A bright evening sun was dipping behind the clubhouse roof at Lahinch yesterday, as Derek McNamara came up the final fairway. The 18-year-old Leaving Certificate student was caught up in a hectic schedule before captaining Connemara against Shandon Park in the semi-finals of the Bulmers Barton Shield here this morning.
McNamara, who shot a stunning 61 on the way to victory in the Irish Boys' Championship at Strandhill last month, had returned from Liverpool only at 2.0 a.m. yesterday after finishing joint fifth in the international final of the Nick Faldo Series at Hoylake. Indeed travel arrangements seemed to dominate the eve of this, the highlight of the year in inter-club competition.
With Shandon attempting to capture the category-one double of the Barton Shield and Senior Cup for the first time in their history, they will have Neil Anderson in action for one but not the other. Winner of the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch in 1984, Anderson partners Michael Hoey in the top pairing this morning against McNamara and fellow teenager Kenny Fahey.
But he won't be available for the Senior Cup semi-finals tomorrow afternoon. Around that time, Anderson, a Belfast-based doctor, will be heading to Hawaii on holiday with his wife.
"Obviously it's an unfortunate clash but we're lucky in having a very strong panel," said the Shandon club captain, Alan Paterson. As it happens, Paterson gained sporting prominence in the west of the country as goalkeeper in the Sligo Rovers soccer team which captured the League title in the 1976'77 season.
Co Louth, who have never had Barton Shield success to match their Senior Cup achievements, will face Killarney with some familiar names. However, the Gannon in the side is David, John's son, while Bryan Ronan is a nephew of former East of Ireland champion Finbarr. As with Connemara, the emphasis is on youth.
The Barton Shield is effectively the national men's foursomes championship: lesser mortals do battle as pairs in the Jimmy Bruen Shield and Pierce Purcell Shield. And this year's venue calls to mind a little gem which beautifully illustrates the special strain of foursomes competition.
It has to do with a time when Brud Slattery and Mick O'Loughlin were an established partnership for Lahinch. And in a particularly crucial match, it seems that Slattery suggested his partner should use a wedge for a delicate approach shot. To which O'Loughlin made the classic reply: "Sorry Slattery. That shot is not in my programme."
Successful foursomes partners of five years ago will be in singles action for Monkstown today in the semi-finals of the Junior Cup. Andrew Fitzgerald, Noel Miller and Roy Downey were in the side which captured the Jimmy Bruen Shield at Portstewart in 1995, while another member of today's side, John Hayes, was a panellist.
Warrenpoint, who made almost a clear sweep in 1987 when they won four pennants at Clandeboye, are still seeking the elusive Junior Cup title, having lost to Douglas in the final at Royal Portrush last year. They retain four survivors of that line-up - Barry Trainor, Brian Powell, Paul McCartan and Brian McKee, which means that Paddy Magee is the only newcomer.
