Summerhill College

THEIR elation was also full of poignancy as a former teammate sadly passed away hours later. Last September, Co Sligo won the AIG Senior Cup in Cartron House and team captain Shane Flanagan dedicated the win to club stalwart Mark Rooney, who lost his battle with cancer shortly afterward aged 38. Ruairí O’Connor clinched the winning point at the 19th as Co Sligo won the AIG Senior Cup in dramatic style over opponents Castle. It was an emotional victory for Sligo, who were beaten by a birdie at the 19th in 2014 against Tramore. Team members had been in close contact with former captain Mark throughout the campaign, some even writing his initials on their golf gloves as a reminder that they were going to win the final for him.

Castle had high hopes of doing the double, having won the AIG Junior Cup some days previously. That dream was still alive when Robert Moran won the 16th to take the lead against O’Connor and he halved 17 with a par to hold his advantage down the last. Sligo had two points on the board at that stage courtesy of David Brady’s 4& 3 win against Peter McKeever and TJ Ford’s 3& 2 success against Jim Mulready, but the pressure was squarely on O’Connor’s shoulders.

“I’d take any putt to win,” said O’Connor. “My caddy, Alan ( Gaynor) has been fantastic, he gave me a great read, spot on and I trusted it. It was never anywhere else. Just left edge, dead weight.” Standing behind the putt, Sligo’s David Brady had the perfect view. “As soon as he hit the putt I was running onto the green, I knew straight away he had it,” said Brady. “A roll of the ball, that’s all it takes.” In the aftermath, O’Connor shimmered with emotion.” This means a lot to us,” the 23- year- old explained. THE success of the Juvenile Men’s Team of the Year was unprecedented in 2016.

They did the double for the first time in their school’s history, winning both the coveted Connacht ‘ A’ League and Championship titles.

It had been 1985 since Summerhill and indeed a Sligo school had last won the Connacht ‘ A’ Championship.

Also going into the history books for the first time was the fact their opponents in both finals, St Attracta’s also hailed from the county of Sligo, showing the Yeats County was producing top- quality talent at schools level in the Province.

Managers Barry Convey, Joe Neary and their backroom team had led this close- knit group of players from first year right up to the Senior grade.

2016 saw them do the League double by following up 2015’ s victory as they cemented their dominance in Connacht. They progressed to the semi- finals of the All- Ireland and were narrowly beaten by Magherafelt of Derry.

Summerhill College Senior Gaelic Team’s joint captains Sean Power and Kevin Banks after the school’s Connacht ‘ A’ League win. Summerhill did the double in 2016 by also winning the ‘ A’ Championship. Team: O Conway, C Feeney, A Cummins, C McGovern, D O’Hara, S Power ( C), S Mulligan, P O’Connor, K Banks ( C), C Lally, C Herron, J Ballyantyne, R Sweeney, K Cawley, N Rooney. Subs: S McCallion, R Hickey, D Kilrehill, C Jordan. Management: Barry Convey, Joe Neary, Mark Breheny, Liam Óg Gormley.

Shane Flanagan ( Team Captain) and Robbie Fitzpatrick ( Assistant Team Captain) with the Co Sligo team members: Ruairí O’Connor, Declan Reidy, Garth McManus, Mark Morrissey, Sean Flanagan, TJ Ford, David Brady, Shane Underwood, Alan Gaynor and Cian Feeney after their victory in the AIG Senior Cup at Carton House in September. This is the blue pennant trophy of Irish Amateur golf first played in 1900. Co Sligo have won it four times. 2016 saw them claim the Connacht title to qualify for the All- Irelands.