East Cork Ladies have added another major title to their roll of honour, they won the All Ireland final of the AIG Challenge Cup in Knightsbrook yesterday. Led from the front by 17 year old Orla Evans, East Cork came through the quarter final and semi final in dominant form, beating Moyola Park and Rathcore by bringing in the first three points in each match. And that continued in the final where they faced Tulfarris. At one stage early on they led in all five matches, and from there they built up a strong platform. They match didn’t go on too long, Orla Evans put the first point on the board when she wrapped up her match on the 13th with a 7&5 win. Nora Kelleher added a second point for East Cork with a 6&4 win and the third point came from Caroline Goldspring when she won on the 16th. East Cork were Continue reading
ILGU Cups and Shields
Monkstown & East Cork taste success
The Monkstown Golf Club team who won the intermediate cup in the AIG ILGU Cups and Shields Munster finals at the Lee Valley Golf Club & Country Club, Ovens, Co Cork. Included are Hilary Harte, team manager and Carol Murphy, captain of the ladies club with team members Sue McGuire, Fabienne Moloney, Grace Coakley, Liz Whitaker, Marian Reidy, Mary Egan and Martina McCarthy. Picture Pat Cashman
Monkstown tasted success at the ILGU District finals in Lee Valley last Sunday, winning the Munster Final of the Intermediate Cup. Mary Egan led the charge from the front winning her match 3&2, while Liz Whitaker and Fabienne Moloney added the required wins. Grace Coakley and Sue McGuire were the other team members. In the Challenge Cup final East Cork got the better of Kinsale in an All-Cork derby. Nora Kelleher and Orla Evans won the first two matches, beating Lucy Carter and Sarah Galvin respectively. Naomi McCarthy got a point for Kinsale when she beat Geraldine Coughlan but the win was sealed for East Cork when Aileen O’Sullivan beat Ann O’Mahony on the 16th. Deirdre O’Doherty and Kay Galvin halved their match after they were called in. East Cork and Monkstown will now go on to the All Ireland finals in Knightsbrook later this month. Monkstown’s Cashman Trophy team were also in action in a Munster Final on Sunday. They took on Limerick in Mitchelstown and unfortunately for the Cork side, they came out on the wrong side of the result. While Monkstown put an early point on the board when Maurice McGrath and Roy Dennehy won, that was about as good as it got for the Cork club. Limerick brought in the first match thanks to Eamonn Grimes and Pat Lee, with Gavin Cross and Gerard Gleeson also winning. Hugh Colon and John O’Brien won the fourth match giving Limerick the important third point, and the title.
Gallery: Limerick v Monkstown, Michael Cashman Trophy Munster Final 2019
Lee Valley Capture National Pennant
There was delight in Belfast and Cork yesterday as Lee Valley Ladies won another All-Ireland title. The Cork club captured the AIG Minor Cup in Belfast, their first time winning at Minor level. After several close calls this year, the final ended up being a clean sweep for Lee Valley as they beat Mountbellew. Rosemary Driscoll won the first point for Lee Valley on the 17th green when she won 2&1, while Deirdre Lee saw her match go to sudden death before she won and added a second point for Lee Valley. The winning point was secured by Breda O’Callaghan, she had a 2&1 win on the 17th to win the third match and secured another national pennant for Lee Valley. Both Jane O’Neill and Helen Gough were called in, their matches were considered as halves meaning the final score was 4-1 to Lee Valley. On Thursday, Helen Gough was the hero for Lee Valley, securing the winning point in the final match on the final green. Jane O’Neill and Breda O’Callaghan had secured the earlier points and their way to the final in a tough match against Donaghadee. Lee Valley Team Captain Angela Corcoran summed up the feelings of the Lee Valley members: “We’re absolutely thrilled, it could have gone either way right up until the end, it was an amazing contest,” said Angela. “This is our third All-Ireland, we have won two Intermediate Cups and now a Minor Cup in the last 5 years, it’s a huge honour for our 25-year-old club!” The Cork club last won a national title in 2015 when they won the AIG Intermediate Cup in Knightsbrook. The team along with a large number of members and supporters made the long trip from Belfast last night. And the winners were treated to a great reception back in Lee Valley when they arrived home to Ovens.
