Close ties between two admirably competitive clubs were evident at Royal Portrush on Saturday, when Co Louth captured the Bulmer's Irish Senior Cup for a third time. It was also a memorable occasion for the progressive Portarlington club, which landed the Bulmer's Jimmy Bruen Shield as their first national pennant.

Barry Reddan, a former Co Louth club captain, was unquestionably the hero of the hour, not least for the fact that he secured the winning point in a 3-2 final victory over Galway. As a survivor of the 1974 and 1977 teams, it made him the only player to appear in all three Senior Cup triumphs.

But a strong link with Laytown and Bettystown was reflected in the contribution of Val Smyth, who gained Co Louth's first point at number three in the order. As it happened, Smyth was completing a notable double, having been a member of the Laytown and Bettystown quartet who won the Barton Shield in 1983. And it compensated for earlier disappointments in Senior Cup finals with both Laytown and Bettystown and Co Louth.

Another member of that 1983 Barton Shield line-up, Declan Branigan, was present at Portrush, lending strong support to his golfing friends. And there was a congratulatory phone call from Val's younger brother Des in Paris, where he was competing in the Lancome Trophy.

The climax of Smyth's win over David Cunningham emphasised the sporting qualities of this celebrated golfing family. Three up playing the 16th, he had a 15-foot putt to end the match with a birdie. As he addressed the ball, however, his cap blew off and when he ran after it, the ball moved a few inches in the wind. It is unlikely that anybody noticed the indiscretion, but without hesitation, he called a penalty on himself and then proceeded to sink the putt for the match.

Gale-force winds seriously heightened the challenge of a formidable stretch, but Reddan was in his element, drawing on the experience of three championship triumphs on links terrain. "I've played really well over the last few months and to be perfectly frank, I don't care if it disappears after this," he said.

With balls oscillating in the wind, putting became a critical element in Reddan's success. Two down after four against 18-yearold Mark O'Sullivan, he won the next four in par figures to be two up. After that, there he was never in danger of losing his grip on the match.

Though he lost the long ninth to a birdie, the 52 year old responded with wins at the 10th, 11th and 13th and when victory was secured on the 16th green, he had highly creditable approximate figures of two over par. "I might quit now," he added, with the shallowest conviction.

The third Co Louth point was secured by 20-year-old Gareth Bohill, who will be recalled for an outstanding performance in the East of Ireland championship over his home course three months ago. After coming in at the 11th hour as a four-handicap reserve, Bohill showed his competitive qualities by capturing the Jo Carberry Cup with a net aggregate of 279.

Ten years ago, Portarlington had nine holes and 280 members. Now, they can boast 18 holes, 647 members and their first national pennant. Clearly, the club has made wonderful progress on all fronts since the extension to 18 holes in 1991.

Yet Portarlington's breakthrough against Athlone was very much a family affair. Noel McMahon captained a squad which included eight relatives of his, including two sons, four cousins and his brother Liam, who had the distinction of sharing in a crushing 8 and 6 win in the anchor position with Mark Kennedy.

Meanwhile, though success in the cups and shields tends to be cyclical, Ulster must be somewhat concerned about their extremely modest success in recent years. The fact is that since the national finals of these competitions were last staged in the North - at Portstewart in 1995 - they have had only one victory.

That lone success was by Warrenpoint in the Barton Shield at Athlone last year. Otherwise, Ulster have drawn a blank in 19 out of the 20 national cups and shields competitions during that period. A remarkably even breakdown among the other provinces shows the count as: Leinster seven; Munster six and Connacht six.