Underdogs! Minnows! Whatever the tag, Abbeyleix are revelling in their newfound status as giantkillers, and the club which has the distinction of being the oldest in Laois - but without the silverware to match - enter new territory on Saturday next when they contest the
Leinster finals of the Jimmy Bruen Shield, sponsored by Bulmers, at
Foxrock Golf Club.
To use an old cliche, the reason for Abbeyleix's emergence as a force in the foursomes medal competition is the wise blending of experience and youth. Five of the 10-man team - Gearoid Purcell,
Brian O'Neill, Ronan Purcell, Paul Burke and Feargal O'Hara - are juniors and, indeed, were pupils of two other members of the team, maths teachers Malachy Fogarty and Larry Ryder, at Heywood Community
School.
"We felt it was very important to give youth a chance . . . and they haven't let us down," said Abbeyleix Honorary Secretary, Gerry
O'Hara. "The team's achievement has created a tremendous buzz around the place. We're even hiring buses to Foxrock for Saturday."
Abbeyleix, a nine-hole course founded in 1895, last tasted success over a decade ago when winning the Brannan Cup. But this year's march is the stuff of dreams and Saturday's semi-final encounter with
Tullamore represents the furthest the club has ever progressed in
`the Bruen'. Giantkilling wins over Waterford, Borris, Kilkenny and
Craddockstown have put them within reach of a place in the national finals in Dundalk in September. The other semi-final on Saturday sees Sutton take on Old Conna. The final is scheduled for 2.30 p.m..
Meanwhile, the eight teams to emerge from last weekend's Leinster section qualifiers for the Irish Senior Cup for the provincial finals at Courtown on August 16th-17th were: Westmanstown, Laytown,
Hermitage, Tullamore, Woodbrook, Carlow, Portmarnock and Skerries.
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The four most powerful sporting organisations in the country will come together for a golf match at St Margaret's tomorrow. The brainchild of Golfing Union of Ireland President Peter O'Hara, the outing will see the GUI, GAA, FAI and IRFU compete against each other.
Among the GAA's team are Michael Delaney, secretary of the
Leinster council, and Donie Nealon, secretary of the Munster council, while IRFU President Niall Brophy will have the assistance of former internationals Paddy Berkery, Alan Duggan and Billy Glynn. The FAI
include chief executive Bernard O'Byrne and Bray Wanderers manager
Pat Devlin. [SBX]
There was a novel father and son angle to Eamonn Barret's captain's prize at Glasson Golf and Country club.
Larry Mitchell, whose only previous captain's prize success came at Co Longford Golf Club some 35 years ago (before his son Alan was born), came up trumps in the family rivalry.
Eleven handicapper Larry overhauled his seven-handicap son (a two-time winner of the captain's prize at Belmullet Golf Club) over the final six holes in the 36-hole competition to win by a single stroke! And, down the road at Athlone Golf Club, Michael Cuddy secured his second `major' of the season when claiming Dermot Fagan's captain's prize. Cuddy, a Galway man steeped in hurling tradition, added the captain's to the club singles title he captured recently.
