Hickey wins 14th Irish singles title as Dillon retains crown

Aisling Hickey added a 14th National Open Singles title and Joe Dillon retained the men’s crown as the 2026 All Ireland Singles & Doubles Championships closed at Kingscourt Handball & Racquetball Club in Co Cavan. Dillon beat Mark Murphy 3-2 in a demanding Men’s Open Singles final, while Hickey defeated Antonia Neary of Arklow to keep the women’s title in familiar hands.

Those two finals gave the weekend its sharpest edge. Hickey’s latest win widened a record that now stands apart in Irish racquetball, while Dillon’s defense showed he remains the standard on the men’s side. The contrast between a five-game battle for Dillon and Hickey’s straight-sets finish underlined the small margins that separate repeat champions from the rest of the draw.

The depth of the event backed up that top-end story. Joseph Farrell of Arklow, listed by Racquetball Ireland as 17 years old, emerged as the weekend’s breakout performer by winning both the Men’s B Singles and Men’s C Singles titles. He beat Darragh Joyce of Castlebar 3-0 in the C final and also topped the B grade, a rare double that pushed him into the upper tier of the domestic game in one tournament.

There was movement elsewhere through the grades as well. Niamh Murphy of Templeudigan won the Women’s B Singles title, while Abbie O’Meara of Fermoy took the Women’s C Singles crown and moves up next season. Billy Nolan of Clogh/Moneenroe won Men’s D Singles, Fiona Kyne of Castlebar captured Women’s D Singles, and Dan Coogan of Clogh/Moneenroe won the Novice division.

The doubles results added to the sense of a full championship weekend rather than a two-match showcase. Mark Murphy and Tom Morrisey won Men’s Senior Doubles, Ann Boland and Niamh Murphy took Ladies Senior Doubles, and Don Lawlor with Billy Walsh won Men’s Over 50 Doubles. Players travelled from across Ireland and beyond, and that breadth gave the event the feel of a national ladder with real promotion, real pressure and enough depth to keep the top names honest.