McCarthy overcomes Brady to retain All-Ireland 4-wall crown

Mullingar's Robbie McCarthy retained his All-Ireland 4-wall senior singles title with a dramatic win over Cavan legend Paul Brady at the new facility in Croke Park on Saturday.

On a weekend of seismic shocks in the championship, one of the most dramatic GAA matches of the year played out in Croke Park and may have slipped by some followers.

In the first All-Ireland 4-wall senior singles final in the new National Handball Centre at HQ, holder Robbie McCarthy put his title on the line against five-time world champion Paul Brady from Cavan and came out on top after two top quality games, with an unlucky Brady picking up an injury on his return to the national scene.

McCarthy retained his crown but in unprecedented circumstances as Brady (44), who had made a sensational return to action this year, was forced to retire when within touching distance of an 11th title.

Brady won the opening game 21-16 and built up what looked an unassailable 16-3 lead in the second, only to suffer a severe groin strain. He battled through the pain barrier but was forced to withdraw, with the Mullingar man holding on to the Gael Linn Cup.

Victory, his first over the Cavan great, is yet another wonderful achievement for Robbie McCarthy, who continues to lead the way on the national scene. This is his 22nd All-Ireland title in total and his determination is to be admired. Saturday’s final was sold out since the start of the week, which is uncharted territory for handball as two giants of the game went toe to toe.