Dundalk Golfers Eye Historic Victory at All-Ireland Finals
Twenty years after securing their first national title, Dundalk Golf Club is gearing up to make history once again as they head to Athlone this week for the All-Ireland Junior Cup Finals. The Louth club, which won the Leinster North Junior Cup title in early August, is now focused on adding a second green pennant to their trophy cabinet.
Dundalk Golfers path to the finals began with a decisive victory over reigning champions The Island at Greenore, a win that propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Ulster South champions Rossmore on Friday at 12:30 PM. Rossmore is fresh off a surprising victory over Royal County Down, setting up what promises to be a formidable test for the Dundalk squad.
If successful, Dundalk will advance to a semi-final clash on Saturday morning against either Athenry or Masserene. Victory there would see them compete in the final on Saturday afternoon against one of four potential opponents: Abbeyleix, Castle, Monkstown, or Castletroy.
The road to Athlone has been anything but easy for Dundalk. After receiving a bye in the first round, they defeated Ardee 3.5 to 1.5 and edged out Kilcock 3-2 in the subsequent round. A hard-fought 3-2 victory over Beaverstown in the quarter-finals set up a semi-final showdown with Corballis, where Dundalk emerged victorious with a 4-1 win. The nail-biting Leinster North final against The Island, the 2003 winners, saw Dundalk prevail by the narrowest of margins—3-2—with two of their wins coming on the 19th hole.
Player-manager Brian Óg Renaghan believes that the resilience shown in that final will serve his team well in Athlone. “It was a fantastic performance. There was nothing between the two teams, and we showed great character to hang in there when things weren’t going our way. We eventually managed to get the three wins we needed,” Renaghan said.
Dundalk will field an 11-strong panel, from which eight players will be selected for the finals series, with five competing in each match. Assistant manager Des McKeown acknowledges that the prospect of three matches in two days will test the squad’s depth. “If we are going to win it, we will probably need all eight players at some stage. Obviously, our focus is on Rossmore because we know what a difficult match that is going to be. Athlone is an undulating course which will be physically sapping, so we will probably need to freshen things up on Saturday if we make it that far,” McKeown stated.
Dundalk’s only green pennant, which hangs proudly in their Blackrock clubhouse, was won in 2004 when they claimed the Jimmy Bruen Shield by defeating Kilkeel in Shannon. Fergal Harte, who played in that historic victory, remains the only link between the 2004 team and the current squad.
Club captain Ultan Herr is optimistic about the team’s chances, saying, “We’ve come close over the past 20 years to winning a second green pennant, so hopefully we can go the whole way. The Junior Cup team has done the club proud all year, and I know they will give it their very best in Athlone this weekend.”
As the countdown to the finals continues, Dundalk Golf Club and its supporters are filled with anticipation, hoping that this year’s team can bridge the 20-year gap and bring home another national title.