Community spirit hailed at Echo Sports Awards

CASTLE Golf Club has hailed the “community spirit” at The Echo 2022 Sports Awards, in which it was named Team of the Year after completing their march to the prestigious AIG Men’s Junior Cup, reports Hayden Moore.

The Rathfarnham-based club lifted the Junior Cup for the second time, the first coming in 2016, following their emphatic 4-1 victory over Cork in the final at Knightsbrook in County Meath.

David Lawley, Fergal Moran, Jake Kinsella, Rory O’Brien and Ross Kinsella played the penultimate round and the decider as they completed their run to the title.

In the run-in, Tallaght man Steve Finlan and Ken Sweeney helped the team while David Cosgrave, Kevin Moran, James Quinn, Paul Whelan and James Behan were part of the extended panel.

But it was not so straight forward, and there was a bit of a furore on the 16th hole when Ross hit a seven-iron into about six feet and a fox ran onto the green, stealing his ball.

Thankfully, for the team, officials came to an agreement with both teams, re-placed the ball, and Ross went on to sink the winning put.

In the same month, Castle also seized the AIG Barton Shield for the very first time after beating Castleknock in the final at Tramore Golf Club.

Together with James Hambey and James Pender, Ross Cregan managed the team to their second All-Ireland title.

“It’s unheard of for a small club like Castle Golf Club to hold both All-Ireland pennants at the same time,” Castle Golf Club’s winning manager, Ross Cregan, tells The Echo.

“There was 12/13 players on the panel and it’s a testament to them.

“They put a lot of effort in over the year. To get to that stage of the all-Ireland was brilliant, but we never really felt the pressure of the occasion.

“There was a bit of luck involved of course, and there was a lot of really good golf played.

“There was a few lads that started to really hit their stride at the right time, and that really helped the team across the line in the all-Ireland.”

Reflecting on being named The Echo 2022 Team of the Year, Ross added: “It was a fantastic night.

There was really lovely community spirit in the room, and we are blown away with the award.”

Castle had to overcome stiff competition at The Echo Sports Awards, fending off five GAA teams, two basketball teams, two athletics teams, Crumlin United and TU Dublin Badminton team.