Jordan Wins the Southern Classic, CNC Wins She’s Ace
WPH Press, Ireland, 2/1/26
GAA Handball proudly presented the fourth ranking events of the 2025/26 GAA Ranking season on the final weekend of January, with the GAA men in action at the Southern Classic and the ladies in action at She’s Ace.
Men’s Southern Classic
The 2026 Southern Classic featured the arrival of Ireland’s newest superstar Kyle Jordan. Long-heralded for his prodigious talent, Jordan decimated the Southern Classic field, winning five matches during the three-day event.
Jordan stunned hometown favorite David Walsh in two games in the upper bracket semifinals, then rallied from an 11-14 second-game deficit against Diarmaid Nash in the final to win his first GAA ranking event. Jordan is the sixth different men’s champion in the last six GAA ranking events.
Semifinals
Jordan def Walsh 15-3, 15-10
Nash def McCarthy (tiebreaker)
Final: Jordan def Nash 15-7, 15-14
She’s Ace
Ciana Ni Churraoin won her second GAA ladies ranking event in three weeks at the 2026 She’s Ace, winning back-to-back tiebreakers against Eilise McCrory and Fiona Tully in the semifinals and finals, respectively.
Semifinals
Ni Churraoin def McCrory (tiebreaker)
Tully def McMahon
Final: Ni Churraoin def Tully 12-15, 15-11, 11-0
Read the 2026 GAA Southern Classic and 2026 She’s Ace recap, courtesy of Paul Fitzpatrick HERE
GAA homepage HERE
GAA on Facebook HERE
2025/26 GAA Ranking Event #1 Golden Gloves WPH recap HERE
2025/26 GAA Ranking Event #2 Irish Nationals WPH recap HERE
2025/26 GAA Ranking Event #3 Mick Kerr HERE
Watch the matches on the GAA YouTube channel HERE
Kyle Jordan and Ciana Ni Churraoin photos courtesy of Stephen Marken and GAA Handball
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer