Dublin, IRE, WPH Press, 4/20/25 (Pics by Pics courtesy of GAA and Stephen Marken)
The semifinals of the 2025 O’Neills 4-Wall All-Ireland Championships were held on the third Saturday in April at GAA’s Croke Park, with Ireland’s top four men and top four women battling for spots in the All-Ireland championship match in May.
Men’s Singles
Current GAA #1 David Walsh continued his stellar play in a breakout season that saw him advance to the semifinals of the 2024 world championships and win the last two GAA ranking events (2024 Golden Gloves HERE, 2025 Southern Classic HERE). Walsh carried a ten-match winning streak into his All-Ireland semifinal clash with Gary McConnell, who upset world championship finalist Diarmaid Nash in the quarterfinals. After a convincing first-game win, Walsh trailed 14-19 in the second. “I threw caution to the wind then and went for it and got seven straight,” stated Walsh. “Delighted to make my first senior final!”
Paul Brady was on the verge of capturing the 4-Wall All-Ireland Championship last spring, leading Robbie McCarthy in the 2024 All-Ireland final by one game and 16-3 in the second before suffering a leg injury that forced him to stop. Brady returned to face McCarthy one year later and five months after winning his sixth world championship, defeating McCarthy in three games to book his spot in the final.
Men’s Semifinals
Walsh def McConnell 21-4, 21-19
Brady def McCarthy 21-7, 15-21, 11-3
Final: Walsh vs. Brady (May 10)
Ladies Singles
Current world champion Ciana Ni Churraoin and current world finalist Martina McMahon assured a world championship rematch in the 2025 4-Wall All-Ireland Championships, defeating Fiona Tully and Mollie Dagg, respectively, by identical scores. “It was a really good game (against McMahon),” WR48 #9 Dagg would later say. “Was super happy with my performance but just made some silly hand errors that cost it for me.”
McMahon has dominated women’s handball since losing in the final of the world championship in November, capturing the 2024 Golden Gloves (HERE) and the 2025 Southern Classic (HERE), while also winning both of her WR48 starts at the WR48 Red and the WR48 LAAC, defeating Ni Churraoin in the LAAC final to seize the WR48 #1 ranking. Ni Churraoin will aim to find the form that saw her capture the world championship in a tiebreaker against McMahon in November, while McMahon will be seeking her fifth consecutive tournament win since losing in the world championship final.
Women’s Semifinals
McMahon def Dagg 21-9, 21-19
Ni Churraoin def Tully 21-9, 21-19
Final: McMahon vs. Ni Churraoin (May 10)
(Pics courtesy of GAA and Stephen Marken)
Watch the matches on Sport TG4 on YouTube HERE
2024/25 GAA Ranking Events
2024 World Championships Men’s Open Champion: Paul Brady
2024 World Championships Women’s Open Champion: Ciana Ni Churraoin
WPH World Championships recap HERE
2024 Golden Gloves Men’s Open Champion: David Walsh
2024 Golden Gloves Women’s Open Champion: Martina McMahon
WPH 2024 GAA Golden Gloves recap HERE
2025 Southern Classic Men’s Open Champion: David Walsh
2025 She’s Ace Women’s Open Champion: Martina McMahon
WPH 2025 Southern Classic/She’s Ace recap HERE
To watch the matches, go to the GAA Handball Facebook page HERE
For more visit GAA Handball HERE
Photos courtesy of GAA Handball
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer