Ballybunion and Ballyheigue to meet in Dr Billy O’Sullivan Shield Final

THE 2018 final of the Dr Billy O’Sullivan Shield at Ballybunion on Saturday week, September 15, will be an all North Kerry affair between Ballybunion and Ballyheigue Castle after both sides successfully negotiated their semi-final matches on Saturday last at sunny Ballybunion.

The host club were first into action in ideal weather conditions against Ceann Sibéal and although the home side looked to be cruising mid-way through the back nine, they had to survive a very determined come back by the West Kerry men.

Ger Rowan (19) and Gerry Enright (20) were in fantastic form and delivered the first point for Ballybunion with a 7/6 win in match four against Alan Flannery (19) and Ceann Sibéal player-manager Ignatius O’Connor (22).

At this stage with one game in the bag and ahead in three of the other four, it looked like a comprehensive win for Ballybunion but Ceann Sibéal hit back to take the third match where the experienced duo of Tom Curran (19) and Joe O’Sullivan (21) beat Milie Costello (19) and Tim Nolan (21) by 3/2.

Ballybunion grabbed the next point in match two where the veteran Seán Walsh (19) and Noel Heaphy (20) beat Paddy Duggan (20) and Denis Winters (21) at the seventeenth but having been ahead in the remaining two matches, Ballybunion saw their advantage wiped out as Ceann Sibéal dew level in both.

The West Kerry comeback was brief however as Patrick Ryan (18) and Jim Doolan (21) having been two up and brought back to level after seventeen, won the final hole against Michael Lenihan (18) and Seán Ruiséal (23) to send Ballybunion into the final.

The last match between Ballybunion’s Tom Stack (18) and Tim Sheehan (21) and Ceann Sibéal’s Peter Barry (18) and Seamus Brosnan (23) was called in for a half with the Ceann Sibéal pair one ahead playing the sixteenth.

Defending champions Kenmare took on Ballyheigue Castle in the other semi-final and in spite of my predictions that the champions would reach the final, Ballyheigue were to prove me wrong and their management took great satisfaction in reminding me of this, but I can’t be right all the time!

It proved to be a comfortable victory for the North Kerry side, winning the first three matches, as Ger Lynch (19) and Bernard Dineen (20) beat Seán Daly (18) and Peter Cronin (21) at the fifteenth to deliver the top match while Jack Dempsey (19) and Billy Griffin (27) put the next point on the board for Ballyheigue beating Bertie McSwiney (18) and Tim Toomey (22) 6/5.

Kenmare got a brief life line when Fionán Ó’Shea (19) and Paul O’Donovan (20) won the fifth match beating Eamon Stack (18) and Tadhg Coughlan (21) by 6/5, but John Dineen (19) and Brendan Harty (20) clinched the vital third point for Ballyheighue in match two, beating Mike O’Brien (18) and John Joe Mahony (21) by 2/1.

The remaining match (game four) was called in at the sixteenth where the Ballyheigue pair of Callum Carroll (18) and Brendan McMahon (23) were one up on Paudie Kelleher (20) and Jerry Walsh (20).