2025 National Inter & Junior Challenge Preview by John Manning

Date: 1st November 2025

Location: McDonagh Pitch and putt Club

 

                                   Tipperary V Kilkenny (Inter)

 

Kilkenny

Winner of the Best Final 18 at the 2025 St. Patrick’s Scratch Cup, Ronan Hogan (Ashgrove) qualified for the final day’s play in the National Strokeplay championship at St. Anne’s. A former Leinster Junior Strokeplay champion, Ronan holds Leinster Schools tournament and Leinster Junior Strokeplay winners medals from 1999.

A National Inter-Club winner in 2018, Michael Kehoe (Gowran) was a member of the Kilkenny teams that claimed Nett honours at McDonagh in the 2019 Inter-County and that filled third place in the 2023 Eamonn Birchall Trophy at Lucan and in the 2018 Inter-County at Deerpark.

Jim O’Keeffe (Ashgrove) won the Carlow/Kilkenny/Wexford Junior A Matchplay championship in 2024.

A National Inter-Club runner-up with Bagenalstown in 2015, Donal McNally (Gowran) also finished second with Carlow in the 2017 Division B Inter-County championship at Ryston before winning that title with the Barrowsiders at Deerpark a year later.

Another man with experience in a second set of Inter-County colours, Owen Tubbritt (Ashgrove) was Waterford Intermediate Strokeplay champion in 2022 when he was a member of Tramore. Owen has won both Tramore and Ashgrove Intermediate Scratch Cups.

A National Junior Matchplay semi-finalist last year, Dylan Carroll (Ashgrove) was 2024 Carlow/Kilkenny/Wexford Junior Strokeplay champion.

Tipperary

A regular qualifier for the final round of the National Intermediate Strokeplay championship, Robert O’Donnell (Tipperary Hills) won the 2020 Ardnacrusha Intermediate Scratch Cup and 2022 Tipperary Hills Intermediate Scratch Cup.

Reigning Munster Intermediate Matchplay champion Noel Stapleton (Lakeside) reached the National Intermediate Matchplay final at Erry.  A 1995 National Club Tournament runner-up with Lakeside, Noel was a member of the 2007 and 2009 Tipperary teams that placed second in the Munster Inter-County.

A National Inter-Club semi-finalist in 2016, Ray Lyons (Tipperary Hills) was previously a Munster Intermediate Inter-County championship runner-up in the blue and gold at Castleisland in 2017. 2021 Tipperary Intermediate Matchplay champion, Ray won the 2020 Tipperary Hills Intermediate Scratch Cup.

Tim Crowe (Riverdale) holds winners and runners-up medals in the National Nett Inter-Club as well as a runners-up gong in the 2024 Scratch event. Tipperary Intermediate Strokeplay runner-up in 2022, Tim has also claimed second places in the Riverdale and Lakeside Intermediate Scratch Cups.

2025 Riverdale Intermediate Scratch Cup runner-up Matt Corrigan (Riverdale) claimed 1st Session honours at the 2022 National Non-Mixed Scotch Foursomes before teaming-up with Bobby Ryan to lift the 2nd session prize in the 2025 Munster Non-Mixed event. Matt was 2023 Riverdale Junior Scratch Cup runner-up.

2022 Munster Intermediate Matchplay semi-finalist Robert Ryan (Riverdale) combined with Matt Corrigan to collect the 2nd session award at the 2025 Munster Non-Mixed Scotch Foursomes. 2023 Riverdale Intermediate Scratch Cup winner, Robert was runner-up in both Riverdale and Ardnacrusha 2021 Junior Scratch Cups.

 

                                                       Cork V  Down (Junior)

 

Down

Chris Cunningham captured Best Nett in the recent Short Grass Scramble in Co. Kildare playing with Sean and John Smith. Last Saturday, Chris and John Smith filled runners-up spot in the National Non-Mixed Scotch Foursomes at Collinstown.

Cloghogue Club Chairman Thomas McInerney was the 2023 National Over-55 Junior B grade Strokeplay champion at Glenville.

John Smith won Best Nett in the recent Short Grass Scramble in Co. Kildare alongside Sean Smith and Chris Cunningham. Last weekend he and Chris Cunningham claimed second place in the National Non-Mixed Scotch Foursomes at Collinstown.

2025 Cloghogue Captain’s (Dermot McGovern) Prize winner Neil Barr is a regular Grade 2 prize gatherer at the Newry club.

2025 Inniskeen Junior Scratch Cup runner-up Kenan Shields is another regular prize in the Grade 2 category at Cloghogue.

An ace photographer, Jim Barr was winner of the Hughes Shield at Cloghogue in 2019 before finishing as runner-up in the 2025 Campbell Scramble.

Cork

2024 National Juvenile Matchplay champion Aidan Spence-Murphy (Claycasrle) was a bronze medallist in the 2023 and 2024 Munster Juvenile Strokeplay championships. He helped Cork to third place in the 2024 Munster Juvenile Inter-County championship and, since graduating to adult ranks, won the Cork Junior Matchplay championship.

 

2013 National Mixed Foursomes runner-up David O'Leary (Lakewood) won the 2025 St. Stephen’s and St. Anne’s Junior Scratch Cups and picked-up a bronze medal in the Munster Strokeplay championship at Ardnacrusha.

 

2024 Munster Non-Mixed Scotch Foursomes runner-up Stephen Conlon (BIshopstown) won this season’s Brinny Scratch Cup in addition to finishing sixth in the 72-hole National Gents Junior Strokeplay championship at St. Anne’s.

 

2025 Munster Matchplay semi-finalist Ian McCarthy (BIshopstown) finished second alongside Stephen Conlon in the 2024 Munster Non-Mixed Scotch Foursomes. 2024 St. Stephen’s Junior Scratch Cup winner, Ian filled runners-up position in the 2024 Munster Mixed Scotch Foursomes, partnered by Lesley Gilmore.

 

Reigning Munster Matchplay champion Ger Dinan (ESB) was runner-up in the 2023 provincial Strokeplay championship. Winner of the Best Final 18 award in the 2024 National Junior Strokeplay championship Ger claimed runners-up spot in the 2024 RGSC Junior Scratch Cup.

 

2025 Munster Junior Strokeplay champion Dave Connolly (Crosshaven) won Raffeen Creek Junior Scratch Cup last April and lifted a bronze medal in the Cork County Strokeplay championship at St. Stephen’s.

 

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