Funchion and Tully take first titles at 4-Wall handball nationals

Veterans Paul Brady and Robbie McCarthy were absent, both indicating they have retired from elite-level singles play

HANDBALL: Fiona Tully of St. Coman's, Roscommon on her way to winning the Ladies Open 4-Wall Nationals at O'Loughlin Gaels, Kilkenny. Picture: Stephen Marken

There were two first-time champions at the Irish 4-Wall Nationals in Kilkenny, the first Major of the handball season, with Peter Funchion and Fiona Tully taking top honours.

In the absence of veterans Paul Brady and Robbie McCarthy – both of whom have indicated they have retired from elite-level singles play – this tournament was viewed as a chance for the young gunslingers to take centre stage. In the end, though, despite the presence of a large cohort of players in their early 20s in the Men’s Open field, it was Mallow's David Walsh (26) and Kilkenny's Funchion (32) who progressed to the final.

And it was Funchion who rose to the occasion. The local hero, a member of the Kells club, brought the prestigious All-Ireland Senior Doubles crown back to Noreside earlier this year for the first time since 1998 and backed that up with a superb success here, seeing off Cork’s Walsh 15-3, 15-13.

“If you had told me as a young lad sitting in the gallery that I would even reach the final of the Irish Nationals, I’d have taken it with both hands. It’s unbelievable. I had trained hard in the off-season, the Golden Gloves in Belfast didn’t go my way but that might have been a positive because I’m a little bit fresher,” said Funchion, who stated that winning in his home county made this extra special.

“I do a good bit of training here (at O’Loughlin’s), it’s a lovely court and such a great facility, it has a great viewing gallery and to see it packed, it really brings back great memories from when I was young.

“There are pictures of great players up on the wall, including Ducksy Walsh. Halfway through the second game, I had a look up and I said to myself, ‘I need to do better because Ducksy is looking down at me here’.” 

Walsh had a couple of scares en route, needing tiebreakers to get over Kilkenny’s Kyle Jordan and Kildare lefty Niall O’Connor, while Funchion, who won the All-Ireland Senior Doubles for the first time last year, had an impressive win over Cork’s Daniel Relihan to reach his first ranking tournament final.

In the Women’s Open Singles, former Roscommon footballer Tully dropped the first game 15-14 against Tyrone lefty Eilise McCrory but came storming back to win 15-5 in the second and, tied at 5-5 in the third, she pushed on to win 11-5.

“I just really wanted to go for it at that stage, I have been in so many finals in the last while that haven’t gone my way so I just thought ‘I can’t leave this one behind’,” said Tully, for whom the event had added poignancy as it marked the anniversary of her mother’s passing.

“It’s a special weekend because Mam’s three-year anniversary was yesterday,” she said.

Next up for Tully is the Mick Kerry Memorial in Tyrone in late December.

“I know it’s great to get the win but there are players to come back,” she said modestly.

“At the last tournament (Golden Gloves in Belfast), I beat Ciana (Ní Churraoin) but against Martina (McMahon), I was 8-2 up in the first game and then I lost 15-10. Hopefully this will give me confidence, it was great to get the win but there were a few of the top girls missing.” 

In total, there were 194 adult players in the event, with 12 venues utilised.