Pictures from Monkstown: Continue reading
Monkstown GC Pro-Shop
Brown & Brown to sponsor Irish PGA Championship
Diarmuid Nolan, CEO of Brown & Brown Ireland, pictured (centre) with Cian McNamara, Head PGA Golf Professional at Monkstown Golf Club; Michael Doorley, Chairman of Monkstown Golf Club; Conor Dillon, Manager of The PGA in Ireland, and Ada O’Sullivan, Former Curtis Cup Captain, R&A Open Championship Committee Member, and Monkstown Golf Club member, at Monkstown Golf Club, Cork, as Brown & Brown (Ireland), one of the country’s leading insurance brokerages, announces that it is the new title sponsor of the 115th Irish PGA Championship, which returns to Munster for the first time since 1997. The Championship will take place from 4–7 August 2025 at Monkstown Golf Club.
Picture: Michael O’Sullivan / OSM PHOTO
With the 2025 Irish PGA Championship set to take place in August, Monkstown Golf Club is making its final preparations to host the prestigious event for the first time in its history. The club, which has undergone a large scale bunker redevelopment and significant upgrades to its practice facilities, is ensuring that players will experience championship-level conditions when competition begins on August 5th.
Last week the PGA announced Brown & Brown, one of the country’s leading insurance brokerages, has announced that it is the new title sponsor of the 115th Irish PGA Championship. The tournament, now named The Brown & Brown Irish PGA Championship, marks the event’s return to Munster for the first time since 1997, bringing together Ireland’s top PGA club professionals in a battle for a large prize fund.
The tournament returns to Munster for the first time since 1997, when Paul McGinley claimed victory at Fota Island, and the former Ryder Cup Captain was delighted to see Brown & Brown getting involved. “I’m thrilled to see Brown & Brown backing Irish golf. It’s a proud and exciting moment for the sport. Having met Diarmuid and the Brown & Brown team through Continue reading
Monkstown Academy Opens
Monkstown Golf Club range and front nine overlooking Cork Harbour. Pic: Niall O’Shea
Monkstown Golf Club recently unveiled their latest development, and new practice range and teaching academy. The golf club has invested in a number of capital projects over the past two years and the newly opened range compliments the short game area which was opened last year.
The covered range was built at the northern end of the existing practice area, maximising the potential of the 320 yard area. Monkstown General Manager Maurice O’Meara oversaw the project and while the opening date was a little bit later than planned, the finished product is a credit to the club and the team involved. “The academy has exceeded all expectations and has been Continue reading
Monkstown ProShop Team
Cian McNamara, Shane Irwin and Shane Livesey pictured at Monkstown GC Pro Shop.
Picture: Niall O’Shea
The short game area and the new academy has been a real boost for the team of PGA professionals who work in Monkstown. The club has a long history of great club professionals including Peter O’Hare who started in 1908 when the club was founded, Jack Higgins, David Brown, Jim Higgins and Finbar Condon. Batt Murphy will be known to many having served as club pro for several decades. Starting in 1974, the popular pro had almost 40 years service before his retirement. Morgan O’Donovan took over from Batt in 2010, and was an instant hit with members. Unfortunately Morgan passed away in 2012 after battling a long illness.
Monkstown PGA Professional Cian McNamara pictured in the teaching and fitting bay at the new academy and range. Pic: Niall O’Shea
The current pro shop team is comprised of three PGA Professionals. The team of thee is led by Limerick native Cian McNamara who has spent the last ten years in Monkstown. Cian was and Irish International and a South of Ireland champion as an amateur, as well as spending three years in East Tennessee with Seamus Power. Over the last decade Cian has built a great reputation as a Club pro. As well as operating the proshop, Cian is busy teaching members, guests, teams and Continue reading
Irwin looking forward to 2022
Monkstown PGA Professional Shane Irwin.
Picture: Niall O’Shea
For the first time since qualifying as a PGA Professional, Monkstown’s Shane Irwin is looking forward to a normal season. The Limerick native traded in his hurley for a golf clubs a few years back and started his PGA training. Irwin completed his PGA studies in 2020 but the past two years were interrupted with several lockdowns. Like plenty of others in golf, he thinks 2022 will be a bumper year for the sport and he has already seen a big increase in the numbers out golfing.
PGA Professional Shane Irwin pictured at the Trackman fitting studio at Monkstown Golf Club.
Picture: Niall O’Shea
“The winter was much busier than previous years due to not having any sort of lockdowns compared to previous years” explained Irwin. “In the first few months we had fantastic weather which got a lot of golfers out onto the course. It really was our first proper winter using the Trackman studio with lessons and custom fitting. The main areas I think golfers are working on this for this part of the year in particularis the short game and putting. Indoor facilities like this, especially in the cold winter months, gives a golfer important putting and swing analysis along with video technology. After each lesson we can also send a video summary to each golfers which includes some drills to work on.”
