Ballyconnell Girls Crowned Carlow Olympic Handball Champions

Ballyconnell National School travelled to Ballon, Co. Carlow on the 19th January 2026 to take part in the Carlow Olympic Handball Tournament, and it proved to be a memorable and successful day for our junior girls’ team.

The 4th class girls were first into action on the day against Scoil Mhuire Lourdes, Tullow. Despite it being their very first experience of competitive handball, the girls showed remarkable confidence and composure from the outset. They settled quickly into the game and took an early lead through Eimear Bolger. Caragh Hiney Doyle delivered an outstanding performance in goal, pulling off several excellent saves throughout the match. Ballyconnell dominated the game and secured an impressive 4–0 victory, with all four goals coming from Eimear.

Game two saw Ballyconnell face a strong Grange side in a tightly contested encounter. Eimear once again opened the scoring before Grange responded to level the game. Kate O’Toole then found the net to restore Ballyconnell’s lead. The girls worked brilliantly together in defence during the closing stages and showed great teamwork and determination to hold on for a hard-earned 2–1 win.

In their final group game, Ballyconnell took on Carlow Educate Together. This proved to be another closely fought match, with Carlow ET taking an early lead. The Ballyconnell girls responded positively, with the Carlow ET goalkeeper pulling off a string of fine saves. Carlow ET managed to hold out for a narrow 1–0 victory.

Having won two of their three group games, Ballyconnell qualified for the county final, where they once again faced Carlow Educate Together.

The final was an exhilarating contest from start to finish. Ballyconnell got off to a flying start with an early goal from Eimear. Carlow ET responded strongly, but the Ballyconnell girls showed great resilience, battling back to lead 2-1 at half-time. The second half was end-to-end, with both teams trading goals. A last-gasp equaliser from Carlow ET made it 3–3, forcing the final into extra time.

Extra time brought even more excitement. Kate and Rose O’Toole worked tirelessly, showing great determination and energy as they intercepted passes and drove the team forward. In the closing moments, Sadie Keogh delivered a perfectly weighted pass, allowing Kate O’Toole to finish calmly into the bottom corner. The girls then defended bravely until the final whistle, sparking scenes of joy and celebration as they were crowned county champions.

This was a fantastic achievement by all involved, and the girls can now look forward to representing Carlow at the Leinster stage of the competition in March.

Maith sibh, cailíní!