Killarney ladies golfers secure Munster title
AFTER several near misses in recent weeks at various levels of both Men and Ladies golf, a Munster title has finally come to Kerry after the Killarney ladies bagged the Senior Foursomes title at Tipperary on Sunday last.
While the county’s minor footballers were making it five in a row, the ladies from Killarney were making it two in a row in Munster as they were of course the reigning Munster and All-Ireland champions going into Sunday’s final where they beat Limerick Golf Club by two and a half matches to a half.
Of the six Killarney ladies who played on Sunday, only Amy Arthur and Mary Geaney played in last year’s All-Ireland final victory over Roscommon but the four ‘new’ faces are all experienced campaigners and were certainly up to the challenge against Limerick.
Amy Arthur (6) teamed up with Ailish Mulcahy (9) for a solid 3/2 win over Emily Walsh (6) and Fiona McGann (8) to put the first point on the board for Killanrey and when Tracey Eakin (2) and Mary Geaney (13) delivered the second match against Emma Guinane and Heather Fitzgerald (9) by a 2and1 margin, it was all over meaning that the remaining match involving Killarney’s
Mary Sheehy (3) and Christine Carroll (13) against Orla Barry (5) and Cliona Finucane (12) was called in for a half as Killarney added the Munster Senior Foursomes title to the Senior Cup title they won back in May and they now head to the Knightsbrook Golf Resort in Trim, Co Meath for the national finals at the end of September.
Dooks, the other Kerry team seeking a Munster title on Sunday, were beaten in the final of the Intermediate Cup by Douglas from Cork losing the first three matches where Caroline Breen (16) lost to Jessica Kavanagh (16) 3and2, Jenny Pigott (17) lost to Orla Coughlan (16) 3and2 and Angela Lyons (17) lost to Jill Morris (16) 2and1.
The two remaining matches involving Bridie Fitzgerald (Dooks) and Mary O’Leary-Cooney (Douglas) and Delia Foley(18) (Dooks) and Helen Barry (20) (Douglas) were called in as halves for a 4-1 final result.
The number of titles in the bag might not reflect the outstanding season that Kerry has had in ladies, men’s and junior golf and it is safe to say that while club membership might be in decline overall in this country, the state of the game in this county is indeed very healthy.