Keegan sounds burnout warning as South Mayo club celebrate a standout year

Parents should pause before committing their children to every available sport and training session, according to World Handball Federation President Des Keegan, who cautioned that young athletes risk physical and mental burnout when asked to do too much.

Keegan was speaking at a celebration night in Claremorris Handball Alley, where he addressed a packed gathering following exhibition matches and club presentations. While strongly endorsing participation in sport, he warned that excessive schedules can hinder rather than help development.

“If you want to get any way decent at a sport, you have to play that sport primarily,” he told The Mayo News. “It’s okay to play two or three sports, but what are you asking of a child if they’re doing rugby, soccer, Gaelic football, handball and everything else on top of it? Rest is so important.”

Originally from Ballaghaderreen and now living in Facefield, Claremorris, Keegan said ambition must be tempered with realism and balance. “Not everyone needs to be a world champion,” he said. “But if a child does want to reach a decent level in any sport, obsession matters. You see it in Kilkenny where everyone is carrying a hurley, even young children. Their success is not accidental.”

SUSTAINED FOCUS

His remarks came during an evening that highlighted what sustained focus, volunteer commitment and structured development can deliver. Claremorris Handball Club hosted two elite exhibition matches before presenting awards to competition winners and acknowledging long-serving members.

A large crowd filled the viewing area of the town-centre alley, and the quality of handball on display underlined the central message of the event — that excellence is built through dedication rather than dilution.

The on-court action began with a showcase match between Claremorris 40x20 specialist Niall Joyce and Ireland’s top-ranked player, David Walsh of Mallow, who is now based in Dublin. Walsh later returned for a second exhibition encounter against Patrick Murphy, one of Claremorris’s most successful players and a world champion in other handball codes.

Speaking afterwards, Murphy said the purpose of the exhibition matches went well beyond entertainment. “We’re here this evening to recognise the achievements of the club over the last 12 months,” he said. “We have juveniles coming through, county champions, under-14 champions, and nights like this are about showing these players the standard that exists outside Mayo.”

Murphy stressed the importance of exposing young players to elite performers. “David is the top-ranked player in the country. The progress he’s made over the last few years is unbelievable, and it gives kids something real to aspire to.”

DEDICATION

The two players are well acquainted competitively. Murphy recalled a narrow defeat to Walsh in an under-21 All-Ireland semi-final in 2019, played on Walsh’s home court.

“I lost from a tiebreaker,” he said. “To see where he is now shows what hard work does.” Now aged 26, Murphy is best known for his achievements in the big alley hardball game, which places a premium on strength and endurance.

“I’d be known as a hard hitter,” he said. “There’s a lot more twisting and turning in the 40x20, so it’s probably my weakest form of handball.” Nevertheless, his achievements are significant. Murphy is a world doubles champion, having secured a one-wall world title in Minnesota in 2018 alongside Tipperary’s James Prentice.

“A lot of handball in America is played against one wall,” he explained. “New York in particular is massive for it. They standardised the courts because land was harder to get, and timber floors are easier on the joints.” Murphy said his own introduction to handball came naturally through family involvement. “My father was asked if he had anyone interested in playing. My two older brothers started first, Raymond and Lawrence, and I followed them in.”

While Claremorris always had strong recreational participation, Murphy said national-level success was once rare. “Apart from Pat Hopkins winning a Masters world title, there wasn’t much,” he said. “Now, having senior champions coming from here is huge.”

HIGH PRAISE

Following the matches, Keegan addressed the crowd and paid tribute to the volunteers who underpin the club’s success. He recalled moving to Facefield four years ago and being drawn into the club almost immediately.

“I was in the house a day when Gerard Prendergast showed up and asked would I coach juveniles,” he said. “That tells you everything about this club.”

He reserved special praise for club secretary Noel Joyce. “It’s a thankless job,” he said, while also commending chairman Lawrence Murphy, noting the “huge life in the club”, particularly at juvenile level. Keegan described Tim Hughes as the man who “organises everything, no questions asked,” and praised Gerard Prendergast, who was absent through illness.

“Ger coaches juveniles, sweeps floors, organises sandwiches – he does absolutely everything.” Turning his attention back to the exhibition matches, Keegan was effusive in his praise for Walsh.

“Don’t be surprised if you see your senior singles champion in the next few weeks,” he said. “You can tell from the minute he strikes the ball the work he has done.” He went further still, predicting future success. “You’ve witnessed a world champion in the making here today,” he said, suggesting Walsh could peak at the World Championships in Canada in 2027.

He concluded by acknowledging both Murphy and Joyce. “To have two senior champions in one club is remarkable,” he said. “They’re not just great players – they’re great people. They’re a credit to their families, the club and the sport.”

VOLUNTEER SPIRIT

Speaking afterwards to The Mayo News, Keegan reflected on his own playing career, which began in Ballaghadreen when he was 12. “I was absolutely terrible for the first couple of years,” he said. “Then it just clicked.”

He went on to win multiple senior titles before a serious car accident in his mid-30s ended his playing days and led to double hip replacement surgery. “That’s when I decided to give back through administration,” he said.

Keegan served as GAA Handball President from 2020 to 2023 and now heads the sport globally, having recently returned from Hong Kong. He emphasised that all roles within the organisation remain voluntary.

Clubs like Claremorris, he said, are central to the sport’s future. “Any club where you see kids sitting in the gallery watching matches is healthy,” he said. “At the moment, Claremorris is going really well.”

Veteran member Tim Hughes traced the club’s origins back to the late 1970s, crediting Fr Richard Horan with establishing handball locally. “We fundraised, built the alley in 1975, and kept going,” Tim said.

He recalled the club’s first major breakthrough in 1987 with a novice All-Ireland title and outlined subsequent success at overage and senior level. He also detailed the 2018 upgrade works, which included improved heating, dressing room refurbishment and external insulation.

“The wall used to get damp,” he said. “That’s gone now, and you could see tonight the ball never skidded once.” Tim also acknowledged long-term supporter Cllr Richard Finn, who he said has been associated with the club for over 35 years and has provided annual council funding.

“Facilities like this don’t happen without pushing them along,” Cllr Finn said. “And having it right in the centre of town makes it accessible to everyone. The club also has a great committee and it’s great to see multiple generations of the same families involved at the same time.”

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