The Irish Handball Council (May 1st, 2008) announced that this weekend's DALKIA Senior Singles Finals, which will be played at Abbeylara Co. Longford, are a sell-out. With a line-up that includes the 2006 World Championship finalists, Cavan handball maestro Paul Brady and the man from the Rebel County, Tony Healy, there has been huge demand for tickets. "Having the two top male and female players in the country showcase their talents is a great selling point for the game but we simply cannot accommodate the demand for tickets," said National Promotions Administrator, Niamh Egan. "Paul and Tony are two of the top players in the world, and on home soil, they are handball's heroes; this final will be a cracker and it is a real pity that more people won't see the drama unfold." The DALKIA Men's Singles Final is the most keenly awaited in years, with Brady and Healy having dominated this particular championship since the turn of the century. Healy is playing at the top of his game this year as Brady has continued to shine on the national and international stage over the past 12 months. The Breffni handballer is gunning for four in a row, while Healy is aiming for redemption following four years in the wilderness. Kilkenny legend, Michael 'Ducksy' Walsh was the last player to capture four consecutive titles in 1991; Healy came close but was defeated by Dublin's Eoin Kennedy in 2002. The year, the stakes for both players are high as the bid for the most coveted prize in 40x20 handball. Curtain raisers to the eagerly awaited clash of the big guns will see an all-Antrim clash in the DALKIA Ladies Singles Final. St Paul's clubmates, Aisling O'Reilly and Fiona Shannon, the current world champion, will fight it out for bragging rights in what looks certain to be a top battle. Shannon has been the queen of the Irish courts for the past decade, but Reilly is anxiously seeking her place on the throne. In February, the 19-year-old collected her first senior singles title when she defeated Shannon in the final of the Envirogreen Resource Irish Nationals. Many believe that the young handballing genius has now come of age, but it will be on the Abbeylara stage on Saturday next that this theory will be tested. Shannon is aiming for her third title in a row, seventh in total, and she will not relinquish that crown without a fight. One thing is certain - there will be plenty of action in Abbeylara this weekend. Tweet

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