GOLF DIGEST: "YOU GET greedy," remarked Joe Lyons, dispelling any notions of romanticism. The 37-year-old was speaking at Tullamore Golf Club on Saturday afternoon, just moments after Galway Golf Club had claimed the blue ribband Irish Senior Cup for a second time in four years and, in the process, claimed a 19th green pennant in all for the famous Salthill club.
Once again, the Tribesmen were the conquerors; only, this time, the vanquished in this showpiece of the Bulmers Irish Cups and Shields were very much the new kids on the block and, it would seem, destined to be the future.
West Waterford, a team with an average age of just 20, had fought tooth and nail before succumbing to the wily old veterans of Galway on a 3½ to 1½ margin that actually disguised the true extent of a battle that went to the wire.
To Lyons, an experienced campaigner who has played for Ireland and savoured personal success in the West of Ireland championship, there remains something special about aiding your club to a green pennant. On Saturday, he was the strong man at the end of the field as he defeated teenager Philip Walsh by 2 and 1 to seal Galway’s victory after Damien Glynn and Damien Coyne ahead secured their points in contrasting fashion, whilst Eddie McCormack was locked in a titanic encounter with 16-year-old Gary Hurley that eventually saw them shake hands on the 19th to confirm a halved match after the overall outcome was decided behind them.
Galway, who’d arrived in Tullamore on a quest for a double of Barton Shield and Senior Cup, had gone into Saturday’s decider knowing the old silverware – dating back to 1900 – represented their only chance of national glory.
“It would have been terrible to go home empty-handed,” said Lyons.
In fairness to West Waterford, a privately owned club just 16 years in existence, they put up the brave fight. Mark Shanahan, for some reason overlooked by the Munster selectors this season, showed his pedigree with a 3 and 2 win in the top match over Dave Scully.
At 27, Shanahan was, as he put it, “the old fella” of the team, but proved to be a real leader and that win over Scully was his seventh win from seventh matches throughout the entire campaign.
Shanahan, who lost his job as a sheet metal ducter in February, used his extra free time to sharpen his golf game and the plus-one handicapper – still on the lookout for new employment – provided the inspiration for a team of youngsters whom he suggested “deserved an awful lot of credit” for reaching the All-Ireland final.
Galway, though, had the critical edge in experience and Damien Glynn, a 23-year-old electrician and the youngest man on the Galway team, produced a scintillating display to beat David Curran by 5 and 4 to claim the first point.
After that, however, it was a close run thing, with Damien Coyne, who had trailed Philip Spratt by one hole after 13, turning his match around to finally get the crucial point on the 18th where the West Waterford man’s third shot approach to the par four clipped a tree and opened the door to opportunity which he didn’t need to be asked twice to take.
Then, with Lyons winning behind, it was all over . . . . which meant McCormack and Hurley, a richly promising teenager, weren’t required to finish out. Theirs had been probably the best match of all, with Hurley recovering from three down to win the 15th in birdie, 17th and 18th to force extra holes that, ultimately, were not to be required.
The final green pennant of a wonderful festival of inter-club golf saw Nenagh overpower Waterford en route to claiming the Jimmy Bruen Shield by a 4-1 margin. It gave the Tipperary club a first win since 1997 in the foursomes competition.
The Results
IRISH SENIOR CUP
FINAL: Galway 3 ½ West Waterford 1 ½ (Galway names first: D Scully lost to M Shanahan 3 and 2; E McCormack halved with G Hurley; D Coyne bt P Spratt 1 hole; D Glynn bt D Curran 5 and 4; J Lyons bt P Walsh 2 and 1)
JIMMY BRUEN SHIELD
FINAL: Nenagh 4 Waterford 1 (Nenagh first: P Moloney and P Kennedy bt A Aherne and C Lynch 6 and 5; C Heffernan and M O’Gara halved with A Mulhall and J Power; M Tierney and M Fahey bt M Daly and E Griffin 4 and 3; D Corrigan and L O’Gara hvd with A Feicks and F Power; M Corrigan and J Griffin bt A Ryan and M Freeman 6 and 4)
ROLL OF HONOUR
Irish Senior Cup – Galway (West Waterford).
Barton Shield – Kilkenny (Banbridge).
Irish Junior Cup – Malone (Oughterard).
Jimmy Bruen Shield – Nenagh (Waterford).
Pierce Purcell Shield – Letterkenny (Corrstown).
