Ireland win bronze in European Senior Men's and Senior Ladies' Team Championships
The irish Senior Ladies’ team who won bronze in the European Senior Ladies’ Team Championship Slovenia
Ireland completed a notable double when they won bronze in both the European Senior Men's and Senior Ladies' Team Championships on Saturday.
The men beat Scotland 4-1 to finish third in Estonia as the ladies beat Switzerland 4-1 to take bronze in Slovenia.
The six-man men's team of David Mulholland, Christopher O'Connor, Eamonn Haugh, John O'Brien and Jody Fanangan (captained by Brian Hutchinson and managed by Matt Donohue) qualified in second place in the 36-hole qualifier and while they beat France 3-2 in the quarter-finals, hopes of gold evaporated when they got just half a point from the four matches that went to the 18th and fell 3.5-1.5 in the semi-finals to eventual champions Sweden in the semi-finals at Estonian Golf & Country Club.
The Swedes beat England 3-2 to take the title as Ireland defeated Scotland 4-1 in the bronze medal match.
Fanagan and Haugh won their three foursomes matches in the matchplay stages, beating Paul Moultrie and Kenny Gallacher 5&4.
In the singles, Lyons beat Bryan Innes 2&1, O'Brien halved with John Mathers and O'Connor halved with Nick Robson as Mulholland beat Ronnie Clark 4&3.
In the European Senior Ladies' Team Championships at Golf Arboretum in Slovenia, the six-strong team of Laura Webb, Alison Taylor, Maria O'Reilly, Carol Wickham, Lisa Cullen and Tracey Eakin (captained by Marilyn Henderson and managed by Valerie Hassett), qualified in sixth place at Golf Arboretum in Slovenia.
In the quarter-finals, the Irish ladies beat England 3-2 but while they fell 3.5-1.5 to eventual champions Germany in the semi-finals, they beat Switzerland 4-1 in the bronze medal match.
As Germany beat Sweden 3.5-1.5 to triumph, Eakin and Cullen halved their foursomes before O'Reilly halved and Wickham (5&3), Taylor (5&4) and Webb (6&5) clinched convincing wins to give Ireland victory 4-1.
