The Partille Cup that inspired a new generation of handball players

As Olympic Handball Ireland celebrates 50 years, we're sharing the stories of the people shaping our sport, past and present. For Andrius Gerve, a PE teacher at Castleknock Community College, handball is about much more than competition. From introducing students to the sport to taking them to an international tournament in Sweden, his story shows how one person's passion can inspire the next generation of Irish handball.

By Andrius Gerve, PE Teacher at Castleknock Community College

I’m originally from Lithuania, although we had lived overseas before. And as our family grew, priorities changed. My wife’s family were living in Ireland, so after a lot of thought, we decided to start a new chapter. In late 2019, I flew to Dublin for an interview at Castleknock Community College. The very first PE class I observed was actually playing handball! It was basic, and the school lacked proper lines and equipment, but seeing the sport being played in Dublin felt like a sign. I got the job, and we moved to Ireland in 2020.

Building something from the ground up

It was the height of Covid, which wasn’t easy since indoor play was completely restricted. But handball is a great way to meet people, so as soon as I arrived in Dublin I started joining sessions at Phoenix Park and got to know the community.

And at Castleknock Community College, the students quickly labeled me the "handball guy!"

When restrictions were lifted, I knew that OHI were looking to reboot the school competitions, so I jumped on the opportunity to introduce handball in a bigger way.

We focused on senior boys and girls. For many students - especially those who didn't quite find their place in traditional sports - handball offered somewhere they could find their place. In 2023, we registered for the national schools competition and our senior boys placed second overall, whilst our girls were All-Ireland Champions! After that, more and more students wanted to get involved. 

Gothenburg: pursuing the Partille Cup

After seeing the team from St Brendan’s compete at the Partille Cup in Sweden, I said to my students: if we want that opportunity, we have to commit to it. So that’s exactly what we did. 2025 arrived, we won all of our matches, and secured our invitation to Sweden.

Getting there required a lot of community support. The Irish community in Gothenburg rallied around us too, helping to promote our fundraising and showing up to support the team in Sweden. I’d promised the kids and their parents that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Because, having walked into the Partille Cup as a kid with the Lithuanian national team, I knew how transformative it was going to be.

We got the trips booked and had our tickets in hand…but then the real hard work started. We did lots of extra training, even heading to UCD to train with some of the club players there. It was competitive but the kids were committed and said ‘we’re going to do our best.’

What we learnt in Sweden

Standing alongside more than 2,000 players from around the globe was an eye-opener for our students. Everywhere you looked, there were Olympic champions, senior pros and people who’d picked up a ball at the age of 5. All sharing the same courts.

Our opening match was against an experienced Swedish team. Kids who’d played every day for ten years - our team trained once a week for 3. We lost by a lot, but after that we knew what to expect and changed our goals - it wasn’t about winning, it was about personal progress. Scoring more goals, tightening defense and improving our skills. 

We pushed a top-tier German team to a tight finish and the boys celebrated like they’d won the tournament. In their free time, they were on the pitches practicing and meeting new people. Off the court, phones were put away. The boys were talking and analysing games. 

To walk on stage representing Ireland during the opening ceremony filled all of us with immense pride. I don’t think any other team sport played in Ireland can give students the same international exposure and experience. 

Small steps, big legacy

Returning home, the buzz at Castleknock Community College was huge.

The boys felt braver, more relaxed and open to people. I got a lot of messages from other students saying they wanted to go to Partille! I couldn’t facilitate everyone playing handball, which was hard. But we’ve now got two full boys teams, and a third in the making. There’s more equipment, court lines and structure to the coaching.

Handball went from being a niche sport to a central part of our school's identity. Most importantly, we have kids who see sport not just as a game, but as a bridge to an international community, and a place they can belong.

Partille is a great reflection of what handball is about. A close, supportive community -  everyone wants to win but there is no rivalry. Olympic champions mingle with young kids. Older generations want to see younger generations succeed and experience what handball has to offer. Those connections in handball is what makes it such a unique sport. 

What’s my dream for handball in Ireland? I try not to dream, I try to do. I ask myself, ‘what is possible now?’ If we can take those small steps, each step will add up to big leaps over time. 

If school kids got to go to an international competition each year, how much benefit would that bring? I think it’s immeasurable. It improves skills of course, but more than that it inspires kids to dream big. It instills confidence and a life-long love for sport.