Kilmashogue and New Forest living the dream at Knightsbrook
Limerick beat Courtown to set up the chance of All Ireland glory in the AIG Senior Foursomes at Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort where Kilmashogue and New Forest continued their dream run in the Minor Cup.
Ailish Dilger’s Limerick proved to have too much strength in depth for Courtown in the elite foursomes and they now take on Massereene, who were 2.5-0.5 winners over Woodbrook on a blustery day at the pristine Co Meath venue near Trim.
“They were a very strong team but we just pipped them at the post,” Ailish said modestly after Fiona McGann and Emma Guinane won 4&3 and Orla Barry and Siobhan Conway turned their match around on the back nine to win 3&2.
“They have a never say die attitude and been together all year,” she said of Barry and Conway. “Then our youngest pair Emily Walsh and Heather Fitzgerald were called in.
“It's been a marvellous campaign with great support from the club. We had 40 supporters today and we will have treble that tomorrow with the Junior Cup team in the semi-finals against Newlands.
“The camaraderie is amazing and it's just fantastic to have the girls all buzzing, They went to the pictures last night to see Downton Abbey, and it took them away from here and their mindset was nice and relaxed for an early start today.”
Limerick face a tough task against Massereene, who boast the talents of plus one handicapper Lucy Simpson, a former Senior Cup winner with Royal Portrush.
“It was pretty windy out there and the course is playing long for a lot of the players, so it has been good so far,” said Lucy, who partnered Jennifer Parkhill to a 2&1 win over Suzanne Phillips and Kristin O’Sullivan.
Lisa McMeekin and Heather Myles then beat Cliodhne Hamilton and Emma O’Brien 3&1 before the final match featuring Woodbrook’s Amy Kelly and Nicola Coffey and Massereene’s Amy Kelly and Naomi Gordon-Foster was called in.
“We played steady golf and had three birdies — two at the par fives and another at 16 to go two up,” Lucy added. “The second match were dormie two up and their opposition went in the water at the 17th and they won 3&1.”
Massereene captain, Martha Magowan added: “It was a good win. We won the All Ireland betterball fourball in 2001 but this is the first time we have gone so far in this event.”
It was a mixed day for the other Munster teams in action with Monkstown beaten 3-2 in the semi-finals of the Intermediate Cup by Mullingar who will face Loughrea in today’s final after the Galway side edged out Castlerock on the 19th.
Mullingar will be looking for revenge having lost to Loughrea in the final in 2017 and they can thank Emma Duffy Keena for getting them over the line.
“Emma had never been in a clutch situation before but she had a very experienced caddie,” skipper Aideen Kelleghan said. “So I was relaxed that she would bring Emma and she won nicely on the 17th.
“We were put to the pin of our collar by Corrstown yesterday and Monkstown today and it's all about who can hold their nerve at the end.
“We are all casual golfers, playing in our fourballs and we don’t have 100 people watching us. If you can just breathe and take your shot, you will likely win the hole.”
East Cork will face Rathcore in today’s semi-finals of the Challenge Cup after they cruised to a 4-1 quarter-final win yesterday.
But there will also be a fairytale winner in the AIG Minor Cup after minnows New Forest and Kilmashogue - two clubs with fewer than 140 members combined — made the final.
The ladies’ club at New Forest was affiliated just six years ago and with just 50 members on their books, the Westmeath club was thrilled to beat Castlebar 3.5-1.5
Rita O'Shea clinched the winning point when she rifled a five-wood to three feet at the par-three 18th to secure a two-up win over Nicola Sheridan.
New Forest’s Minor Cup team stands on the brink of history
New Forest Captain Mary Fallon said: "This is only our second year fielding a team. We have 50 members and three years ago we only had 20 members so almost all our members have come through the Get Into Golf scheme and we have a fantastic group.”
Rita, who was the first Lady Captain of New Forest in 2013, could not believe they had made it all the way to the All Ireland final.
“When we got to the Mid-Leinster Final we were just delighted and said, ‘If we're beaten it's no matter because it was great just to get there’. Now we are in the All Ireland final and we are thrilled.
“It’s just a massive achievement for the club. We are on a mission.”
Making the final is an equally impressive achievement for Kilmashogue, situated in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains.
They beat Tralee 3-2 with Marian Judge holding her nerve to beat Geraldine Reen by one hole and clinch the decisive point.