Irwin has been based in Monkstown for just over five years. In that time he has completed his PGA studies, qualifying in 2020. Monkstown is now home to three PGA Professionals with Cian McNamara leading the team. While Cian and Shane are from Limerick, there was a Corkman added to the team recently. Shane Livesey joined from Douglas last month, and just last week he completed his PGA studies to become a fully qualified PGA Professional. With three teaching pro’s, access to facilities is key and Irwin is delighted with facilities available to members and guests.
PGA Professional Shane Irwin practicing his putting at the Trackman fitting studio at Monkstown Golf Club. Pic: Niall O’Shea
“We’re looking forward to the club opening the new short game facility. It will be a great addition to the already fantastic work been done by the club and it will benefit the club teams, Juniors and Members short games massively. Once the short game area opens in May we will be providing a service with short game demo days featuring the leading brands to test and compare wedges and putters for players.”
While Shane is part of the pro shop team, he’s delighted to be part of the wider team that Continue reading
McNamara set for new season in Monkstown
Cian McNamara, Monkstown’s Club Professional.
Picture: Niall O’Shea
Like most club professionals, Cian McNamara was busy last week getting ready for the reopening of golf. It’s eight years since Cian landed in Monkstown, and the Limerick native has made Cork and Monkstown his home. Like everyone interested in the sport, Cian was counting down to the reopening of golf. He is expecting a busy restart to golf, and he’s expecting a busy summer. “I certainly believe with the long lay-off from golf, golf tuition will be busy over the summer months” said McNamara. “With Golf Ireland determined to play championships and inter-club events it will also add to the golf tuition demand which will be great. Custom fitting is certainly a big area that has emerged over the last few years. With PGA Club Professionals providing the opportunity to compare different models while using various launch monitors it gives the customer the assurance that the purchase they make is certainly suited to their technique.”
McNamara has helped drive several changes in Monkstown and one of the most exciting developments was the opening of a new Trackman studio last year. The studio has the latest technology including an indoor driving bay and a putting area, and this gives members a real advantage when it comes to analysis and custom fitting. “The reac Continue reading
Irwin qualifies as PGA Professional
Monkstown Pro Shop’s Shane Irwin who recently received graduated as a PGA Professional.
Picture: Niall O’Shea
Monkstown based Shane Irwin recently completed his PGA training and the Limerick native is now a qualified PGA Professional. After three years of training, Shane passed his final exams to receive his degree level qualification from the University of Birmingham. Shane joins a number of recently qualified golf professionals in Cork, including Alan Gleeson, Davey Barry and Ciaran McKenna.
Prior to working in Monkstown Shane had worked in the industry in South Africa and the US, and that experience gave him the confidence to know that a career in the industry was the way to go. In 2017 he moved to Cork to take up a role in Monkstown Golf Club. After spending a few months working in the pro-shop, .n September 2017 he started his PGA training. Having worked in the US and South Africa prior to that. It was the next step in a plan for Shane. Traditionally the PGA apprenticeship was based around learning on the job, but now the degree level course has a Continue reading
Gallery: Munster PGA Morgan O’Donovan Trophy 2019
Pictures for a rainy Monkstown: Continue reading
Gallery: Monkstown 180 Hole Challenge
Pictures from the 17 hour marathon of golf in Monkstown today: Continue reading
Monkstown’s 180 hole Challenge
Monkstown Golf Club are hosting a unique challenge on Saturday, two golfers will try and complete 180 holes in one day. Monkstown’s Club Professional Cian McNamara and General Manager Brian Hurley have set themselves the challenge to play ten rounds of golf in one day. Playing under the rules of golf, and counting both scores, the pair will be walking the course adding to the difficulty of the task. Starting at 4.30am on Saturday morning (28 minutes before dawn!), the challenge is expected to last well into the evening, and with no guarantee of success the two PGA Professionals will have a long day ahead of them on Saturday. The only other similar feat in Cork was completed by Lee Valley’s Denis O’Brien who completed seven rounds at the Clashnure course in Ovens well over a decade ago.
While other similar challenges have been completed in the US, the ten round target is a unique event in Ireland. The event is a fundraiser for the Monkstown Cups and Shields teams, and give that the Club Pro and the GM are doing all of the hard work, it’s not surprising that many of the club members have jumped in to sponsor the holes. All 180 holes in the challenge are now sponsored and with Ronan Murphy’s Smarttech 24/7 joining in as the main sponsor for the event, the club is well on the way to achieving the €10,000 target they set for themselves.
The event has become a real talking point in Monkstown, with many golfers question the reality (and sanity) of trying to complete the 180 hole challenge. That said there’s a great atmosphere around the fundraiser and a large number of members and supporters are expected to come out to cheer on the two golfers on Saturday. While there won’t be too many out for the 4.30am start, it is expected that the crowds will build, especially on Saturday evening.
Cork Golf News 