Lively weekend of Handball action beckons
Fiona Tully
By Paul Fitzpatrick
A total of 194 adults will take to the courts in Kilkenny, Carlow and Laois for the Irish 4-Wall Adult Nationals, which serve off this evening (Friday).
In the Men's Open, David Walsh from Mallow (26) is the top seed. He reached the semis of the 2024 Worlds, the final of the All-Ireland Senior Singles in 2025 and won two ranking tournaments. Daniel Relihan is the number two seed and recently reached the final of the Golden Gloves in Belfast, losing to Diarmaid Nash.
There are a number of young gunslingers in the mix, indicating that the game at elite level is going through something of a transitional period at present. The intentions of Paul Brady and Robbie McCarthy are unknown, but both have indicated that they will not be returning to the competitive fray in the short term and with leading star Martin Mulkerrins currently based in America, as is Killian Carroll, the way seems clear for the next generation to make a big impact – and there is no shortage of contenders.
Kyle Jordan, Jack Doyle, Cormac Finn, Eoghan McGinnity, Rory Grace, Sean Coughlan, Joe Devereux and Gearoid Healy are all in their early 20s and will see this weekend as a major opportunity to improve their rankings.
Peter Funchion, who along with his brother Paddy brought the Senior Doubles title back to Kilkenny last year after a 27-year wait, is seeded third. Monaghan's Gavin Coyle is the fourth seed.
Among the ties of the round in the last sixteen will be Finn’s meeting with Kildare left hander Niall O'Connor, while McGinnity versus world Over 40s champion Brendan Fleming is also an intriguing clash. The battle of college teammates Grace and Coughlan, the Tipp Clare combination who have been racking up wins on the collegiate scene, is another standout fixture.
The Men's A field is headed by Cork native and Armagh resident Cian O'Driscoll, with Monaghan hurler Oran Kiernan in at number two.
Meanwhile, the Ladies Open will be without three of the most successful players of the last 15 years, Limerick’s Martina McMahon, Galway’s world champion Ciana Ní Churraoin and Cork's Catriona Casey, the latter of whom has yet to make her competitive return following a serious injury sustained at the 2024 World Wallball Championships in Limerick.
However, a world class field has been assembled regardless, headed by Roscommon's Fiona Tully, who reached the final of the Golden Gloves, losing to the in-form McMahon. Tully will play the winner of Tyrone youngster Caislin Tracey and experienced Corkwoman Aishling O'Keeffe in the quarter-final.
Tyrone's Eilise McCrory, who took McMahon to a tiebreaker in the semi-final of that tournament, is the number two seed, while Galway's Niamh Heffernan, fresh from recent success in the United States, takes on Clare's Leah Minogue in the quarter final for the right to face McCrory or Noelle Dowling from Kilkenny.
Also in the mix are Caitriona Millane of Clare and Amy Brennan of Kilkenny.
Twelve venues will host matches, namely Tinryland, Garryhill, Borris, Cullohill, Monavea, Lisdowney, Galmoy, Clogh, Kilfane, Windgap, Kells and O'Loughlins.