In the semi-finals of the O’Neills.com World 4-Wall Championships, Martin Mulkerrins, the top seed, issued a formidable performance against Peter Funchion, winning with an impressive 15-8, 15-0 score. Despite Funchion’s previous victory over Daniel Cordova, a leading Mexican competitor, he could not withstand the Texas-based Mulkerrins’ intensity and power. Mulkerrins now gears up to compete with five-time world champion Paul Brady, who, at 45, remarkably made it to the semi-finals by defeating Cork’s Daniel Relihan with a 15-5, 15-6 victory.
Reflecting on his triumphant performance, Mulkerrins stated that he was highly pleased and completely concentrated on his game. He further added that he wasn’t expecting the outcome to be as it was considering Peter’s strenuous game with Daniel Cordova and arduous doubles game. Mulkerrins emphasized the importance of progressing round by round while aiming to be at the forefront, which he stated was the objective of every participant.
With anticipative excitement, Mulkerrins acknowledged Paul Brady as an exemplary handball player during his early sporting days. Expressing his elation on his achievement, Mulkerrins stated that his aspiration had always been to perform in Croke Park during the centenary year of handball, in front of a sold-out audience and against Paul Brady. Acknowledging the importance of this event for the sport, he expressed his eagerness for the forthcoming match.
In an exhilarating showdown of the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Singles tournament, Diarmaid Nash of Clare emerged victorious against Killian Carroll with scores of 15-1, 8-15, 11-8, marking the most exciting match up to this point. Moving ahead, Nash is set to square off against David Walsh from Mallow, the player who stunned everyone by ousting Team Ireland’s skipper, Robbie McCarthy, in the day’s concluding clash (8-15, 15-8, 11-9).
Meanwhile in the Ladies Open, Niamh Heffernan from Galway pulled off an unexpected victory over Eilise McCrory of Tyrone, besting her with scores of 15-4, 15-8. This significant win paves the way for Heffernan to stand alongside Ciana Ní Churraoin, Fiona Tully and Martina McMahon in the high-stakes semi-finals round.