# Irish Handball Council In: [Learn](https://handball.theperfectship.com/learn.md) > [History](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history.md) > [Organizations](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/organizations.md) > Irish Handball Council Also printed as IHC IE. Founded 1924. Games: American four-wall; One-wall (small and big ball); Irish 60x30 (hardball and softball); 40x20 and international four-wall. ## Rulebook editions - Official rules - Handball Playing Rules - Official Playing Rules (Handball Playing Rules) ## Dated facts - 1920-1929: An Irish Times article of 2025 says handball was not in the GAA's first constitution and became an official part of its activities in the 1920s, when national championships gave it structure; GAA Handball's own page says it was included from 1884 [Sources disagree] Sources differ on when handball became part of the GAA's official activities: an Irish Times article says it was added in the 1920s after being left out of the 1884 constitution, while GAA Handball's own history page says it was among the sports to be promoted from the founding in 1884. Source: [The Irish Times, "Traidisiún fada na liathróide láimhe" (Gaeilge section, 14 October 2025)](https://www.irishtimes.com/gaeilge/sceal/2025/10/14/traidisiun-fada-na-liathroide-laimhe/) **Detail: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred. - The Irish Times Gaeilge article of 14 October 2025 says that although handball was not in the GAA's first constitution of 1884 it was added as an official part of the Association's activities in the 1920s, and that national championships were organised which gave the sport structure and authority (paraphrase; the article is research-only and has factual slips elsewhere) (preferred, source rank 5): [The Irish Times, "Traidisiún fada na liathróide láimhe" (Gaeilge section, 14 October 2025)](https://www.irishtimes.com/gaeilge/sceal/2025/10/14/traidisiun-fada-na-liathroide-laimhe/) - The GAA Handball history page says the opposite for 1884: when the GAA was founded handball was officially included as one of the sports to be promoted (also given, source rank 4): [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1924: Irish handball gets a national governing body in 1924: the Irish Amateur Handball Association in one account, the Irish Handball Council in another Source: [US Handball Association, "History of Handball" (Wayback snapshot of 9 December 2016)](https://web.archive.org/web/20161209005848/https://www.ushandball.org/index.php/about/history-of-handball) - 1924: Tailteann Games 1924 include handball: a visiting American trio wins the invitational events in hardball and softball, and the Irish body affiliates internationally Source: [US Handball Association, "History of Handball" (Wayback snapshot of 9 December 2016)](https://web.archive.org/web/20161209005848/https://www.ushandball.org/index.php/about/history-of-handball) - 1925: The GAA Handball rolls of honour for the All-Ireland senior hardball and softball championships both open in 1925, two years after the GAA page's date for its first championships [Sources disagree] GAA Handball's rolls of honour begin in 1925, but its history page puts the first GAA-sponsored championships in 1923, so either the rolls omit the first two years or those events were not All-Ireland senior titles. Source: [GAA Handball Ireland, hardball championship roll of honour (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/competitions/rolls-of-honour) **Detail: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred. - The GAA Handball rolls of honour for the All-Ireland senior championships begin in 1925 in both the hardball roll and the softball roll (the earliest rows in each) (preferred, source rank 4): [GAA Handball Ireland, hardball championship roll of honour (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/competitions/rolls-of-honour) - The GAA Handball history page puts the first GAA-sponsored handball championships in 1923; the rolls list no champion for 1923, and list 1924 only as 'No Championship' in both codes, so either the 1923 events are missing from the rolls or they were not All-Ireland senior titles (also given, source rank 4): [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1929: Exhibition matches with Spanish players are listed for 1929 on the GAA Handball history page (the page does not say where) Source: [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1932: Irish handball players tour Liverpool in 1932 Source: [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1936: The semi-professional Irish Handball Union holds national and world championships until 1936, in competition with the amateur body set up in 1924 Source: [US Handball Association, "History of Handball" (Wayback snapshot of 9 December 2016)](https://web.archive.org/web/20161209005848/https://www.ushandball.org/index.php/about/history-of-handball) - 1939-1945: Wartime rubber scarcity stops Irish softball play and the hardball game comes back into its own Source: [US Handball Association, "History of Handball" (Wayback snapshot of 9 December 2016)](https://web.archive.org/web/20161209005848/https://www.ushandball.org/index.php/about/history-of-handball) - 1950-1969: Irish handball grows strongly in the 1950s and 1960s: provincial councils are revived (1950-66), schools and local competitions multiply, and the first American-style court follows in 1969 Source: [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1964: The first world handball championship is held in 1964 at the New York Athletic Club, with O'Connell as chairman, and, by a 1972 reader's letter, the world championships then recur every three years, the 1970 edition in Ireland Source: [Handball (USHA), December 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_dec24fa.pdf?la=en&hash=ACEEF2D04DD71FFF1E5D5CB043508DFA62593534), PDF p. 17 - 1969-1971: The first American-style 40 x 20 ft four-wall court in Ireland is dated 1969 by GAA Handball, but a USHA report of autumn 1971 still calls the first 20 x 40 court a new event [Sources disagree] GAA Handball's history page dates the first 40 x 20 court in Ireland to 1969, but a USHA magazine of October 1971 reports the Dublin 20 x 40 court as newly built, so the date is given as 1969 to 1971. Source: [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) **Date: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred. - 1969-1971 (preferred, source rank 4): [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1969 (also given, source rank 4): [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1971 (also given, source rank 3): [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E) **Detail: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred. - The GAA Handball history page says the first American-style four-wall (40 x 20) court was built in