Preview: GAA Handball Senior Softball Doubles finals

By Paul Fitzpatrick

History will be on the line when Kilkenny and Wexford contest the Men's Senior Softball Doubles final on Saturday (first game, 2pm), with two of the sport's traditional powerhouses going head to head.

Kilkenny's Kyle Jordan and Jack Holden arrive after surviving a dramatic semi-final against Westmeath's Robbie McCarthy Jnr and Colm Jordan. Blown away in the opening game, 21-5, they showed remarkable composure to level the contest before edging a gripping tiebreak, 11-7.

Jordan's rise has been one of the stories of the season. Still only 21, he announced himself as one of the country's premier players when he captured the Southern Classic ranking tournament in Cork back in January.

His cousin, Jack Holden, provides the perfect foil. An All-Ireland-winning hurler with Thomastown, Holden brings a calmness and consistency that allows the partnership to flourish. Unflappable under pressure, he has become one of the finest doubles players in the country.

Standing opposite them will be Wexford's Mark Doyle and Joe Devereux, who booked their place in the decider with a straight-games victory over Tipperary's Ger Coonan and James Prentice, although both games were fiercely contested.

The ambidextrous Doyle has returned from the United States before heading back to Texas to continue his studies, having continued to compete on the WPH tour. Earlier this year he defeated Jordan in the final of the USHA Collegiate Championships in St Louis.

Devereux, meanwhile, is one of the game's most accomplished all-round players, excelling across all codes. Together they won last year's Intermediate Doubles title and have made a seamless transition to senior level.

The final also carries significant historical importance.

Wexford are chasing a first senior softball doubles title since Gavin Buggy and Galen Riordan triumphed in 2022. Before that, Barry Goff and Colin Keeling lifted the title in 2011, while Tommy Hynes and Colin Keeling, one of the game’s hardest-hitting pairings, were champions in 2000. Wexford also enjoyed a remarkable golden era during the 1970s, winning five titles in eight years, with Dick Lyng, Seamus Buggy, Pat Murphy and John Quigley all collecting two or more winners' medals.

Kilkenny's wait has been much longer. Amazingly, the Cats last lifted the title in 1997 when Michael 'Ducksie' Walsh and Eugene Downey secured what was their 10th and final crown in the code. Between 1980 and 1985, three different county pairings captured the All-Ireland title – Ollie Harold and Paddy Reilly in 1980, Anthony Greene and Peadar Hughes in 1981, and Walsh and Downey, whose success capped a period when Kilkenny was the dominant force in the game.

Meanwhile, Limerick will begin as favourites to retain the Ladies Senior Softball Doubles title when Martina McMahon and Aisling Shanahan face Roscommon's Fiona Tully and Alanna Coggeran in Saturday's final.

The champions progressed directly to the decider after receiving a bye, while Roscommon earned their place with a deserved semi-final victory over Kilkenny's Noelle Dowling and Emer Barron.

Although Limerick have not had the benefit of a competitive championship outing, they are the defending champions for a reason. McMahon has already added another Senior Singles title to her remarkable collection this season, while Shanahan has grown into a very steady right-side player.

Roscommon’s Fiona Tully has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, claiming her first Senior 4-Wall Singles crown earlier this year before returning to the 60x30 court for the first time in several seasons. Alongside her, the rapidly improving Alanna Coggeran has impressed throughout the championship and showed her quality in the semi-final success over the Kilkenny pairing.

Both finals will be streamed live on the Spórt TG4 YouTube channel.