Nash and McMahon take Golden Gloves crowns
Diarmaid Nash won the Fonacab Golden Gloves Men's Open.
By Paul Fitzpatrick
A new season but familiar champions crowned in Belfast at the weekend as the 37th annual Fonacab Golden Gloves titles went to elite stars Diarmaid Nash and Martina McMahon.
The ‘Gloves’, inaugurated in the mid 1980s, is regarded as one of the sport’s most iconic weekend tournaments. The event is the traditional curtain-raiser for the 40x20 season and this year it was again full to capacity with 210 entries across all grades.
Pride of place in the blue-riband Men’s and Ladies Opens went to Nash and McMahon, who came through their finals in straight games.
The 16-strong Men’s Open field was headed by Cork’s David Walsh, who reached the All-Ireland Senior Singles final for the first time last year. He advanced to the last four but was beaten by county colleague Daniel Relihan.
Another Rebel, Michael Hedigan, was turned back in the semi-final by the in-form Nash and the Tuamgraney clubman controlled the final, defeating Liscarroll’s Relihan 15-11, 15-10.
This was the 34-year-old Clareman’s second Open Singles title at the Golden Gloves, having previously taken the title in 2018.
“I love coming up here,” he said.
“This is an amazing tournament, it's independently ran, it's St Paul's but also and Gort na Mona, Queens, Coláiste Feirste and other clubs, it's a whole Belfast initiative. It's really special.
“I just love coming up here, it's unbelievable and hopefully it will be for many more years to come. Hopefully we will keep coming back.”
Martina McMahon won the Fonacab Golden Gloves Women's Open.
Meanwhile, Martina McMahon continued her sensational run of form as she claimed the Ladies Open crown. The Broadford, Co Limerick lefty dropped the first game of her semi-final against Tyrone’s Eilise McCrory but turned things around to return to the final, where she also started slowly.
Down 10-2 to Roscommon’s Fiona Tully – who had enjoyed a brilliant win over world champion Ciana Ní Churraoin of Galway – McMahon knuckled down and won the first game before taking the second 15-9 for yet another ranking tournament win.
“Thanks to everyone here in Belfast, the Golden Gloves is one of the best tournaments of the year across all codes,” McMahon said.
“I think I speak for all the players in that we're well looked after and this tournament is the kick we need coming out of the wallball and getting into the four-wall for the 2026 season.
“Fiona had a phenomenal win against Ciana, very dominant in that. I got the rub of the green there in the first game, even I myself thought that was gone from me.”
