A succession of titles:
Perry won his first All-Ireland, a Junior Softball Singles, in 1929 and accompanied by Tommy Gaughran, he also won the doubles, at the Horse and Jockey alley in Tipperary. In 1930 Paddy won the first of 8 All-Ireland Senior Softball titles in a row, 1930 to 1937 inclusive. For a long time it was felt that this would never be equalled but it has been by Kilkenny handballer, Duxie Walshe. Perry with Austin Mullaney, a teacher from Glinsk, Co. Galway, won the Senior All-Ireland Softball Doubles in '32 and '33. In '36, Paddy, with his friend Paddy Reid of Tawnanaden, outside Boyle, took the Doubles title in the All-Ireland Senior Hardball.
In nine years Perry won 13 All-Ireland medals along with a host of Provincial and Garda honours as well as the prestigious Tailteann Games Singles and Doubles (with A. Mullaney) in 1932. He was awarded the G.A.A. Golden Jubilee Year Trophy for 1934.
There is a reference to him being selected for an Irish handball team to participate at The 1932 Olympics at Los Angeles and of the team being unable to travel due to lack of funds. While a case is being put to have handball (as we know it) included today I was not aware that it was part of an Olympic programme previously.
Perry-v-his heir apparent, John Joe Gilmartin:
Perry was to be succeeded by another great champion whose father came from Boyle but was domiciled in Kilkenny, John Joe Gilmartin. They met in October 1937 at Clogh, Co. Kilkenny. Noted handball authority and referee, Tom McElligott, wrote evocatively, in his 1984 book on handball, on this game:
"Like the meeting of two great players in any sport, while the match did not answer all the questions, it was still a memorable occasion. It showed Perry at his masterly best. It showed Gilmartin with still a bit to go to attain similar mastery. Perry was then a commanding figure, fast-moving with a deceptively easy way of hitting a decisive 'kill'. His beautiful service which ran only inches below the board at the top of the side-walls meant that Gilmartin rarely put him out in his return of service. Gilmartin, only coming on the scene, showed breath-taking speed and rapier drives down the side- walls. Perry came out the winner by the odd game in five. On the homeward journey none of us had any doubt but that we had seen a match that would not be surpassed in our time".
Paddy went down to John Joe in 1938, with the most disappointing feature being, that the game was in Boyle.
"I didn’t mind losing as much to John Joe, because he was one of the greatest I ever played but to lose in my home town was naturally disappointing" Perry later recalled. They remained friends and long afterwards discussed with admiration and envy the quality of the new glass courts of Croke Park.
Unique Achievement:
That Paddy Perry remained in Ireland at all was a close run thing. He was due to go to an uncle in the States but was persuaded by General Eoin O'Duffy, the then chief, to join The Garda Siochana. This was in line with O'Duffy’s policy of getting prominent sportspeople to join the Garda Siochana.
Membership of the force led to a unique accolade for Paddy Perry and one that will surely never be equalled. In 1934 he won three Dublin Senior Championships on the one day representing the Garda. In the football final they defeated St. Joseph’s. He was persuaded to play in the hurling final against Faughs, which they also won. Paddy sustained a badly injured ankle and rib and was strongly advised not to play for some time. However on that evening he defeated Peter Berry (a prominent Civil Servant in the early 70's) in the handball final. Berry had refused to have it postponed. This made his injuries worse but he later felt the uniqueness of his achievement made it worthwhile.
With the Garda he won Dublin Senior Championships in '33, '34 and '35. He won a Leinster Senior medal with Dublin County in '34 and was on the Dublin panel which disposed of Kerry convincingly in the Semi-final at Tralee but were defeated by Galway (Connacht's first Senior Football win) in the All-Ireland Final. Paddy played Gaelic football for Boyle and Roscommon and also played soccer for Sligo Rovers under the name 'Mickey Rooney'
Hall of Fame:
In recalling his most memorable moments he nominated his 1929 return to Boyle after his victories in the All Ireland Junior singles and Doubles with Tommy Gaughran in 1929.
"They laid rockets on the railway track which announced our homecoming. There were bonfires blazing and we were carried shoulder high down the town accompanied by the town’s Brass and Reed Band. We were young and really enjoyed it all."
Paddy Perry was the second person to be honoured with a Hall of Fame award in Roscommon in 1969. (The previous year Tom Shevlin from Strokestown was similarly honoured).
He served in the Garda from 1931 until retirement, on his birthday March 17, 1972, with all his service being in Dublin. He was born on Patrick’s day 1909 and died in April 1983 aged 74 years. His daughter has returned to live in Boyle where there are also a number of his nephews and nieces.
His life-long friend, fellow Boyle man and also a handball champion, Paddy Reid, paid him this tribute;
"During his time as Champion he met many very great players throughout Ireland but none of them could compete with the brilliance of the great Champion that Paddy Perry was. I have witnessed many great games during and since that time and I can truly say that his superiority and brilliance have never been and are never likely to be equalled. He was a credit to his county and country and to the Garda Siochana in which he served with distinction for forty one years."
This great sportsman, Paddy Perry, deserves to be remembered and honoured in some tangible way in his native place. Neither should we forget his impressive supporting cast. What a time it must have been to be a supporter in that golden age of handball in Boyle!
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