Team captain, Anne Marie Kerney, said: “It all came down to Marian, who is small in stature but mighty in spirit. But they all played great.”
Team manager Breda Murtagh said: ”We call Marian ‘Mighty Mouse’ and she certainly is mighty. We only have 89 lady members and we are tiny.
“We literally have just eight players in the Minor Cup category - just the bare amount to make up the team and subs. So we can't afford anyone to be sick. We can't believe we beat the mighty Tralee and in such a tight match."
As for Mighty Mouse, she could not stop smiling.
“All my family play golf so I am sure they are proud of me today,” she said, beaming.
AIG Ladies Cup and Shields Finals, Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort
AIG Senior Foursomes Semi Finals:
Courtown 0.5 Limerick 2.5 (Courtown names first)
S Howell & D Kavanagh lost to F McGann & E Guinane 4&3;
K O’Hart & C Ledwidge lost to O Barry & S Conway 3&2;
S Donnellan & M Sunderland halved with E Walsh & H Fitzgerald (called-in).
Woodbrook 0.5 Massereene 2.5 (Woodbrook names first)
S Phillips & K O’Sullivan lost to L Simpson & J Parkhill 2&1;
C Hamilton & E O’Brien lost to L McMeekin & H Myles 3&1;
N Coffey & C Bourke halved with A Kelly & N Gordon-Foster (called-in).
AIG Intermediate Cup Semi Finals
Monkstown 2 Mullingar 3 (Monkstown names first)
M Egan bt A Hannon 2 hls;
L Whitaker lost to J Hogan 6&5;
F Moloney lost to G Egan 5&4;
G Coakley bt S Ruane 3&2;
M McCarthy lost to E Duffy Keena 3&1.
Castlerock 2 Loughrea 3 (Castlerock names first)
I O’Connor lost to C Murray 3&2;
K Mark bt A Kelly 5&4;
V Reid bt G Keely 3&1;
R McGuinness lost to T Whyte 19th;
P McKenna lost to N Tracey 5&4.
AIG Minor Cup Semi Finals
Castlebar 1.5 New Forest 3.5 (Castlebar names first)
M Tuffy bt R McGrath 5&4;
C Mulroy lost to D O’Connor 6&5;
N Sheridan lost to R O’Shea 2hls;
M McKeon halved with S Donegan (called-in);
A O’Sullivan lost to A Naughton 5&4.
Tralee 2 Kilmashogue 3 (Tralee names first)
S O’Sullivan lost to E McCarthy 4&3;
P Stack lost to G Fair 4&3;
A Sayers bt E Healy 2&1;
G Reen lost to M Judge 1 h.;
K Houlihan bt D Healy 6&4.
AIG Junior Cup Quarter Final:
Castlebar 1.5 Newlands 3.5 (Castlebar names first)
C White lost to E Coghlan 4&3;
S Baynes bt R Cunningham 1 h.;
L Kerr lost to L Colgan 4&2;
C Moran halved with L Murphy (called-in);
K Kelly lost to C Kiely 4&2.
AIG Junior Foursomes Quarter Final:
Newlands 1 Portumna 2 (Newlands names first)
D Tobin & P Heffernan lost to B Kilmartin & B Kelly 2&1;
F Mayberry & B Sweny lost to M McElroy & R Madden 5&4;
W Hogan & D McCready bt K Lynch & M Madden 6&4.
AIG Challenge Cup Quarter Final
Moyola Park 1 East Cork 4 (Moyola Park names first)
S Coyle lost to O Evans 6&5;
U Hegarty halved with C Goldspring (called-in);
M McGuigan lost to N Kelleher 6&5;
M Diamond lost to A O’Sullivan 8&6;
A Cassidy halved with L Cuddigan (called-in).
Today (Friday)
08:00 Junior Cup Semi Final: Newlands v Limerick;
08:40 Junior Foursomes Semi Final: Dromoland v Mullingar;
09:10 Junior Foursomes Semi Final: Newlands v Castlereagh Hills;
09:40 Junior Cup Semi Final: Enniscorthy v Co. Armagh;
10:20 Challenge Cup Semi Final: East Cork v Rathcore;
11:00 Challenge Cup Semi Final: Co. Sligo v Tulfarris;
11:50 Minor Cup Final: New Forest v Kilmashogue;
12:50 Senior Foursomes Final: Limerick v Massereene;
13:30 Intermediate Cup Final: Mullingar v Loughrea.