Irish handball in South Africa 1956
The world will watch tomorrow as Ireland takes on South Africa at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. This is a hugely important match for Ireland as they face the reigning world champions in Paris. However, did you know that Irish links to South Africa goes much further back. Here the Connacht Tribune of 1956 reports on the playing of handball in South Africa where Irish emigrants had settled. Handball of course was one of the games of the GAA and was promoted in many parts of South Africa:
Handball Flourishes In South Africa
A letter from Mr. B. Muldoon, Germiston, South Africa, was read at the County Board meeting on Thursday night. In it the writer stated that the new Cathal Brugha handball alleys there were blessed and opened by Rev. Fr. T. Mc-Grath, O.M.I., on Easter Sunday, before a large gathering of Irish friends. The game of handball, he added had become very popular there, especially among the boys attending the Christian Brothers' Schools at Boksburg. Members of the County Board expressed pleasure with the report.
Two years earlier the Tuam Herald newspaper noted how the game was making massive strides in South Africa:
The Association referred to the efforts made to popularise Gaelic hurling and football in Johannesburg and The Reef, and pointed out that the ball alley would provide a centre for young Irishmen to keen together in a foreign land. The Board agreed unanimously to subscribe £5 to, the fund.
To find more stories handball in Connacht Tribune try the below seach:
Step 1 - Input the keyword 'Hardball' intto the open seach top of the archive environment
Step 2 - Use the 'Filter by Title' located on the left of the screen to select the Connacht Tribune. Note all title are selected by default to unselect all titles remove the tick mark from the first option in the drop down list and then find your title and place a tich mark beside the title
Step 3 - Use the 'Limit by Date' field to enter the date. I have simply entered the year and did use the month or date.
See screen shot below:
