All-Ireland squash champ’s sporting success started here

By JACQUELINE HOGGE TUAM can lay claim to an All Ireland champ following the success of a local woman in this yearâ€â„¢s Irish Masters Squash Open championships. Evelyn Hanrahan, née Sweeney, has lived in Dublin for over 30 years but is still a regular visitor to her home town, having grown up on Dublin Road. A prolific sportswoman since her school days at the Mercy secondary school, where she played camogie, the mother of two claimed her first squash title last month by winning the over 55s title at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis club in Dublin. Evelyn now lives in Swords with her husband PJ and said she is still revelling in her recent success. Mad into sport[private] â€Å“Iâ€â„¢ve been playing squash since the early 1980s and I absolutely love it, but then Iâ€â„¢ve always been mad into sport,â€Â she said. â€Å“When I moved to Dublin in the early 1970s to take up a job in the civil service I couldnâ€â„¢t continue to train with the Galway camogie panel, so I ended up playing for Dublin and won a junior All-Ireland medal with them. â€Å“It was also slightly bittersweet when I was chosen to play inter-provincial camogie for Leinster as we ended up beating Connacht, but when I eventually hung up the hurley I turned my attention to squash and Iâ€â„¢ve been playing it since. â€Å“I would play more in the winter months, up to three nights a week, but I also play tennis during the summer to keep me sharp.â€Â Evelynâ€â„¢s brothers Sean and Seamus are also keen sportsmen, with the latter a former chairman of Tuam Celtic Football Club. â€Å“I come home a lot, as my sister and three brothers still live in Tuam,â€Â said Evelyn. â€Å“In fact I was down in Tuam two weeks ago and myself and Sean will travel over to the Arsenal game next week,â€Â said Evelyn. â€Å“I go to all the Irish international soccer matches with Seamus, so yes, sport is definitely in the genes.â€Â While the sporty lifestyle appeals, Evelyn also admits to being highly competitive. â€Å“I went into the Masters thinking I would give it my best shot, but I had no idea I could possibly win it as it was my first time competing.â€Â â€Å“Then as I started to win my matches I became more and more determined to go all the way, so I was on cloud nine when I did as I absolutely love the game.â€Â[/private]