Callan native Funchion named on Irish Handball team for Euro outing to Valencia

Kilkenny’s Peter Funchion has being chosen to represent Ireland at the Spanish Pelota Handball tournament in Spain this week.

Funchion will travel to Valencia on Thursday along with teammates Wexford’s Gavin Buggy, Kildare’s Niall O’Connor and Mayo’s Ian McLoughlin.

The International competition takes place from Friday September, 5 to Sunday September, 7.

The Irish squad is split into two different teams with captain Gavin Buggy alongside Ian McLoughlin while Funchion is paired with Kildare player Niall O’Connor.

It’s already been a successful year for the Callan native and Kells Handball club member after he won the All-Ireland senior doubles title alongside his brother Patrick. It was the first for the county in 27 years, with the last pair to achieve this being Ducksie Walsh and DJ Carey.

Pelota is the Traditional Game of the Basque People of Southwest France and North Central Iberia (Spain).

The sport is similar to the GAA and European game of Handball, played with a curved glove which is used to propel the ball off one of two perpendicular walls on a four-sided court, with the other two sides open (Jai Alai).

Another version is played in pairs (Parejas) or singles (Manomanista) with the hand (Mano).