Irish take on Basques in hybrid handball
Five of Ireland’s top players - Eoin Kennedy, Dessie Keegan, Joe McCann, Michael Gregan and James Doyle - are travelling for a hybrid game of Irish hardball and ‘mano’, a form of pelota, in a major tournament with a television audience of millions. Speaking at their final training session, Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy said “We’re all very excited about travelling to the Basque country. I was there in 2002 and the people are fanatical about pelota, with thousands watching the games.”
The tournament has its roots in the early 1900s, when Basques first visited Ireland to compete against national champions such as Paddy Perry and were welcomed by President Eamon De Valera, who played handball when incarcerated in Kilmainham.
