By Con Dennehy

Killarney handball star Owen Brosnan answered Ireland’s call at the weekend with a breathtaking display at the European One Wall Tour in London.

Currow native and Spa Killarney Handballer, Brosnan took on the best players in England, Wales, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, France and Israel and thanks to a superb display returned back to Kerry with a European gold medal following his phenomenal success in the Men’s C Plate competition.
Played at the Westway Sports Complex in London, more than 150 players took part in the competition on six indoor courts with Brosnan and his Killarney team colleague Tim Cronin playing 15 games over the two days. Following earlier round victories, Brosnan was paired with Tim Cronin in a Kerry dominated semifinal clash. This was an exciting high-octane game with both players producing a classic display of handball. Aces were hard fought with just one point separating both players at the end of a pulsating game. Brosnan advanced to the final on a 21-20 scoreline. “I was thrilled with my semifinal game. It was a hard-fought contest with all the training at the Spa GAA Hall helping me edge out a win. We train together and know each other strengths and weaknesses which added to the excitement of the occasion. We both teamed up in the Men’s B Plate Doubles competition reaching the semifinal where we were defeated by Matt Flapan and Gleb Spiridon, a USA/Israel combination,” said Owen.
Brosnan produced a superb display of fast paced handball in the Men’s C Plate final where his opponent was the highly fancied Josh Thomas from Wales. Using the court to his full advantage, the Killarney player produced a brilliant all-round performance to record a 21-18 victory and in the process his first major title.
“Naturally, I was delighted with the success. Both Tim and I started the sport by accident over 12 months ago when we attended an Open Family Day at Spa GAA Club. Brendan O’Donoghue, one of the founders of Spa Killarney Handball Club, was giving a demonstration of handball and invited us to try it out. We both enjoyed the experience and have been playing ever since. We are looking forward to the various domestic competitions over the coming months and really enjoy the training and fun element to the sport in the club.”

A unique photo exhibition has been installed on the railings outside St Mary’s Church of Ireland in Killarney town centre, offering a stark reminder of the human cost of the war in Ukraine. 

Organised by the local branch of the ‘Future of Ukrainian Nation’, the display serves as a bridge between the local community and the families who have fled to Kerry.

The display features portraits of several Ukrainian and Irish soldiers who have died or remain missing in action, as well as members of the media killed on the front line. 

Most poignantly, it captures the homes and memories of refugees now living in Killarney, showing the physical destruction of the lives they left behind.

Iryna Synelnykova, a teacher and activist with the “Future of Ukrainian Nation,” shared the story of her family’s summer house. The home was located on Potemkin Island in the Kherson region, along the Dnipro River. Iryna recalls countless happy moments shared there, but tragedy struck on July 6, 2023. Following the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric station, the island and the house were submerged. As the water receded, Russian artillery inflicted further destruction. The area is now mined and occupied by military personnel, leaving the family with no way to return.

Another selection of photos captures the destroyed apartment building of Maryna Ivashenko in Mariupol, which was levelled by Russian attacks. 

The exhibition also featured the family home of another  resident in Mariupol.

 In that instance, 17 shells struck the house, with one hitting the kitchen while the family was hiding in the basement. Though they miraculously survived and escaped to Killarney, they have no home to return to.