Lasting friendships forged at Killenbeg winter league
SOCIETY golf was very strong for years in Dundalk. The last recession took its toll, with some falling by the wayside, and not as many members now attached to the surviving societies.
A popular feature of society golf for years was the Winter League run by the sadly defunct Killenbeg Golf club, which closed abruptly in 2014 after 23 years in existence. Members as a result scattered elsewhere, joining the like of Dundalk, Mannan Castle, Greenore.
But for a lot Killinbeg was home, and held a special place in the hearts of players who started club golf there and struck up warm and lasting friendships which the intimate small clubhouse helped to foster.
Contributing to the friendships and camaraderie that was built up over the years was the Winter League that was staged over the winter months, and drew teams from work and other places with quite a few licensed premises having their own societies, some of which are still active.
The societies were invited to enter teams that might have comprised up to ten players, ladies and men, with a set lesser number eligible to play on any given day. From those so many cards were aggregated and after a series of rounds the top teams with the two highest scores played off to decide the overall winners.
Saturday was the day on which each of the qualifying rounds was played, with a time sheet open from 8 until midday, recalled Mickey Coburn who played with Macardle Moore. ‘I’d safely say it ran for ten years,’ he mused.
The brewery based society was the one to beat, with as many as 90 members at it’s peak and two teams represented it and one or other took the overall honours a number of times. Harp Lager also Mickey believes was among the contestants.
Pictured is one of the victorious teams, of which Mickey was a member.
He remembers the league as being popular and thinks was held before Christmas,
However, former Killinbeg captain Eamon Flood, who competed with the former Derryhale Hotel society states the league ran longer into the spring.
The course played wasn’t the full 18 holes, with Eamon’s recollection that it was over 13 holes and Mickey that it was 14 before the lay-out was brought up to the full complement, with four holes added to the then existing 14.
Both men are agreed that the event generated ‘great craic and banter.’ ‘When you went into work there was a great buzz, craic and slagging,’ told Mickey.
Eamon concurred ‘there was great craic and interest in it. It was great fun on a Saturday, great craic afterwards with a couple of drinks.’
The club organised and ran the league to generate income, Eamon said.
He recalled in the latter years at one stage Mick Mandeville, the captain of the Louth senior golf team that won four inter-county titles in a row in the early 80s, took charge of the league. He was then helping to run the club.
Eamon with the Derryhale team was close to winning the league. ‘I think we were in the final a couple of times.’
Among the other members of the team were Tony and Ian Humston, Michael and Ita Donnelly, Liam Daly and Barbara Holland.
The society probably comprised 20 members, but is no more like Macardle Moore which on ‘our high day the average number playing in an outing was over 65,’ stated Mickey.