BUILD it and they will come. It seems to be a mantra that has worked well at Edmund Rice College and new Antrim GAA handball chairman Paul Graham hopes the restored courts at the North Belfast college is the beginning of a resurgence in the sport.
While Edmund Rice, like many schools across Belfast, already had handball courts in place, they had seen better days and were in need of restoration.
The new Antrim Handball Committee has prioritised juvenile development and are working closely with the county board and Gaelfast with 12 primary schools set to benefit from handball coaching.
A number of secondary schools in Belfast are in the process establishing handball with their sports programmes.
Antrim handball chairman Paul Graham giving a coaching lesson to the teachers at Edmund Rice 
Ardoyne GAC are also currently revamping their facilities while Naomh Éanna have a one-wall court at their impressive new hall.
Graham hopes the refurbished facilities at his alma mater and the positive reaction from the schoolchildren and teachers alike will inspire other schools to consider the benefits of handball.
“We are trying to get handball back off the ground in Antrim,” said Graham.
“Things haven’t been going well in recent years and it is very much a social activity in my age group, which is 40 plus.
“I was asked to come in at the end of 2020, form a new committee and put an effort into this drive to put our juvenile set-up running.
“As with everything else, Covid-19 put the brakes on a lot of our ideas. We settled on the notion of going for the schools first and trying to get handball going in schools and they are keen to have it in the school and we’ve teachers who are keen to put a few hours in to it.
“We looked at some schools to see what facilities they had. That’s why we started with Edmund Rice College.
“They had two outdoor courts, but there hadn’t been a ball struck against them in something like 10 years or so.
Kids enjoying handball at the restored courts
“They needed a bit of a facelift and we contacted them and offered to look after the work if they would consider brining in handball to P.E classes.
“Edmund Rice were very supportive and we had the work done by the end of May and it has turned out well.
“You now have over 100 schoolchildren who have access to handball and you’ve 20 or 30 kids lining up at lunchtime to play each day on the courts.
“There is a nice link to all of this as Sean Fleming recently retired from Edmund Rice.
“He and he taught me when the school was the old CBS and he was the person we liaised with to get the work done. It is great for the likes of him to see handball back at the school.”
If your school or club is interested in starting handball, contact a member of the Antrim Handball Committee to arrange coaching and exhibition games.
