Tully sets her sights on last four of Senior Singles Handball Championship

County Roscommon handballer Fiona Tully will vie for a place in the last four of the oneills.com All-Ireland Senior Singles Championship this Sunday as she takes on Tyrone left-hander Eilise McCrory in the quarter-final at the National Handball Centre, Croke Park.

The 26-year-old St. Coman’s player reached her maiden Senior Singles final last year, losing to Cork’s Catriona Casey. Tully was also beaten in the US Nationals final and World Wallball Championships decider so while she came away disappointed, there were huge positives to take from her season.

“I wouldn’t think about any game being a final, to be honest, I take every game as it comes. A final is a great thing to get to but at the end of the day, it’s only a game of handball,” Tully said.

“But, yeah, to get over the line would be great some time.” 

The 26-year-old has stepped back from representing the Roscommon senior football team due to handball commitments.

“When I was playing it (county football), I was training three days a week with the football and then doing your other things other days of the week. For a few years I wasn’t playing a lot of handball, I was entering competitions and getting to semi-finals and stuff and getting beaten well.

“I was kind of getting mad that I was getting beaten. I was there or thereabouts but I wasn’t training so when I stopped playing the football, I put all my effort into the handball so I think it’s showing a small bit (in handball performances) but there is still way more room for improvement.” 

Should Tully win on Sunday against McCrory — who recently played in the Senior Doubles final — she will meet the winner of world champion Ciana Ní Churraoin and her Galway compatriot Niamh Heffernan in the semi-final.

“Obviously, all the girls who have entered the All-Ireland have their own goals but there is never an easy route, I don’t think I have got the easiest route ever but I’m delighted with it and I’d prefer this to any other way so if it happens, it happens.

“I’m playing as well as I can I think at the minute, there is still room for improvement but hopefully the hard work pays off. I have done quite a bit over the last while so hopefully it will show some way.” 

The sport is growing hugely at present, with rocketing membership numbers and a link-up with Spórt TG4 seeing big matches streamed online and highlights shown on television.

"I think handball is going great at the minute, I think it’s going from strength to strength. I think the women’s grade has become really strong and the lads' (grade) has got interesting too. Even the younger kids in our club (St. Coman’s) are really seeing what handball is all about, and they’re loving it.

"It’s going very well, the Worlds last year has really given it a massive boost."

Hopefully, the boost will be far more personal for Fiona Tully this weekend.