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.