By 
Breacah Handball Club is celebrating a remarkable family double this season as mother-and-son duo Michelle Warren and Caolán McCartan continue to make waves on the national Wallball circuit.
Their string of successes began four weeks ago when Michelle claimed the She’s Ace National Ladies Masters A title in Claregalway, marking a proud achievement for the Tyrone club. Just a fortnight later, both Michelle and Caolán were back in action for the Adult Wallball Nationals, hosted by Tyrone clubs Breacach, Killyclogher, and Loughmacrory — and both reached the finals of their respective grades on home soil.
Caolán, showing tremendous form throughout, recorded convincing victories over opponents from Galway, Armagh, and Wexford on his way to the Men’s C final, where he defeated fellow Tyrone player Brian McAleer to secure his first Wallball National title.
With no Masters category in this year’s Nationals, Michelle competed in the Ladies B division, taking impressive wins over two highly rated Monaghan opponents in the quarter and semi-finals. In the final, she faced Aishling Shanahan of Limerick — fresh from her victory in the She’s Ace Ladies B grade — and after a strong performance, Michelle earned the National Ladies B runner-up trophy.
Their impressive season continued this past weekend at Edmund Rice College, Glengormley, for the Ulster Wallball Championships.
Caolán was first up on Saturday, battling through a tough opener before edging Monaghan’s Dylan McKenna in a tense tiebreaker to reach the semi-finals. There, he met his clubmate and cousin Matthew McCartan in a thrilling encounter, winning 15-10, 15-11 to secure a place in the final. Facing Antrim’s Conor McAuley, the recent World Junior B runner-up, Caolán showed composure and class to take victory 15-13, 15-6 — booking his place in the All-Ireland semi-final in Kilglass, Roscommon on October 25th.
On Sunday, it was Michelle’s turn to take to the court in the Ladies Masters Ulster Championship. She overcame her training partner Maria Hinds in a high-quality semi-final before meeting Armagh’s Máighréad Ní Raibhaigh Ó Dúill in the final. With her son Caolán on the sidelines coaching and cheering her on, Michelle delivered a dominant display, winning 15-6, 15-1 to clinch the Ulster title and join her son in advancing to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Both players now turn their focus to Roscommon, where they’ll look to cap off their outstanding Wallball season with All-Ireland glory.
“This has been a really special few weeks for both of us,” said Michelle. “It’s great to be able to share these moments with Caolán — we push each other on in training, and it’s paying off.”
For Breacach Handball Club, the achievements of this talented mother-and-son pairing highlight the depth of skill and dedication within their ranks — and with both now just one step away from All-Ireland finals, the club’s colours will once again be proudly flying on the national stage.