Ireland was back at Partille World Cup

After twelve years, Ireland had representation at Partille World Cup.

For the first time in twelve years, there was Irish representation in the Partille World Cup. For the players from St Brendan's College, it was a source of pride to represent their country.  
- It always feels good to represent your country, says Dara O’Sullivan, captain of the Irish team. 

After winning a domestic tournament in the spring, where some of the best Irish teams participated, St Brendan's College's B16 team earned a ticket to the Partille World Cup 2024. 
- We were very happy when we found out we would be going to Sweden to play handball, and it’s something completely different from what we’ve done before, says Dara O’Sullivan. 

Handball is not particularly big in Ireland, and St Brendans College became the first team since 2012 to participate in the Partille World Cup. For the players, it was a great honor.  
- It always feels good to represent your country; it’s definitely a matter of pride, he says. 

Despite the fact that handball isn’t very big in Ireland, the players from St Brendans College enjoy it. 
- The most important thing is that we in the team enjoy it, and we do. I think handball is fun because it’s a mix of different sports. There are elements of basketball, rugby, even football. It’s fast-paced and has lots of goals. 

The tournament was unlike anything the Irish players had experienced before.  
- This is the first time we’ve been at a major handball tournament. We’ve never played handball abroad before, so this is huge for us, he says. 

The pace of the Partille World Cup is higher than in Irish handball. Despite this, Dara sees the positives of the tournament.  
- It’s tough to play against foreign teams because they have more experience, but in the end, it’s just a sport, and the most important thing is that we have fun, says Dara.