Warrenpoint Golf Club are Flogas Irish Mixed Foursomes All-Ireland Champions as they overcame Portumna in a closely fought final today at Athlone Golf Club.
The Ulster South Area Champions met Glengarrif in the quarter-finals on Thursday, before facing Milltown in yesterday’s rain-delayed semi-finals.
In the final, the first point went in favour of Warrenpoint when Michael McGuirk and Mary Bell signed off a 4&2 win over Pat Quinlan and Bernie Kilmartin. Simultaneously, the top match featuring Rian Carvill & Aileen O’Connor (Warrenpoint) and Gerard Lynch & McElroy (Portumna) was heading back to the 1st tee for extra holes.
As both sides found trouble off the tee, the hole was ultimately halved in bogey 5’s and the match headed for the 20th. A tee shot just short of the green from O’Connor and a chip to 6 feet from Carvill lead to a conceded par and, as Eoin Durkin and Fiona McNulty had also won, the All-Ireland title for Warrenpoint.
‘Ah it’s fantastic, what a feeling to win as a team, unbelievable,’ said Carvill after finishing his match. ‘I hadn’t actually played the last 3 holes this week, so it was a bit of a surprise coming up the stretch there but we got it over the line.
‘It means everything to represent Warrenpoint.no matter what it is. The Irish Mixed, Barton Shield, Senior Cup. It all feels the same, an all-Ireland is an all-Ireland.’
Team Co-Captain Brenda Hughes didn’t managed to win her match alongside Shane McMahon today but was visibly elated by the team outcome.
‘I am absolutely thrilled,’ said Hughes. ‘It’s been a long fought battle. It has been so exciting. We’ve had a great bunch of players. We’ve really bonded as a team, everyone together. We’ll celebrate now, it’ll be a long night!’
Meanwhile, the Revive Active Women’s Four-Ball semi-finals were on course where East Cork, Bearna, Berehaven and Edmondstown were hoping to progress to Sunday’s All-Ireland final.
East Cork, who have already been crowned women’s AIG Intermediate Cup and men’s AIG Jimmy Bruen All-Ireland Champions this year, were 3.5 to 1.5 victors over Bearna Golf Club. Sarah O’Brien and Breda McCarthy carded the first point for East Cork with a 7&6 win, while the pairings of Mary Walsh & Ruth Evans and Kate Daly & Paula Carey added two more wins, securing the Munster team’s final place. They will be joined by Edmondstown, who convincingly overcame Berehaven in the second semi-final match.
In the Men’s All-Ireland Four-Ball Mahon, Connemara Isles, Killarney and Newbridge were the semi-finalists. Beaten in the Men’s Fred Perry Final on Friday, Connemara Isles today returned and have booked their spot in another final. Wins in the 2nd, 3rd and 5th matches secured the win over Cork’s Mahon Golf Club. In the second semi-final, Newbridge and Killarney went the full distance with 2 matches finishing on the 18th green in favour of the Leinster Central Champions. The final between Connemara Isles and Newbridge will begin at 10am tomorrow morning.
RESULTS:
Flogas Irish Mixed Foursomes Final
Portumna 1.5 – 3.5 Warrenpoint (Portumna names first): Gerard Lynch & Mary McElroy lost to Rian Carvill & Aileen O’Connor 20th, Pat Quinlan & Bernie Kilmartin lost to Michael McGuikr & Mary Bell 4&2, Alan Page & Ann Hynes beat Shane McMahon & Brenda Hughes 3&2, James McLoughlin & Celine Cleary halved with Vincent Toner & Lynn Curtis, Michael Flanagan & Collette Fahy lost to Eoin Durkin & Fiona McNulty 4&3
Revive Active Women’s All-Ireland Four-Ball
East Cork 3.5 – 1.5 Bearna (East Cork names first): Lillian Harrington & Orla Evans lost to Ciara Lynagh & Ailis McDermott 1 hole, Deirdre O’Mahony & Claire O’Brien halved with Siobhan Hunt & Niala Timoney, Sarah O’Brien & Breda McCarthy beat Louise Cribben & Bridie McNamara 7&6, Mary Walsh & Ruth Evans beat Marian Cunningham & Caroline Codyre 2&1, Kate Daly & Paula Carey beat Michelle Keenan & Siobhan Smyth 4&3
Berehaven 1 – 4 Edmondstown (Berehaven names first): Zoe Murphy & Bernie Sullivan lost to Mairead Dawson & Crolanne Roopnarinesingh 2holes, Edel Decies & Claire McCarthy halved with Fiona Abom & Bernie Beirne, Carol Murphy & Aoife McCarthy lost to Gilly Campbell & Shirley O’Donoghue 5&3, Tracy O’Sullivan & Angela O’Sullivan lost to Gillian Ryan & Anne Hiney 6&4, Lorraine Downey & Rosarie Hanley halved with Grace O’Neill & Winnie Neary
Men’s All-Ireland Four-Ball
Mahon 2 – 3 Connemara Isles (Mahon names first): Kieran White & Ray Murphy beat Peader O’Suilleabhain & Padraig Tim O’Conghaile 2&1, Paul A Sexton & Sean Hosford lost to Stiofan MacDonncha & Gearoid Willie O’Fatharta 3&2, Peadar Deegan & David lane lost to Joe Walsh & Seosamh O’Cualain 4&3, Willie Hegarty & Paul Sexton beat Sean O’Cualain & Donal O’Curraoin 3&2, David M O’Mahony & Tom Hickey lost to Peter Mannion & Nollaig O’Tighearnaigh 2&1
Killarney 1.5 – 3.5 Newbridge (Killarney names first): Derek Kelly & Ger Linehan beat Ken Halpin & Michael Seery 5&4, Dermot Roche & Enda Curayne lost to Kieran O’Neill & Billy O’Neill 4&3, James Foley & F Reen lost to Ciaran McManus & Steven Sheridan 1 hole, Donie MacSweeney & Padraig Griffin lost to Thomas Behan & Eoin Caffery 1 hole, Denis Cronin & John Buckley halved with Robbie Brennan & Greg Kehoe
Friday 30 Sep: Fred Perry Trophy Final
Connemara Isles 1.5 – 3.5 Nenagh (Connemara Isles names first): Seosamh O’Cualain & Nollaig O’Tighearnaigh lost to Billy Burke & Jim Gleeson 1 hole, Ciaran O’Flaharty & Vince Larkin lost to Sean Minogue & George Hayes 5&4, Liam O’Maolaodha & Sean O’Cualain halved with Paul Moloney & Garry Howard, Donal Standun & Eamonn O’Brien beat Pat Hogan & Dinny Ryan 5&4, Michael O’Braonain & Conor O’Malley lost to Billy Morgan & William Harty 4&3
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