Orla Lenny celebrates with her father Seamus Mallon and daughter Lara following Rosapenna’s Irish Mixed Foursomes victory at Clontarf. Picture by Pat CashmanRosapenna claimed the first national title in the club’s 119-year history with a dramatic victory over Dromoland in the Spanish Tourist Board sponsored All-Ireland Mixed Foursomes at Clontarf.

The decisive blow came at the 21st in the first match, where Con Boyce and Suzanne Gallagher scored a winning par four to a bogey five by Mark Reynolds and Maria Nolan to seal a 3.5-1.5 victory

The foundation of their victory was laid in the final two matches, where Enda Kennedy and Dympna Kelly beat Nicholas Duggan and Angela White by 3 and 2 before Marty McDermott and Orla Lemmy beat Mark Hogan and Yvonne Shanahan 4 and 3.

Dromoland scored a win of their own when Tony Cleary and Dorothea Madden beat Pat and Kit Boyce by 2 and 1, leaving the title to hinging on the result of the other two matches, which both went to extra holes.

The other two matches, however, saw nothing between the sides and both finished all square after 18 holes.

Boyce and Gallagher for Rosapenna eventually came out on top and the other game between Rosapenna’s Frank Casey and Terri McBride and Dromoland’s Declan O’Leary and Mary Arthur was called in on the 19th.

Rosapenna, All Ireland Mixed Foursomes champions for 2012.Rosapenna captain Peter Smyth was understandably delighted with his team’s performance. Indeed, so careful was he not to tempt fate that no accommodation arrangements were made for his team after they accounted for Rathfarnham by four matches to one in Thursday’s semi-final.

“We came up in hope more than anything else,” Smyth explained. “We had a problem getting accommodation on Thursday night because we didn’t expect to be in the final and to come out and win is absolutely unbelievable.”

The Irish Mixed is Rosapenna’s first title, either at provincial or national level, a staggering fact considering the club was founded is almost as old as the GUI itself, founded in 1893.

Smyth added: “It’s history because it’s our first time to win an Ulster title and our first time to win an All Ireland title. I’m just so happy for the players, the team, the club, Frank Casey and everybody associated with Rosapenna. It’s absolutely amazing.

“They are a great group to work with. From the day we qualified we dropped four of our men and took the four low men in and it seemed to work. Our strategy was low men, and high women and it worked. The men helped to keep the women’s feet on the ground and the only advice I gave the men was don’t be getting your women into trouble.

“I skirted around everybody. I kept everybody advised of what the scores were in each match and if their heads were dropping at any stage I just said get your head up and it worked for the most part.
Rosapenna won the Ulster title two weeks ago by beating Mannan Castle Golf Club at Omagh.

Irish Mixed Foursomes, Clontarf GC

Final

Rosapenna 3.5 Dromoland 1.5 (Rosapenna names first)

Con Boyce (5) & Suzanne Gallagher (26) bt Mark Reynolds (2) & Maria Nolan (24) at 21st;

Pat Boyce (8) & Kit Boyce (27) lost to Tony Cleary (+1) & Dorothea Madden (34) 2/1;

Frank Casey (4) & Terri McBride (20) halved with Declan O’Leary (7) & Mary Arthur (18);

Enda Kennedy (+1) & Dympna Kelly (25) bt Nicholas Duggan (3) & Angela White (23) 3/2;

Marty McDermott (5) & Orla Lenny (19) bt Mark Hogan (7) & Yvonne Shanahan (20) 4/3/.