their all to bring home the Reilly Cup  in memory of the clubs greatest handball legend.  

Tweet

Most Read Stories