The Irish Handball Council has announced that the first weekend of the M DONNELLY All-Ireland 60x30 handball finals are a sell-out for this weekend. With a line-up with includes Kilkenny handball legend, Ducksy Walsh, and reigning champion, Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy, there has been huge demand for tickets.

"Having a Senior singles final with handball legend 'Ducksy' Walsh taking on the defending champion Eoin Kennedy is a great selling point for the game but at the moment, we just cannot accommodate the demand," said National Promotions Manager, Niamh Egan.

Yesterday, GAA President, Nickey Brennan attended a press launch for the handball finals and the announcement of the commissioning of ‘Vision 2012’, a strategy aimed at providing a modern and cohesive marketing and communications programme in the build up to the hosting of the 2012 World Championships. The announcement included the unveiling of a new promotional logo and leisure wear range, and new corporate ‘Friends of Irish Handball’.

The M Donnelly All Ireland Singles Final will see a clash between the legendary champion of the past, 16 time winner ‘Ducksy’ Walsh and the man of the moment, Dubliner Eoin Kennedy who is seeking a 4th consecutive All Ireland title. Curtain raisers to the eagerly clash of the generations will see a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s Hurling decider when Kilkenny’s Ciarán Burke and Limerick’s CJ Fitzpatrick battle for Minor Singles honours, while the Intermediate Doubles final will be contested by Kilkenny and Tipperary, as Eddie Burke and Michael Clifford take on men from the Premier County, Paul Mullins and Adrian Johnson.

In addition to tournament sponsor M Donnelly, three new ‘Friends of Irish Handball’ have come on board for the All-Ireland finals, namely Gaelic Telecom, Ladbrokes and O’B Sport, all of whom are committed to the development of one of the national sports on a national and international stage.

GAA President Nickey Brennan, paid tribute to the finalists and also complimented the initiative of Irish Handball in commissioning Vision 2012: “These are very important times for the development and future of Irish Handball. The GAA’s recent decision to allocate substantial funding for the development of modern Handball facilities at Croke Park will give a much needed boost to the game throughout the country. Vision 2012 will be a culmination of the efforts of those involved in bringing the game forward and I must pay tribute to those who are working to ensure that it is a success.”

“This weekend will see some eagerly awaited handball action. In particular, the meeting of reigning champion Eoin Kennedy and handball legend Michael “Ducksy’ Walsh in the senior singles final will set the pulses racing and I wish both competitors the very best of luck.”

Ducksy Walsh, fellow Kilkennyman, Nickey Brennan, and Dublin's Eoin Kennedy at a press briefing on the weekend's handball finals