Ageless Buggy back on top in Wexford

Three years after he last held the title, Gavin Buggy, St. Mary’s is back at the top of Wexford handball following an eventually convincing 18-21, 21-15, 21-1 victory over his fellow Emmet Place clubman Tommy Hynes in an always exciting senior open singles final played at St. Josephs Community Centre on Monday last.

This final between Buggy, who excels in this 4 wall game and Hynes, the king of the softball code, was hotly contested for the opening two games, but after winning an energy sapping opener by 21-18,  Hynes was unable to keep the his persistent opponent at bay in the second. It was close throughout however, but while Hynes was always in contention it went the way of Buggy by a deserved margin of 21-15 and with it the chance for Hynes to add to his sparse collection of 4 wall titles. For his part Buggy proved once again that inside these walls, and with this blue ball, he is very difficult to beat and when this tie went into a third game his legendary fitness and conditioning took over.

In the absence of two time defending champion Galen Riordan, Buggy has taken up where he left off back in 2017 by regaining top spot and on the evidence of the way he finished this match, he is as competitive as ever he has been.