Kanturk’s Mairead Martin has been hitting the headlines for two years on the golf course, and she’ll be one to watch in 2018 as she play’s what’s likely to be her final full season in Ireland for a few years. The Leaving Cert student is hoping to take up a US college scholarship next year and will be working hard to make another impression. She spent most of the season playing off +1 and had a number of wins and great team performances for club and country. Just six years after first playing golf, Mairead is in the top echelons of the sport. Now the season has ended, Mairead can look back on another successful season. The big win of the year came in Mallow when Mairead claimed a national title. The Irish Girls close was a huge win, especially when it was played Mallow. There was no let up as Mairead went on to win again Continue reading
Mairead Martin
Clancy & Martin help Killarney to Senior Cup title
Killarney who won the ILGU Senior Cup on Saturday. Pic: Pat Cashmn
Mairead Martin and Valerie Clancy played a key part in Killarney’s Irish Senior Cup win over the weekend. The Cork girls were playing in the ILGU finals at Royal Curragh and they helped Killarney pick up their first national Senior Cup pennant. Mairead who is playing out of Kanturk and Valerie who is from Mitchelstown have been attached to Killarney for several years and while both have had plenty of individual success, this team win was their first at national level. Both have been capped at international level this year so the Senior Cup winners medal is a great finish to a very busy summer season for the pair. Kilkenny were the quarter final opponents and the Cork girls led the playing order with both girls winning their matches. There was more of the same on Friday afternoon when another two wins helped Killarney overcome The Island. On Saturday morning they faced Continue reading
Super 67 for Sara Byrne
Sara Byrne pictured during the Irish Girls Close, picture: Pat Cashman
Sara Byrne shot a career low round of 67 in Douglas on Sunday, and won the Girlie Hegarty Trophy in the process. Six birdies and just one bogey saw Byrne finish well ahead of the field. The sharp shooter was on form, helped by the fact that Douglas is her home course. Sara finished four shots clear of the field with her 65 nett, Aoife Ni Thuama won the best gross with a 73. Bandon’s Sarah Higgins won the 18 hole stableford competition while Aoife Keating (Douglas) won the nine hole competition. It’s been a solid year for the Sara Byrne. The teenager has had a very busy summer and her five under par round was yet another milestone in a year that saw several improvements. Byrne was in action Girls Home Internationals recently, where Ireland narrowly lost out to England, and prior to that she was representing Great Britain and Ireland in Italy at the Junior Vagliano Trophy.
Next up for Sara is the British ladies Strokeplay which takes Continue reading
International Action for Cork Girls
Mairead Martin (Kanturk) Picture: Pat Cashman
Four Cork Girls are in action for Ireland today in the Ladies and Girls Home Internationals. Little Aston Golf Club near Brimingham is hosting the both events which get underway today. Despite being eligible for the Girls team, Mairead Martin has been selected for the Ladies team. The Kanturk native has been in great form recently, she won both the Irish Girls Close and the Leinster Ladies Championship in the past three weeks. Mitchelstown’s Valerie Clancy (representing Killarney) will feature on the Girls team alongside Cork’s Rachel Thompson and Douglas’ Sara Byrne.
Last year, Ireland were victorious in the Girls Home Internationals with the Ladies’ honours going to England. Three of the victorious 2016 Girls’ team have returned to defend their title. Clancy, Thompson and Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) will be a source of experience for Captain Gemma Butler, who will be relying on them to lead their fellow teammates.
Ireland take on Scotland today, they face Wales tomorrow and England on the final day.
The combined Girls and Ladies teams (Pic: Derek Byrne)
Ladies Home International Matches
Little Aston, 9 – 11 August
Ciara Casey (Hermitage)
Maria Dunne (Skerries)
Paula Grant (Lisburn)
Mairead Martin (Kanturk)
Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little)
Chloe Ryan (Castletroy)
Annabel Wilson (Lurgan)
Reserve: Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)
Team Captain: Danielle McVeigh (RCDL)
Team Manager: Clodagh Hopkins (Woodbrook)
Team Coach: Donal Scott
Girls’ Home International Matches
Little Aston, 9 – 11 August
Sara Byrne (Douglas)
Valerie Clancy (Killarney)
Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle)
Emma Forbes (Royal Portrush)
Maeve Rooney (Co. Sligo)
Rachel Thompson (Cork)
Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden)
Reserve: Georgia Carr (Milltown)
Team Captain: Gemma Butler (Birr)
Team Manager: Helen Jones (Royal Portrush)
Team Coach: Chris Jelly
Second Leinster Women’s title for Mairead Martin
Mairead Martin (Kanturk) Picture: Pat Cashman
Mairead Martin is currently on a great run of form, the Kanturk teenager picked up another major championship at the weekend in Dublin. Fresh from her win at the Irish Girls Close last week, Mairead headed to Donabate with hopes of winning the Leinster Womens Championship for a second time. She came through the 36 qualifier in 4th place, just two shots off the lead which was set by Shannon Burke. Martin had a 6&5 win over home favourite Nicole McGavisk in the first round and followed that with a 5&4 win over Castlewarden’s Clodagh Walsh on Saturday afternoon. She had a 2&1 win over Maedbh Doyle in the semi final and despite a slow start in the final she wrapped up a 2&1 win over Rachel McDonnell.
