Cream of Irish golf clubs set for the showdown at Macreddin
Daily Mail
06 Sep 2009
A moment of golfing history awaits two of Ireland’s top clubs tomorrow
(Mon) when the first winners of the Irish Mail All-Ireland Fourball Trophy are crowned at the Paul McGinley-designed Macreddin Village course.
Carlow, Galway Bay, Kilrea and Seapoint will battle for the women’s title, and each club has found its own motivation for one of the biggest days in its history.
For Galway Bay’s Margaret Harkin and Fiona O’Driscoll it is the perfect chance to make up for a missed opportunity last year. Teacher Margaret Harkin said: ‘Last year both Fiona and I played in Galway Bay’s team in The Mail on Sunday Classic and reached the Irish semi-finals where we lost at home to Enniscorthy, who went on to the finals. We were kicking ourselves, so it would be a great consolation if we could win this time.’
Opposing Galway Bay will be Una Brennan and Fionnuala Jordan from Co.Louth club Seapoint, who have a special family reason for wanting to win – they are sisters.
While Co.Derry club Kilrea’s Sandra Millar and Catherine O’Donnell want to win for the smaller clubs. Tiny nine-hole Kilrea has one of the smallest lady sections in Ireland and O’Donnell said: ‘This has been the most amazing year for our club. It was inspiring to have the support of so many of members at matches.’
Carlow’s Madeleine Brennan and Kay Dowling, who has been playing golf just four years, are amazed how well they have done, and have been putting in extra practice sessions .
Through to the men’s finals are Bundoran from Co.Donegal, Co.Antrim club Greenisland, Mannan Castle from Carrickmacross and Tipperary.
Greenisland are hoping that father and son pair Jim and Peter Warke, fresh from 20 straight fourball wins in serious competition, can make it 21 and 22 to take the trophy.
During the course of the year, Bundoran’s Ian McDaid and Pauric Murphy created a record in the men’s competition, having to go to the 22nd at Tuam to win a sudden death play-off, while John Clarke and John Lane could complete a unique double for their club, after Mannan Castle won The Mail on Sunday Classic last year.
Tipperary, the club that was the first Irish men’s team to capture the Daily Mail Foursomes title almost 30 years ago, will be hoping Michael Keaty and Liam Rafferty can bring another trophy home.
The semi-finals and final will take place at the stunning championship golf course and the award-winning BrookLodge hotel and resort facilities at Macreddin Village in Co.Wicklow.
Eoin Doyle, one of the directors of BrookLodge, said: ‘Everyone at Macreddin Village has been looking forward to this. It’s a delight for us to host the Irish Mail Trophy final in the same year that we have won the AA Hotel of the Year Award, so I can promise the golfers a memorable visit. The course is in great condition and will be a real challenge. Whoever comes out on top will truly deserve to be champions.’ |
| |