Ireland in 1969, ushering in modernisation of facilities (preferred, source rank 4): [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - The USHA magazine of October 1971 treats the Dublin 20 x 40 court as news: its president's column on the August 1971 Irish visit says the Irish 'have now built' a 20 x 40 court in Dublin, and its instructional outline says the head of the Irish Handball Council reports that the first 20 x 40 court has been built; the rest of Ireland's courts were 30 x 60 ft (also given, source rank 3): [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E) - 1970-1972: The Irish Handball Council opens an indoor alley with three glass walls at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland's first, and recommends glass walls for all alleys [Sources disagree] An Irish Handball Council note of 1972 says the three-glass-wall alley opened 'a year ago', while 1971 magazine reports place the court in use in the autumn of 1970, so the date is given as 1970 to 1972. Source: [Handball (USHA), October 1972](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1972/1972_hb_octd0e8.pdf?la=en&hash=048F5702032D7A2B7CD8050A3AC52C8791722B54) **Date: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred. - 1970-1972 (preferred, source rank 3): [Handball (USHA), October 1972](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1972/1972_hb_octd0e8.pdf?la=en&hash=048F5702032D7A2B7CD8050A3AC52C8791722B54) - 1970 (also given, source rank 3): [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E), PDF p. 55 - 1971 (also given, source rank 3): [Handball (USHA), October 1972](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1972/1972_hb_octd0e8.pdf?la=en&hash=048F5702032D7A2B7CD8050A3AC52C8791722B54) **Detail: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred. - An item in the October 1972 USHA magazine, attributed to officials of the Irish Handball Council and ending with a glass manufacturer's sales contact, says a new handball alley with three toughened-glass walls was opened 'a year ago' at the Council's headquarters at Croke Park, Dublin, as Ireland's first indoor sports court with three glass walls; the Council's booklet of August advises alley construction and recommends glass in all alleys; a world record crowd of 2,000 watched the world championships there without interruption, against about 250 at the biggest of Ireland's 2,500 alleys (preferred, source rank 3): [Handball (USHA), October 1972](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1972/1972_hb_octd0e8.pdf?la=en&hash=048F5702032D7A2B7CD8050A3AC52C8791722B54) - The October 1971 issue's reports place the Croke Park court in use in the autumn of 1970 (a world title won 'in this court last October') and the first All-Ireland finals there in 1971 (also given, source rank 3): [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E) - October 1970: The 1970 world handball championships are held in Dublin, where Pat Kirby takes the world title (the issues do not say in which code) Source: [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E), PDF p. 55 - 1971: The first series of All-Ireland finals is played in the new ball-court at Croke Park in 1971 before about 1,000, and shown on television Source: [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E), PDF p. 55 - 13 August 1971: The president of the Irish Handball Council visits the USHA's Skokie headquarters on 13 August 1971 and talk turns to a common court size Source: [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E), PDF p. 12 - 1972: The Irish-American Handball Association of the Bronx plans in 1972 to send an American handball team to Ireland in September, a home-and-home series with Irish club players being its own plan; it says Council officials take 'a great interest' Source: [Handball (USHA), August 1972](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1972/1972_hb_aug70ff.pdf?la=en&hash=C76D0819F2754D5FD03B01481CC3483E7AA732DD), PDF p. 53 - 1984: Britain enters a team in the world championships for the first time in 1984 Source: [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1984: 1984 brings two Irish handball books: T. J. McElligott's 'The Story of Handball' and the Irish Handball Council's 'Handball: fás agus forbairt' Source: [National Library of Ireland catalogue, "Irish handball 1924-1974" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000105275/Details) - 1990: London hosts the All-Ireland handball final in 1990, only the second time an All-Ireland final in any GAA code is played outside Ireland Source: [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - 1996: The Irish Handball Council begins an annual 'Irish Handball Yearbook' in 1996 (none in 1997), continued by 'Top Ace' from 2007 Source: [National Library of Ireland catalogue, "Irish handball yearbook" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000168471/Details) ## Sources - [GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/about/gaa-handball/history) - [The Irish Times, "Traidisiún fada na liathróide láimhe" (Gaeilge section, 14 October 2025)](https://www.irishtimes.com/gaeilge/sceal/2025/10/14/traidisiun-fada-na-liathroide-laimhe/) - [US Handball Association, "History of Handball" (Wayback snapshot of 9 December 2016)](https://web.archive.org/web/20161209005848/https://www.ushandball.org/index.php/about/history-of-handball) - [National Library of Ireland catalogue, "Irish handball 1924-1974" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000105275/Details) - [GAA Handball Ireland, hardball championship roll of honour (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/competitions/rolls-of-honour) - [GAA Handball Ireland, softball championship roll of honour (seen 28 October 2026)](https://www.gaahandball.ie/competitions/rolls-of-honour) - [Handball (USHA), December 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_dec24fa.pdf?la=en&hash=ACEEF2D04DD71FFF1E5D5CB043508DFA62593534), PDF p. 17 - [Handball (USHA), August 1972](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1972/1972_hb_aug70ff.pdf?la=en&hash=C76D0819F2754D5FD03B01481CC3483E7AA732DD) - [Handball (USHA), October 1971](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1971/1971_hb_oct203d.pdf?la=en&hash=3FF63D693EAE6402DDAF1DC9A53C3B6DAB3AAB8E) - [Handball (USHA), October 1972](https://archive.teamusa.com/-/media/usa_racquetball/documents/magazine/archived-issues/handball-magazine/1972/1972_hb_octd0e8.pdf?la=en&hash=048F5702032D7A2B7CD8050A3AC52C8791722B54) - [National Library of Ireland catalogue, "Irish handball yearbook" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000168471/Details) ## Corrections Found a mistake, or a source we missed? Email perfectshipllc@gmail.com with the subject "History correction: Irish Handball Council (/history/organizations/irish-handball-council/)". Please name the page and, if you can, the source.