Leinster Inter-County Championship Report

Look back at last Saturday in St Bridgets & Royal Meath

Leinster Inter-County Championship Report image

John Manning looks back at Saturday’s rescheduled events in the eastern province.

The Leinster graded Inter-County Championships, unavoidably postponed by the deluge in the Navan/Castletown area on Saturday August 10th, were played in ideal weather conditions last Saturday August 24th. St Bridget’s hosted the Ladies events while the Gents Championships were contested at Royal Meath.

 

Gents

The most comfortable win of the weekend was recorded by an impressive Dublin Intermediate Gents’ sextet. Tied at the top of the leaderboard with Kilkenny on 144 (-18) after the Scotch Foursomes, Dublin delivered a 26 under par Singles salvo to romp to an 18 shot victory over their playing partners for the day. David Horan, who was to go on to win the All Ireland Under 20 Strokeplay championship at Glenville the following day, linked up with Barry Gorey to record an inspirational 45 for Dublin. Tom McMorrow and Paddy Gaynor scored 49 while Gareth Walsh and Lennon Blake signed for a 50.

 

The men in the Black & Amber (Nicholas Brennan, Derek Delaney, Dick Dreeling, Kevin Knox, Patrick Robinson and Eugene Gibbons) were seeking to build on their consecutive Junior successes to which four of this team had contributed to) but found the Dubs just too good with the irrepressible Horan producing another tour de force with a 45 in the Singles. Offaly (Mickie Connolly, Michael O’Connell, Jimmy Taylor, Stephen Redmond, Seanie Buckley and Jimmy Scanlon) returned 463 to take the bronze medals.

 

Westmeath regained the Gents Junior crown they last won in 2015, posting a nine under par tally of 477 to pip Meath by four shots. Having taken control of the event from the start with a 10 under par 152 return from their Scotch Foursomes, Westmeath (Robert Masterson, Clive Byrne, Shane Kinahan, Michael Dinnegan, Fergal O'Connor and Raymond Fay who supplied an outstanding 48) added a singles tally of 217 to defeat their near neighbours, who were represented by Jimmy Burke, Richard Brennan, Richard Walsh, Stephen McCabe, Jonathan McCabe and Evan Ganley.

 

Four back after the Scotch Foursomes, holders Kilkenny (Aidan Gibbons, Robert Middleton, Tom Fitzpatrick, Adrian Nolan, Derek Whelan and James Casey) took third position on 486.

 

Ladies

In the Stableford Ladies events at St. Bridget’s, Kildare Juniors celebrated a second win in four years but the Lilywhite Intermediates were denied a three-in-a-row by a determined Meath quartet. Kildare and Dublin were tied on 87 points after the Scotch Foursomes in the Junior Championship but the Short Grass County Ladies produced a phenomenal singles haul of 174 points, headlined by Ann Sweeney’s 49 and Gabrielle Sweeney’s 47.

 

Ann and Gabrielle were ably supported by the Dillon’s, Dina and Catherine, and Kildare won by 17 from defending Champions Dublin (Catherine Fox, Christine Mulvey, Orla Creevey and Breda Boyle) with Westmeath (Adeline Revins, Maureen Clarke, Ann Clarke and Trish Fox) third, just another two points back. Kildare’s 261 points tally represents an all-time record winning total in the Junior Championship.

 

In the Intermediate, Meath held a seven stroke lead following the Scotch Foursomes after matching 44 point returns for Teresa Fagan & Christine Morgan and Anne Bird & Margaret Conneely. A first ever win at this grade for the Royals was secure when this Royal Meath/Dunshaughlin/Laytown/Trim combination added 162 singles points to earn a 16 point verdict over the host county. 1996 National Strokeplay Champion Rose Kelly led a Kildare team that also included Catherine Smith, Marian McCormack and Antoinette Doyle. 2017 winners Louth (Marlo Everitt, Bridie Hanratty, Ann Ward and Mary Coyle) placed third on 231 points.

 

The Leinster Champions will now progress to take on their Munster counterparts in the first ever national finals between the graded sides in both provinces in course