East Cork through to Senior Foursomes Final, AIG Ladies Cups and Shields
In the hotly contested Senior Foursomes semi-final yesterday, East Cork dominated Portumna from the start. All East Cork matches were up through the 6th and continued in this fashion. Portumna player and Senior International Suzanne Corcoran and partner Madden Madden made a comeback on the final stretch but opponents Lillian Hartigan and Deirdre Ryan closed the match on the home green. The final result was 3-0 to the Cork side.
The second semi-final was contested between Kilkenny and Royal Portrush. Kilkenny were slight favourites after overcoming Milltown yesterday but Royal Portrush has the title in sight and it wasn’t to be for the All-Ireland Senior Cup Champions. The top match was all square through 12 and there was no difference between the teams but Helen Jones and Heidi Simpson (Royal Portrush) edged ahead and secured a 2&1 win. Kilkenny’s youthful middle pairing of Sarah Molloy and Jan Browne delivered once again and closed out the match on the 14th. The final match looked like it would be an early win for Royal Portrush as they were 6 up through 9 but Kilkenny’s Mary Leahy-Browne and partner Phyl Doyle fought back before missing a putt on the 18th to lose 1 down. Royal Portrush will take on East Cork tomorrow.
Results
Senior Foursomes – Semi-Final
East Cork 3 Portumna 0
Grace McGrath & Sarah O’Brien (14) beat Claire Callanan & Riona Holohan (25) 3&1
Lillian Hartigan & Deirdre Ryan (16) beat Suzanne Corcoran & Mary Madden (26) 1up
Deirdre O’Mahony & Mairead Ni Mhurchu (18) beat Anne Fahy & Anita Carey (27) 3&1
Senior Foursomes – Semi-Final
Kilkenny 1 Royal Portrush 2
Ann Smee & Dervilla O’Byrne (14) lost to Helen Jones & Heidi Simpson (14) 2&1
Sarah Molloy & Jan Browne (14) beat Moyra McElderry & Nicky Smyth (14) 6&4
Mary Leahy & Phyl Doyle (17) lost to Vivienne Houston & Shauna Park (16) 1 down
Double Delight for Lee Valley Ladies, East Cork also win Munster Pennant
Lee Valley Ladies followed yesterday’s Junior Foursomes win with another win today in the Intermediate Cup. Vanessa Fitzgerald, Laura Guest and Siobhan McGrath were the three players to bring in the wins that assured the host club of their second Munster Pennant. East Cork were on losing side in the Intermediate Cup and they also lost out in the Junior Cup where Limerick took the honours.
East Cork did get a win in the Challenge Cup when their team beat Douglas. Rachel Sheehan, Nora Roche and Suzanne Hickey won their matches to secure the Pennant for East Cork.
Junior Cup
East Cork 1½ Limerick 3½
Deirdre O’Mahony (7) lost to Emma Guinane (9) 2&1, Sarah O’Brien (8) lost to Fiona McGann (10) 1up, Jessie Anthony (9) bt Maria Kelly (10) 2&1, Mairead Ni Mhuruchu (9) a/s Ann O’Mahony (10) called in, Emma Curtin (12) lost to Heather Fitzgerald (13) 4&3
Intermediate Cup
Lee Valley 3½ East Cork 1½
Vanessa Fitzgerald (14) bt Phil Sheehan (17) 7&6, Laura Guest (16) bt Roselyn Moloney (17) 5&3, Helen Hodson (16) lost to Sel O’Leary (17) 4&3, Siobhan Mc Grath (17) bt Ellen Dargan (17) 4&3, Katherine Doran (18) a/s Kate Daly (19) called in
Minor Cup
Castlegregory 1½ Co. Tipperary 3½
Carol Shanahan (23) bt Margaret O’Connell (23) 20th, Helen Besseling (24) lost to Liz Higgins (23) 5&3, Anne Woods (26 ) lost Joan O’Sullivan (24) 2up, Marion Bourke (27) lost to Libby Ryan (25) 4&2, Mary Sills (28) a/s Margaret Ryan (26) called in
Challenge Cup
Douglas 1 East Cork 4
Mary Hayes (28) lost to Rachel Sheehan (28) 5&4, Grace Lane (29) lost to Nora Roche (29) 6&4, Kate O’Brien (29) a/s Pamela Codd (30) called in, Catherine Edwards (29) lost to Suzanne Hickey (31) 3&1, Doreen Freeman (30) a/s Geraldine Coughlan (31) called in
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