Martina McMahon Ladies All-Ireland Senior Singles title & Gary McConnell crowned All-Ireland Senior Softball Singles champion

By Paul Fitzpatrick

Limerick’s Martina McMahon continued her extraordinary run of form when she claimed the Ladies All-Ireland Senior Singles title over 21-year-old Kilkenny camóg Amy Brennan.

Broadford’s McMahon, serving brilliantly, opened up big leads in both games but Brennan did find her range at times, the Treaty left-hander eventually running out a 21-8, 21-11 victor.

McMahon has been unbeaten since last August, picking up a string of major titles across handball’s three different codes, but this was one of the sweetest, she said.

“A winning streak for me is just winning one game, I take one game at a time,” McMahon said.

“Softball is our traditional game and my favourite code. Big kudos to Amy Brennan, she put it up to me there today. I have no doubt she will be back again.”

There is a new name on the Ducksy Walsh Cup after Meath’s Gary McConnell sensationally defeated 11-time champion Robbie McCarthy of Westmeath in the All-Ireland Senior Softball Singles final at Abbeylara, Co Longford.

McConnell, controlling the tempo and fly-killing consistently, cruised to a 21-8 win in the first game. McCarthy came out shooting in game two and quickly opened a 6-0 lead.

But McConnell came roaring back to lead 8-7, at which stage McCarthy (38), who had been troubled by a niggly back injury, was forced to concede on an injury default.

After the game, McCarthy – who had been unbeaten in the softball code since 2019 – announced that he is to retire, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable career at the elite level in the sport.

But it was McConnell’s day. The 35-year-old Kells clubman has been extremely successful in doubles but this was his first All-Ireland Senior Singles title.

“A fella said to me, and it really annoyed me, a couple of years ago, ‘you’re like Andy Murray’s brother in tennis, you only win in doubles’ and it really bugged me.

“I was wondering if everybody thought that and it was definitely one of the things that really pushed me on this year.”

McConnell spent the early exchanges attempting to suss McCarthy out, he said, and gradually imposed himself on the game.

“It was all about me, being in the right frame of mind. I’m a firm believer that if I show up on my game, nobody can touch me, especially in the ‘big court’,” he said.