Antrim’s Aisling Reilly goes in search of a first GAA Handball All-Ireland Senior Singles title on Saturday next when she takes on Kerry ace Maria Daly at St Coman’s, Roscommon.
Reilly and Daly were two of Ireland’s best underage female handballers during their juvenile days, but both players have made huge progress since their domination of the US Junior and Irish Championships.
24-year-old Daly has already experienced All-Ireland Senior Singles success and took back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005. Reilly had her first taste of senior glory two years ago at the Irish Nationals when she defeated Fiona Shannon, but a Senior Singles championship had eluded her to date.
‘It’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time,’ said the 21-year-old St Paul’s handballer.
‘To play at the top level was always my goal and now I’m setting higher targets and want to win a senior championship.’
Reilly lost out to fellow clubmate, Shannon, in the 2009 Ladies Open World Championship final, and paired up with Saturday’s opponent Daly, in the Doubles final, where they also lost out to Shannon and partner Sibeal Gallagher.
The Kingdom handballer, who is also one of the strongest big alley players in the country, has been around the senior circuit for a few years now, and that experience will stand to her ahead of this final.
‘When you see the young players coming up through the ranks you, it looks like there will be some serious competition in the Ladies Senior Championship in years to come,’ said Daly.
‘Being in a final is a great feeling and hopefully things go well for me,’ said Daly.
The Ladies Senior Singles final takes place ahead of the Mayo versus Cavan clash in the Men’s Senior Doubles final. The counties have created an intense rivalry in recent years and with a huge interest in this clash, tickets for the game where sold out within an hour of going on sale.
Last year, Mayo’s Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann prevented Cavan pairing Paul Brady and Michael Finnegan from achieving their four-in-a-row ambitions and on Saturday they return to defend this crown, while the Breffni men bid to return to the top of the senior doubles stakes.
In the Minor Doubles final, which serves as a curtain raiser to the senior proceedings, Galway and Limerick go head-to-head as Treaty handballers, Padraig O’Carroll and Eamon Davern take on the Tribesmen of Seamus Ó Conghaile and Martin Mulkerrins.
