Berehaven and Baltinglass will meet in the 2020 AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield Final after winning their respective Semi-Finals on Day One of the AIG Cups and Shields at Donegal GC.
The Cork club were the first team to book their place in Thursday’s decider after a 3.5-1.5 win over Ballinasloe. Baltinglass defeated hosts Donegal 3.5-1.5 in the day’s second match.
Declan Dunne and Luke O’Sullivan were the day’s biggest winners after a 5&4 win over Padraic Ryan and Charlie Mooney in the day’s second tie.
“We’re absolutely delighted. We’re over the moon. It couldn’t have gone much better for myself and Luke,” Berehaven’s Dunne said after the match. “We were hanging in until the seventh hole, and we opened up after that. A few birdies got us motoring.”
Reaching the AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield Final will be huge for the growth of the sport in the area, O’Sullivan added: “It’s hard to describe. We’re a small club, and to be in a national final is indescribable. It’s crazy. We’re getting calls from people who have never played the game in the area. It’s massive for the area.”
Neil Patterson and Stephen Mann earned the winning point for Baltinglass after a 2&1 win over Darren Rafferty and Padraig Farragher. Despite playing the hosts, Mann said the team had done their homework with trips to Donegal GC ahead of the tie.
“We were on form today. Donegal played really well, but we just clicked thankfully.”
Patterson said the “relief” of winning added to the excitement at the end: “It’s huge for the club to win the Final. It’s massive for the club.”
Thursday’s AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield Final is the culmination of a busy day that begins with the Semi-Finals of the AIG Senior Cup, AIG Junior Cup and AIG Pierce Purcell Shield.
2020 AIG Cups and Shields Results and Schedule
Wednesday, June 9th
AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield Semi-Finals
Berehaven 3.5-1.5 Ballinasloe
S Spencer and B O’Driscoll beat J Corbett and M Corbett 1hole
D Dunne and L O’Sullivan beat P Ryan and C Mooney 5&4
C Downey and D Kelly halved with C Smyth and C Murphy
L Hanley and G Power beat F Finneran and D Flannery 4&3
L Harrington and D Hegarty lost to T Cafferky and M Conneely 6&4
Donegal 1.5-3.5 Baltinglass
B Madden and S Carlin lost to J Bowes and B Lord 3&2
D Mulhern and D McMenamin lost to F Doogue and N Gerraghty 3&2
S Meehan and T Kangombe beat D Byrne and E Coone 3&2
D Rafferty and P Farragher lost to N Patterson and S Mann 2&1
O Plunkett and C Hegarty halved with N Doogue and R McHugh
Thursday, June 10th
AIG Junior Cup Semi-Finals
8.00am – 8.36am: Castletroy v Ballinasloe
8.45am – 9.21am: Kilkenny v Balmoral
AIG Senior Cup Semi-Finals
9.40am – 10.16am: Carton House v Faithlegg
10.25am – 11.01am: Galway v Belvoir Park
AIG Pierce Purcell Shield Semi-Finals
11.10am – 11.54am: Gort v Spanish Point
12.05pm – 12.49pm: Dunmurry v Cill Dara
AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield Final
1.00pm – 1.44pm: Berehaven v Baltinglass
Friday, June 11th
AIG Senior Cup Final
8.30am – 9.10am: Carton House/Faithlegg v Galway/Belvoir Park
AIG Junior Cup Final
9.20am – 10.00am: Castletroy/Ballinasloe v Kilkenny/Balmoral
AIG Pierce Purcell Shield Final
10.10am – 10.54am: Gort/Spanish Point v Dunmurry/Cill Dara
AIG Senior Cup – CLICK HERE
AIG Junior Cup – CLICK HERE
AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield – CLICK HERE
AIG Pierce Purcell Shield – CLICK HERE
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