2016 Provincial Mixed Foursomes Preview

A look ahead to Sunday in Lucan and Tralee

2016 Provincial Mixed Foursomes Preview image

73 pairings compete for the two Provincial Mixed Foursomes titles this Sunday in Lucan (Leinster) and Tralee (Munster). Communications & Press Officer Jason O’Connor takes a closer look at the field in this preview.

 

Leinster

Jimmy Scanlon & Christine McCarthy 2015 Leinster Mixed Foursomes Winners

36 pairs will compete for the title at Lucan with the Dublin club having just under one-third of the entire field with 11 pairs taking part. They include Linda Thomson & Danny Kilduff, Phil Condron & Patrick Croke, Barbara Furlong and Tom McMorrow, Brenda Purcell and Noel Ryan, Siobhan McDonnell & David Lee, Patricia Anderson & Terry O’Shaughnessy, Dora & Brendan Keane, Sandra & Peter Keogh, Tracey Smith & Anthony Malone, Fiona Langan & Dan Courtney along with Mairead O’Brien & Andrew Fitzgerald. Although they are in different pairings this year Brendan Purcell and Tom McMorrow were runners-up last year in The Acres to Tullamore duo Christine McCarthy and Jimmy Scanlon who return this year to defend their title.

 

            One of the other prize-winners from last year in Longford is also in action this Sunday as last year’s Gross winners Christine Byrne and Darren Keogh tee-off in the shotgun start. 2014 National winning pair Catherine McCreevy and William Sheridan take part this Sunday as well, William entering off the back of his win in the National Seniors Strokeplay in Fermoy last month. Kilbeggan duo Dina Carton and Mick Cunningham were the only Leinster prize-winners at last year’s national event in Collins while 2013 Leinster winners Mary Farrell and Martin O’Reilly from Gaeil Colmcille are also teeing off in this event. Old County and Glenville are the only other Dublin clubs with pairs competing on Sunday, three for the former and one for the latter.

 

            Christine O’Reilly & Anthony Parsons, Ann O’Shea & Kevin Bermingham and Laura Whelan & Stephen Power make up the Old County pairs while Joyce Keane and Bertie Byrne represent Glenville. Meath has a total of seven pairings in the field with Kathleen Geraghty & Dom Scully, Gaeil Colmcille’s Carol O’Brien and Barry Nelis, Bellewstown’s Cathy Richardson & Thomas Costello, Ratoath’s Una Brennan & Desmond Donnelly and Royal Meath’s Teresa Fagan & Sean Kelly joining the aforementioned pairings of McCreevy & Sheridan and Farrell & O’Reilly in representing the Royal County. Kilbeggan comprise all of the Westmeath entries with Ann & Michael Clarke, Lynda & Michael Carton along with Kathleen and John Carton joining the pairing of Dina Carton and Cunningham.

            Kildare also has four representatives with Mary & Liam Sherry, Ann & Christy Sweeney along with Mairead O’Toole and Christy Hannon joining Byrne & Keogh with Louth and Offaly having three pairs each in the field. Seapoint’s Mary & Barry Coyle and Margaret McCabe & Brian McGinn along with McBride’s Audrey Donnelly and Padraic Sarsfield make up the Louth pairs while there are two pairs from Ferbane to join last year’s winners namely Mary McKenna & Sean Buckley along with Mary Sheerin & Patsy Reamsbottom.

 

            Play will get underway at 10.30am on Sunday morning in Lucan.

 

Munster

Joe O'Connor & Bridget Shelley 2015 Munster Mixed Foursomes Winners 

27 pairs will compete on Sunday in Tralee with the host club having three pairs entered with all three out with pairs from the Lakeside club in Templemore. Most prominent of those pairs is Lisa O’Connor & Tony Blake, winners of this competition in 2014 and runners-up in last year’s National Competition in Collins. They tee-off alongside Josie McCormack and this year’s Munster Junior Matchplay Runner-Up in Anthony Maher. Brother and sister Charlotte & Jamie Blake find themselves teeing off with the defending champions in Bridget Shelley & Joe O’Connor while the other Tralee pairing of Aisling Quirke & Dan O’Leary tee-off with Mary & Patrick Quinn from the Templemore club.

 

            The other Lakeside pairing of Elaine Quinn & Mick Fennell were winners of the First 18 prize at the national event last October and they tee-off alongside Deerpark’s Sheila O’Donoghue & Robbie O’Brien Snr. The other pairing from the Killarney club Johnny & Betty O’Brien tee-off with Castlelyons duo Deirdre & Padraig Fitzgerald. Cunnigar have three pairs involved on Sunday with two prize-winners from last year Liam Simms and Aidan O’Rourke having new playing partners in Jacinta O’Mahony and Marie Forde respectively. Mary Walsh & Paddy Noonan complete the representation from the Dungarvan club as Rocklodge’s double National Ladies Champion for 2016 Mary Murray plays with Garrett O’Mahony on this occasion having won the Gross with John Tracey last year in Lakeside.

 

            Like Lakeside, Riverdale of Nenagh have four pairs entered on Sunday comprising Margaret & Dean Courtney, Catherine Dunne & Seamus Gleeson, Liz Forde & Liam Bourke along with Margaret Forde & Peter Dunning. Hillview’s Pauline Lucey & Adrian Anglim along with Tipperary Hills’ Jacinta Nugent & Eddie Tuohy complete the Tipperary representation of 10 on Sunday. There are four players from Limerick registered clubs namely Bruff pairs Hannah & PJ Ryan along with Margaret & William O’Donovan while Charleville have two pairs as well in Trish Kerins & John Ryan and Liz Lysaght & Michael Curtin. Collins’ Sarah O’Neill & Finbarr Looney, Ballinlough’s Paula Nolan & John Cooney and Fermoy’s Sarah & Darren Byrne complete the field on Sunday as there are five pairs in total entered from Cork.

 

            As proponents of this format know it’s a tough format that requires a lot of skill and patience to navigate through.

 

Best Wishes to all pairs in both provinces on Sunday. Updates will be available on the PPUI website from lunchtime when proceedings should be finishing up with the shotgun start element to proceedings.