“My game was really solid all week and I holed a lot of good putts” said a happy Mairead after her win. “I felt a bit under pressure in the last matchplay game, especially as I was 3 down through 9, but I managed to bring it back with 2 birdies in a row to gain some momentum, and then I played really well on the home stretch.” This is the second time Mairead will have her name engraved on the trophy having beaten Maria Dunne in the final in Ardee as a youngster in 2015. The busy summer continues for Martin, she’s off to play in the Home Internationals in Little Aston on Friday and after that it’s on to the British Girls in Enville Golf Club near Birmingham.
Mairead Martin wins Irish Girls Close Championship
Mairead Martin (Kanturk) with the Girls Close Championship (Blake Cup) trophy after her victory at the 2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club today. Picture by Pat Cashman
Kanturk’s Mairead Martin claimed her first national title today, and did so in front of a huge crowd of supporters in Mallow Golf Club. Martin claimed the Irish Girls Close title after five days of golf in Mallow, and did so in style – never going beyond the 15th hole in the five matchplay rounds. After confidently striking her first tee shot down their middle of the fairway, Mairead went 1 up through1 and didn’t ease up from there. Four up at the turn, birdies at the 10th and 11th saw Martin go 6 up with 7 holes to play. The match was finished in style with an eagle from Mairead at the 444-yard par 5 12th to close out the game 7&6.
“I’m delighted to win, my short game was on form this week, I pitched in for eagle on the 12th this afternoon to win the match which was a good way to finish”” said a happy Mairead. “I was at home in my own bed all week too which was also nice and to have so much support from the club was class! I had my sister on the bag too this week which was entertaining! She doesn’t play much golf but I hope she might Continue reading
Cork interest ends in Mullingar, Irish Womens Close
Cork interest in the Irish Womens Close ended today as all five Cork golfers lost out. Top qualifier Mairead Martin lost to Irish Strokeplay Champion Maria Dunne. There were also losses for Sara Byrne and Rachel Thompson as the competition reduced from 16 to 8. Valerie Clancy made it through to the quarter finals but lost out to Ciara Casey from Hermitage.
There was no joy either for Paula Walsh in the Ita Wallace Plate competition. She lost to Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan in the quarter Continue reading
Martin through to last 16, Irish Womens Close
Mairead Martin (Kanturk), Photo: Pat Cashman
Top qualifier Mairead Martin won her first round match at the Irish Womens Close in Mullingar today. It was a north Cork battle as Karturk’s Martin took on Doneraile’s Walsh.
Martin faced 2017 Munster Women’s Champion Walsh in today’s first matchplay round and got off to a good start, winning 3 of the first 6 holes. Walsh steadied the match but the deficit was too much for her to fight back and the game finished on the 16th green, 3&2 to Martin. Martin now faces Irish Womens Strokeplay Champion Maria Dunne who’ll be looking to complete a rare double. Walsh goes on the the plate matchplay where she faces Shannon Burke tomorrow.
It was a good day for Cork golfers, and the 17th was the hole where the other four Cork matches finished. Sara Byrne had a 2&1 over Alice Hutchinson and Rachel Continue reading
Mairead Martin leads Irish Close Challenge
Mairead Martin, Kanturk. (Photo: Pat Cashman Photography)
Kanturk’s Mairead Martin led the qualifiers at the Irish Ladies Close in Mullingar yesterday and now faces Doneraile’s Paula Walsh in an all-Cork matchplay clash. Martin won the Leitrim Cup after finishing the 36 hole qualifier on level par, one ahead of the field. Martin was not affected by tough windy conditions in Mullingar and her second round 73 included 4 birdies at the 1st, 2nd, 8th and 14th. “It was very tough in the blustery conditions, the wind kept changing direction all day. I putted very well this afternoon which was the key and kept my score going,” said Mairead, “I played well last week at the British Amateur in Wales and I got Continue reading
Girls International call-ups for Byrne, Clancy, Martin & Thompson.
Sara Byrne
Four Cork golfers were selected on the Irish Girls team today, they’ll be heading off to Finland next month to take place in the European Team Championships. Sara Byrne (Douglas) will be making her debut at this level while Valerie Clancy (Killarney/Mitchelstown), Mairead Martin (Kanturk) and Rachel Thompson (Cork) were all selected on the team for the second time.
It’s a great achievement and a rare case where four of the six team members are from one county. They will be joined by French U18 Champion Annabel Wilson (Lurgan) and Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden), who holed the winning putt at the Girls’ Home International matches on her Irish debut in last year. Byrne was also selected for an Under 16 girls team and has posted some very positive results thus far in 2017, most impressively a 3rd place finish at the prestigious Fairhaven Trophy earlier this month. The Team Captain Gemma Butler said “the girls have had some fantastic results so far this year and having won the second flight at the 2016 European Championships, we are excited to build on that result this time around.”
Irish Girls’ European Team
St. Laurence, Finland (July 11 – 15)
Sara Byrne (Douglas)
Valerie Clancy (Killarney)
Mairead Martin (Kanturk)
Rachel Thompson (Cork)
Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden)
Annabel Wilson (Lurgan)
