Newlands on the double
By Stephen Leonard
NEWLANDS Golf Club banished the pain of losing out in both the Ladies AIG East Leinster Junior Cup and Junior Foursomes Finals five years ago by completing that very double at the K Club on Sunday.
While they beat Naas 3.5 to 1.5 in the final of the former, it was a 2-1 victory over Forrest Little that completed their march to the Junior Foursomes crown, both teams now progressing through to the All-Irelands where they will play the Connacht champions in the quarter finals in Knightsbrook on September 26.
Jackie Quinn, Chair, East Leinster District, ILGU, Philip Coburn, AIG and Marie Harper, Ladies Captain, Newlands Golf Club, with Newlands members after their double in the AIG Junior Foursomes and Junior Cup Photo by Pat Cashman
While Rosaleen Cunningham was the first out for the club in the Junior Cup decider she was the third back in after having eventually seen off the challenge of Naas’ Mary Flahavan.
Meanwhile her clubmates Leonie Colgan and Louise Murphy had chalked up wins over Paula Murray and Naomi Curtis respectively to effectively secure the coveted title for the club.
“We were over the moon” said Newlands manager Siobhan Byrne. “I had been on the team that lost to Balbriggan five years ago, so I experienced the pain of defeat. At least, as a manager, I enjoyed this success.”
Receiving a bye through the preliminary rounds back in April, this Newlands outfit continued on to chalk up tremendous victories over Westmans-town, Old Conna, Woodbrook and Laytown Bettystown in the semis.
The Newlands Junior Foursomes outfit ignited their campaign back in March when they surmounted the challenge of Killiney in Woodbrook.
That was followed up with further victories over Charlestown, Killeen and St Anne’s before they set up a shot at the District crown after seeing off Corrstown in the semi finals
Against Forest Little in the decider, Denise Tobin and Patricia Heffernan combined to beat Susan Somers and Maureen Hampson while Frances Mahon and Frances May-berry clinched the winner when they saw off Siobhan Garvey and Niamh Mahon.
“It was a long hard campaign and we were thrilled to win the title” said team manager Neasa McKiernan who, because she was playing in the Junior Cup Final for the club, handed over management duties to Bernadette Flynn and Barbara Sweny.
“We came up against some superb opposition along the way and the girls all worked so hard. All the matches were played in good spirit” she added.
Another big weekend lies in store for Newlands as they prepare to line out in the Mary McKenna Cup All-Ireland Finals in Woodenbridge.
The team, under managers Nuala Legros and Mary K O’Mahony recently secured passage through to this phase of the competition after they beat Skerries over two legs in the Leinster final.
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