All-Ireland Senior Cup Finals places decided
IRISH Senior Cup champions Killarney were among the eight clubs to progress to All-Ireland Finals at Knock Golf Club on August 24-25.
Clonmel pulled out all the stops for the Munster District Final, where Killarney beat Lahinch 4-1 in the decider thanks to wins by Tracy Eakin, Mairead Martin and Valerie Clancy.
In the Ulster final, Royal Portrush had a comfortable 3.5-1.5 win over Royal County Down at Shandon Park.
Hannah Henderson beat Anne Ferguson before Lucy Simpson’s surprising one-up win over Curtis Cup player Paula Grant sent them on their way and Naoimh Quigg sealed overall victory by beating Danielle McVeigh by the same margin.
The Heath made history by winning Mid Leinster last year and they repeated the feat with Meadhbh Doyle, Molly Dowling, Mary Doyle, Shannen Brown and Catherine Reilly overcoming 2016 All Ireland champions Kilkenny 3-2 at New Forest.
Roscommon emerged as Connacht champions at Galway Bay, defeating Athenry thanks to wins by Chloe O’Connor, Ciara Herward-Ryan and Mary Lalor.
At Malahide, a young Elm Park team denied The Island a fourth successive East Leinster pennant.
While both Lauren Walsh and Gertie McMullen won their matches for The Island, wins for Elm Park’s Anna Foster, Emma Fleming and Mary Francis McKenna secured a 3-2 win. Irish Senior Qualifiers for Knock, August 24-25 – District Champions: Roscommon, Elm Park, The Heath, Killarney and Royal Portrush. Runners-up: The Island, Lahinch and Royal County Down Ladies.
Munster Finals at Clonmel
Rd 1: Clonmel 1.5, East Cork 3.5; Limerick 3.5, Castletroy 1.5; Muskerry 3.5, Ballybunion 1.5. Quarter-finals:
Douglas 4.5, Mallow 0.5; Killarney 4, East Cork 1; Cork 4, Limerick 1; Lahinch 4, Muskerry 1. Semi-finals: Killarney 4, Douglas 1; Cork 1, Lahinch 4.
Final: Killarney 4, Lahinch 1 (M Martin bt S Sexton 1up; V Clancy bt A Donegan 19th; K Brotherton halved with S Cunnigham; T Eakin bt N O’Dwyer 2 up; M Sheehy halved A Walsh.
Connacht Finals at Galway Bay
Quarter-final: Athenry 4, Galway 1. Semi-finals: Roscommon 3, Galway Bay 2; Athenry 3, Ballinasloe 2 Final: Roscommon 3.5, Athenry 1.5 (R Lennon lost to M Carr 2/1; C O’Connor bt N Nally 4/3; P Quinn halved with N Burke; C Herward Ryan bt P Jacobsen 3/2; M Lalor bt U Morley 5/4).
East Leinster at Malahide
Rd 1: Elm Park 4, Newlands 1; Co. Louth 3, Grange 2; Hermitage 3.5, Dun Laoghaire 1.5; Milltown 4, Skerries 1; The Island 4, Old Conna 1; Headfort 1, Castle 4; Woodbrook 3, Donabate 2; Laytown & Bettystown 4, Naas 1. Quarter-finals:
Laytown & Bettystown 3.5, Woodbrook 1.5; Castle 1.5, The Island 3.5; Milltown 1, Hermitage 4; Co. Louth 2, Elm Park 3. Semi-finals: Laytown & Bettystown 2, The Island 3; Hermitage 1, Elm Park 3.5.
Final: The Island 2, Elm Park 3 (L Walsh bt R McDonnell 6/5; C Walsh lost to Anna Foster 2/1; G McMullan bt L Mernagh 4/3; A Courtney lost to E Fleming 5/4; K McAllister lost to MF McKenna 1 up).
Mid Leinster at New Forest
Marie Croke Plate, Semi-finals: Courtown 1.5, Castlecomer 3.5; Final, Castlecomer 0.5, Mullingar 4.5.
Rd 1: The Heath 4, Courtown 1; Carlow 4.5, Castlecomer 0.5; Mullingar 1.5, Royal Curragh 3.5. Quarter-finals: The Heath 4.5, Rosslare 0.5; Wexford 4, Carlow 1; Tullamore 4, Enniscorthy 1; Royal Curragh 0.5, Kilkenny 4.5. Semi-finals: The Heath 3.5, Wexford 1.5; Tullamore 1, Kilkenny 4.
Final: The Heath 3, Kilkenny 2 (Meadhbh Doyle bt M Dowling 1 up; M Dowling lost to O Dunphy 3/2; Mary Doyle bt M Leahy Browne 5/4; S Browne lost to J Browne 2/1; C Reilly bt Ann Geoghegan 1 up).
Ulster at Shandon Park
Preliminary: Bangor 3, Belvoir Park 2; Rd 1: Lurgan 2, Malone 3; Bangor 1, Clandeboye 3; Shandon Park 0, Royal Portrush 3; Royal Co Down Ladies 4, Royal Belfast 0. Semi-finals: Malone 2, Royal Portrush 3; Royal Co Down Ladies 4, Clandeboye 0. Plate: Royal Belfast 0, Shandon Park 3.
Final: Royal Co Down Ladies 1.5, Royal Portrush 3.5 (P Grant lost to L Simpson 1 up; D McVeigh lost to N Quigg 1 up; B Coulter v Helen Jones called in; K Poots v Emma Forbes called in; A Ferguson lost to H Henderson 5/4).