Athlone Golf Club will take centre stage this weekend for the AIG Pierce Purcell Shield and AIG Women’s Intermediate Foursomes All-Ireland Finals.
Among the contenders are Cushendall, led by team captain Eamonn McAuley, who are chasing a first ever green pennant in memory of their late club president Martin Delargy.
Having already hosted the Quarter-Final stages in August, Athlone is set to welcome back the eight qualifiers for one of the biggest weekends on the Inter-Club calendar, with Semi-Finals on Friday before the All-Ireland deciders on Saturday.
Cushendall have come close to All-Ireland glory on several occasions in their 88-year history, most recently in 2022 when finishing as runners-up in the AIG Men’s Senior Cup. While regional pennants are no stranger to the nine-hole Antrim course, the elusive All-Ireland green pennant has so far evaded them.
“I can’t believe we’ve got this far,” said McAuley.
“We’re trying to make history. I think everyone is just trying to get over the line somehow.”
“We’re doing it for our previous president, Martin Delargy, who passed away this year. It was our current president, Charlie McCurry’s president’s day on Saturday and he was a little bit emotional about it. He said it would be an unbelievable achievement to do this for Martin.”
Taking on the captaincy role this year, McAuley guided Cushendall to their first Ulster North AIG Pierce Purcell success since 1988. His side came through the Quarter-Final stage unbeaten with a 3-1 victory over Rathfarnham, and he now has his eight-strong squad of Michael McManus, Aidan McNaughton, Trevor Edgar, Conal McToal, Gavin McAlister, Alastair McCambridge, Odhran Scullion and Alastair O’Neill ready to return to Athlone with the same mindset.
“We’re just going on the same attitude as the Quarter-Finals. Just relax, take each ball as it comes, take your time over your shots,” said McAuley.
“They’re excited. They just can’t wait to get at it and can’t wait to get down there.”
The action begins in the AIG Pierce Purcell Shield at 10.00am on Friday, when Connacht champions Claremorris face Munster East winners Tramore. That will be followed at 10.40am by a clash between Cushendall and Munster West winners Newcastle West.
The AIG Women’s Intermediate Foursomes will get underway at 11.30am when Connacht champions Gort take on Munster East winners Monkstown, before Leinster South champions Druids Heath meet Munster West’s Ballyneety at 12.10pm.
For McAuley and his players, victory this weekend would resonate far beyond the fairways.
“It’d be a super achievement, especially because Cushendall is all about hurling, it’s a hurling village,” said McAuley.
“They’ve got to the All-Ireland Final a few times, but they didn’t win it either and we’ve had a lot of near misses. The whole community is spurring us on to try and get one.”
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