A Brief History of Greencastle Handball
Greencastle Handball Club is a rural club in county Tyrone founded 1998. The club developed slowly with some promising juvenile success until 2012, when the club almost closed due to lack of coaches and volunteers to promote the game. After a revival in 2016, the club is now thriving with over 90 juvenile members, many of whom are competing at a high level in juvenile handball. The club has enjoyed juvenile success at Ulster/Nationals/Cumann Na Bunscoil and Gael Linn competitions.
Other recent accolades the club received were in 2019, when Greencastle where nominated for GAA all-stars Handball Club of the year and in 2020 Greencastle were the first club in Ireland to receive the club Iontach gold status accreditation.
1998
Greencastle Handball Alley opened – Pat Clarke, Sean Clarke, Mickey Warnock, Colum Devlin, Eugene McCullagh, Peter Tracey, Fr Ryder and Sean Clarke (councillor) – (Sean McCague – GAA President attended)
Kevin McCullagh beat Sean Teague in the final of the first winter handball league
2000
Coaching and proper league structures developed by Martin McCullagh and Gerard Murphy for primary 4 pupils to 3rd year pupils
2007
Handball (Internal competition – Martin McCullagh & Gerard Murphy – Cranagh)
Daniel Tuohey and Christopher Gillen won the Teamtalk Under 13 Handball Doubles
Niamh Murphy won the Teamtalk Under 16 Singles Handball title
P5 Dara McDermott beat Conal O’Neill
P6 Shane McGuigan beat Gavin Slane
P7 Patrick Clarke beat Sean McBride
Yr8 Sean Fox beat Lee O’Neill
2008
Dara McDermott Teamtalk Tyrone U10B winner
2010
Claire Tuohey did Greencastle proud when she claimed the U-13 Tyrone singles title. She then went on to represent Tyrone in the Ulster Championship’s U-13 doubles competition alongside Niamh Clarke of Brackey, convincingly defeating their Donegal opponents in the Final in Kingscourt, Cavan
While some of the lads did well enough to make it through to the second round of their competition, it was our more experienced players who made through to the quarter final stages. Christopher Gillen lost out to Pol Clarke from Brackey on a scoreline of 15-7, 15-8 in the U-16 singles championship, while Daragh McDermott was beaten 11-6 in a tie-break by Turlough Clarke in the U-12s. Christopher was also chosen to represent Tyrone in the U-16 singles where he competed well, eventually going down to Michael Carson of Armagh in the Ulster semi-finals on a score of 15-5, 15-6.
2016
Launch of Handball in Greencastle after a few years in the wilderness by Darryl McCullagh with P1 – 3rd Year catered for in boys and girls as well as recreational leagues for men and women at senior level
Development of a One-Wall facility in Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School
2017
Continuation of Handball by Darryl McCullagh with P1 – 3rd Year catered for in boys and girls as well as recreational leagues for men and women at senior level
First internal Winter League for all age groups
2018
Alice McGlinchey U10B Lough Wallball Champion
Alice McGlinchey U10B Tyrone Handball League winner
Caislin Tracey and Sorcha Hughes U12 Tyrone Doubles County Champions
Caislin Tracey U11A Tyrone Handball League Runner-up
Caislin Tracey U11B Lough Wallball Champion
Caislin Tracey U12 Silver Competition Winner Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon
Sorcha Hughes U11B Tyrone League Handball Winner
Conor Haughey and Tarlach Tracey U10B Lough Walball Doubles Runners Up
Tarlach Tracey U10 Competition Runner-up Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon
2019
Caislín Tracey U13 Handball Ulster Doubles Champion 2019
Alice McGlinchey Under 11B County Handball Champion
Caislin Tracey U13 Ulster Handball Champion (Cumann na mBunscoil)
Caislin Tracey Under 11A County Handball Runner-up
Niamh McGlinchey Under 13B County Handball Champion
Caislin Tracey U12 Handball winner Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon
Tarlach Tracey U10 Handball Runner-up Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon
Hosted part of the Irish Junior Nationals which was held in Tyrone with GAA Handball President visiting (Joe Masterson) and then hosted the Tyrone Leagues after alley renovations
Showcased an exhibition between Sean Kerr (2017 Minor All Ireland Champion) and Michael Mulkerrins (2018 Irish Champion)
Nominated for GAA all-stars Handball Club of the year
2020
First club in Ireland to receive the club Iontach gold status accreditation
