Eoin Kennedy's position at the very top of the Irish Handball rankings list was confirmed today when he was named Vodafone GAA All Star Handball award winner for 2004. The presentation was made at a ceremony in Dublin attended by the president of the GAA Sean Kelly, Handball Council president Tony Hayes and Vodafone's Head of Brand and Marketing Communications Helen Marks. Kennedy, 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. And on the international front 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 GAA Sean Kelly 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." On behalf of Vodafone, Helen Marks told Eoin; "Just reading your list of achievements in 2004 is exhausting. You have enjoyed a wonderful career and it is remarkable that you are still only 26. I'm told that you will dominate the game for many more years to come." Tweet

Most Read Stories