No handball Grand Marshal a 'missed opportunity'

Five in-a-row All-Ireland 60 x 30 handball winner Eoin Kennedy says authorities have missed out on a 'glorious opportunity' to promote the game by not including a representative from the GAA sport as one of the Grand Marshals for this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin.

Next Tuesday's parade will see three of last year's All-Ireland-winning captains - Brian Dooher (Tyrone football), Angela Walsh (Cork Ladies' football) and Caitriona Foley (Cork camogie), along with Kilkenny hurling star Henry Shefflin - proudly show off the All-Ireland silverware they picked up in 2008, in front of hundreds of thousands of revellers in the capital.

However, Dublin native and reigning All-Ireland 60 x 30 champion Kennedy will not be amongst them as they greet the crowds.

"You never expect to get the call up for things like that, but it would be great exposure for the game of handball to be getting a bit more recognition," he said.

"It is a wonderful game and pretty much anyone I know who has ever tried the game has enjoyed it.

"I think it's a matter of exposing the game to more people really - no matter how you do that, whether it's through top players and getting more profile or getting into schools more."

Kennedy feels that while the Irish Handball Council already do a good job of promoting the sport, understandably it can be frustrating when competing against other sports.

"From the Handball Council point of view, a lot of the time they put a lot of good work in and it is just not picked up on.

"Media outlets have advertising revenue to think of and they think they can get more of it from something else and they'll do that.

"But sometimes you have to take the opportunities when they arise."

And Kennedy confesses that he would have loved to have been given the opportunity to parade down O'Connell Street in his native city on St. Patrick's Day.

"It would do no harm to walk down O'Connell Street alright, especially in your native city but that's not going to be the case."

Kennedy was at Croke Park today at a photo shoot ahead of this Saturday's 40 x 20 finals, which will see the Dublin ace bit to end Cavan handball and Gaelic football star Paul Brady's quest for a five in-a-row on the small court.

"I won't be fearful of Paul but at the same time you have to respect what he has done in the 40 by 20 game," Kennedy said of his opponent.

"He's been the dominant player both here in Ireland and internationally over the last five or six years. He's going for a five in-a-row this weekend so he has a huge incentive.

"But for me in terms of 40 by 20 handball, I haven't had essentially as much success as I've had in the bigger court so I'll be looking this weekend to add a 40 by 20 title. My last one was in 2002 so it's been a while.

"I've been in the finals a few times since then but I haven't got over the line so it's going to be a good hard game but one that I'm looking forward to."