No Team, No Program, No Progress: The Reality Behind Ireland's European Representation

Image source: Olympic Handball Ireland (OHI) / Social Media

In 25 April 2025, Olympic Handball Ireland (OHI) proudly announced on some of the social media pages that its President Fintan Lyons, represented the country at the Men’s Competitions Conference in Vienna happened between 9-10 April—a prestigious event hosted by the European Handball Federation (EHF). The conference focused on the future of European club handball, with a particular emphasis on developing the EHF Champions League.

OHI confirmed on their social media announcement that a standout question was posed by EHF President Michael Wiederer: “Can we shape a more inclusive and competitive future for our clubs across Europe?” It’s an important question—but it feels empty when we look at the current situation in Ireland.

Ireland has no team involved in any European handball competition. Despite that, OHI President is participating in high-level conversations about shaping European handball’s future. More than that, he was elected to the EHF Nations Board in 2021 as a representative of the Lower Ranked Nations—a role supposedly created to ensure countries like Ireland benefit from EHF development and inclusion programs. Why is it that no one in the Irish handball community seems to be aware of any program that has actually been applied?

So we must ask: Have any programs been offered? Why haven’t they reached Ireland? Has anyone even tried to apply them here?

At the same time, Olympic Handball Ireland remains underfunded at the grassroots level. Clubs rely almost entirely on player fees to stay afloat, coaches volunteer their time, equipment and facility access remain limited. There is no clear national funding strategy focused on long-term development or participation growth.

We also understand that the OHI receives some public money from the Irish government, but the way this funding is used raises more questions than answers. Why is money available for trips to conferences abroad, but not for meaningful development at home?

If Lyons’s travel to Vienna was funded by the OHI, how does that expense help grow the game in Ireland? The situation highlights potential concerns about organizational priorities. When leaders choose representation over development, it sends a message: visibility is more important than progress.

Let’s be clear: representation at the European level is valuable, but if it’s not used to deliver real results for our community, then it becomes symbolic at best and misleading at worst. It risks becoming a badge of prestige rather than a tool for change.

Ireland needs leadership that fights not only for a seat at the table, but for the resources, programs, and long-term strategies that will build a sustainable handball future here.

The community deserves transparency, accountability, and results. Until then, we must keep asking the hard questions because if we don't, nothing will change.