Ladies AIG Cups & Shields Finals draw to a close

With two matches resuming from the previous day due to darkness issues the final day of the Ladies AIG Cups & Shields was a great one for Munster Clubs.
 

Portumna ladies celebrate their win  / Image from Pat Cashman Photography 
 
In the two unfinished matches that went off early in the morning Killarney and Cahir Park were winners but there were still to be three more Champions crowned later in the day as the Junior Foursomes, Junior Cup and Challenge Cup remained to be decided.
 
In the Junior Foursomes final Ballykisteen took on Portumna and Portumna’s Mary McElroy and Mary Madden added a 5&4 win to Mary and Brid Kelly’s 7&5 triumph to ensure All-Ireland AIG success for the Galway side.
 
It was a Munster versus Connacht encounter in the AIG Junior Cup final as Limerick battled with Athenry. Wins for Emma Guinnane, Fiona McGann and Siobhan Conway in the top three matches secured an AIG pennant for Limerick and four victories for Southern sides this year.
Limerick had been beaten in the same final two years ago and Lady Captain Ailish Dilger is adamant that it was a blessing in disguise. “It’s been a fantastic year, we have had a mentality all year that if we could believe it we could achieve it and now we have! Losing two years ago to Enniscorthy was very deflating but now we’re back with three U19’s on the team and the support from the club has been amazing, we’re very proud!”
 
East Leinster side Malahide and Ulster side Fintona were the final matchup as they faced each other in the Challenge Cup. First time representatives at an All-Ireland final, Fintona had high hopes of claiming the title. The first two matches weren’t to be called, both all square with 2 and 3 holes to play, but Malahide flexed their muscle and won the third, fourth and fifth matches convincingly to give them the last crown of the 2017 AIG Cups & Shields matches.
 
The 2018 AIG Ladies Cups and Shields will be held at Knightsbrook Hotel and Golf Resort in September 2018.
 
AIG LADIES CUPS AND SHIELDS DAY 4 RESULTS
 
AIG Intermediate Cup Final 
Carton House (2) Cahir Park (3) (Carton House names first) Emma Fox beat Susan Carey 19th; Maura Bruton lost to Michelle Keating 7&5; Siobhan Plunkett beat Breda Keating 2&1; Ros McCarthy lost to Joanne Quaid Noonan 2&1; Ann McQuillan lost to Patricia Browne 23rd
 
AIG Senior Foursomes Final
Roscommon (1) Killarney (2) (Roscommon names first) Sinead Benedetti & Mary Lalor lost to Mary Sheehy & Fidelma O’Connor by 2 holes; Ruth Lennon & Ciara Hereward-Ryan beat Deirdre Prendergast & Ann Moynihan-Rudden 5&3; Paula Quinn & Rosemary O’Brien lost to Eimear O’Donnell & Amy Arthur 21st
 
AIG Junior Foursomes Final
Ballykisteen (0.5) vs. Portumna (2.5) (Ballykisteen names first) Catherine English & Neasa Fahy O’Donnell lost to Mary Kelly & Brid Kelly 7&5; Sarah Toomey & Mary Toomey halved with Carmel Cunningham & Bernie Kilmartin (called-in); Claire Griffin & Caroline Cussen lost to Mary McElroy & Mary Madden 5&4
 
AIG Junior Cup Final 
Limerick (4) vs. Athenry (1) (Limerick names first) Emma Guinnane beat Maire Carr 5&3; Fiona McGann beat Nicola Nally 4&2; Siobhan Conway beat Pat Jacobsen 4&3; Emily Walsh halved with Nicola Burke (called-in); Heather Fitzgerald halved with Teresa Coen (called-in)
 
AIG Challenge Cup Final 
Malahide (4) vs. Fintona (1) (Malahide names first) Vanessa McCann halved with Pat Quinn (called-in); Niamh Clark halved with Bernie McCillen (called-in); Louise Lynch beat Angela Montague 5&3; Maura Farvey beat Fanchea Donnelly 5&4; Louise Young beat Kathleen Donnelly 5&4