Niall Handley Is Always Home For Holidays - In Ireland
December 25th will mark the 23rd consecutive year that son of Ireland Niall Handley of Essex Fells C.C. returns home for the holidays.
Handley and his family – wife Donna (a native of Kearny, N.J.) , son Conor, 11 and daughter Cara, 10 – fly to Ireland each year on Christmas night for a two-week stay in Handley’s family home in Malahide, a suburb of Dublin.
“The day after Christmas is Boxing Day, a huge day in Ireland, when pubs reopen after being closed on Christmas and much of the day is spent catching up with family and friends, over a pint or two of Guinness. The great thing is my kids get to celebrate Christmas here with my wife’s family and enjoy Boxing Day with my family in Ireland,” Handley said.
Handley, a resident of West Caldwell, is one of the state’s top amateur golfers and winner of the 2012 NJSGA Tournament of Club Champions, the 2011 Met Mid-Amateur Championship, the 2011 Bergen County Amateur Championship and was runner-up in the 2012 State Open.
Handley came to the United States in 1991 originally to play soccer, but later turned his attention to golf at Fairleigh Dickinson University and while there became Northeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. He was also a teammate of Brian Komline of Black Oak, the only player who has won all five NJSGA majors.
He annually returns to his home to spend time with his father Jerry and mother Noreen, as well as his three brothers and one sister.
“My dad is a very active golfer. He plays nearly every day at Forest Little Golf Club in Dublin. When I go back, I’ll golf maybe six of seven times,” said Handley. “Conor is getting pretty good at golf. I was introduced to golf by my grandfather, Joseph Morgan, and Conor is learning from his grandfather. It’s pretty special.”
On December 27, four foursomes of family and friends will tee it up at famed Portmarnock Golf Club, one of the world’s top courses, in an annual outing. The club has hosted 20 Irish Opens, the Walker Cup, the British Amateur, and the 1957 World Cup of Golf (now called the Canada Cup).
“What’s really nice that day is that a bunch of friends organize the outing. My brothers and my father will play in it. My grandfather who taught me, Joseph Morgan started caddying at Portmarnock at 12 years of age and became one of the top amateurs in Ireland.”
According to Handley, Portmarnock is very popular with travelers during the summer months, but quiet in the winter, even though temperatures remain mild, mostly in the 40s and 50s.
“There’s a lot of pride at stake in our outing. But, mainly, it’s about the camaraderie,” he said.
Other courses Handley will play during his stay include County Louth at Baltray, The Island Golf Club in County Dublin and The European Club in Wicklow.
Philip Walton, who attended Oklahoma State and now plays on the European Senior Tour, is a neighbor of the Handleys. A wild card addition to the European side for the 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill, it was Walton who beat Jay Haas on the final green of the crucial penultimate singles match to give Europe the 14-1/2 to 13-1/2 victory.
“Our family home is 200 yards from the ocean. When I was 12 years of age, I was hitting balls from the grass onto the beach. One day, Walton sees me doing this and told me to start hitting balls from the sand. He helped teach me how to hit down on the ball. He helped me tremendously.”
Niall is the youngest of four Handley brothers behind Stephen and Gary, who live in England, and Ciaran who lives in Ireland along with his sister Aishling.
On New Year’s Eve, Niall and wife Donna we will be spending time with close friends and family in a 13th century castle in County Cavan, Ireland. In 2012, they partied in Paris.
“My family loves to come home for the holidays. It’s the highlight of the year. My parents have a five-bedroom house and we all stay there. We’re a very close family. The holidays mean a lot to us,” he said.
-- Mike Moretti
