Claremorris golfers make little bit of history

Claremorris Golf Club made history earlier this month by winning the AIG Pierce Purcell Shield in Athlone for the first time. The Shield, which has been contested since 1970 in honour of Professor Pierce Purcell, is regarded as one of the most competitive events in Irish golf. This year saw 323 teams from across the country take part, with Claremorris emerging as champions after a five-month campaign.

The Mayo club reached the All-Ireland Final after beating Tramore of Waterford 2.5 to 1.5 in the semi-final. 

In the decider against Cushendall, Claremorris established early momentum, leading all four matches through the front nine. Enda Gurren and Brian Burke secured the first point with a 5&4 win, while Rossa Higgins and John Finn followed up with a 4&3 victory. With just half a point required, Michael Lohan and Martin Murphy held their nerve to finish one up through 17, sealing a 3–1 overall success and delivering the pennant to Claremorris for the first time.

Team captain Derek Reilly described the scale of the achievement. 

“This is a national title,” he told the Western People. “We had eight matches in the full campaign and we finished off last week by beating Cushendall in the final. It’s the best feeling in the world because there’s a lot of work and effort gone into this. We started back in May, and to come out on top in September is a fantastic achievement.” 

The road to Athlone began with a local derby. 

“We got a squad together in May, and our first match was against Castlebar,” Derek said. “We got over that and then we had Westport in the next round, which was probably the toughest match of the whole campaign. We were looking like we were going to lose, but we came out with a 2.5 to 1.5 victory. That really brought us on.” 

The team then overcame Tubbercurry 3–1, before defeating Portumna “fairly convincingly,” in Reilly’s words. 

“That’s when we realised we had a team that could go places. It brought us to the Connacht Final against Enniscrone, which we won away from home. Then it was Jameson Links of Portmarnock in the quarter-final, where we won 3.5 to 0.5. Tramore came next in the semi-final, another tough game, and then we had Cushendall in the All-Ireland final.” 

Derek emphasised the scale of the win. 

“It’s the first time for the club, and it’s a huge accolade. It’s a very prestigious Shield to win. It’s also one of the brackets of handicap that clubs have the most golfers in, so the competition is fierce. To come out on top of 323 teams is massive for us.” 

Across the campaign, 14 players were used from a panel of 25. 

“You need that many to win a competition like this,” Derek said. 

The final pairings were Gurren and Burke, Lohan and Murphy, Damien Connolly and Tom Fanning Jnr, and Higgins and Finn. John Haverty featured in the All-Ireland quarter-final, while Shane and Aiden McDonagh, Ryan Connolly, Cathal Hennelly and Paul Kenna all played important roles earlier in the year.

“One of the most notable things about the whole campaign is that we played 32 pairings from the first match to the last match, and we only lost two,” Derek said. “That shows just how solid the team was.” 

Although not eligible to play because his handicap was too low, Derek described the demands of the captaincy. 

“Your handicap has to be 10.5 or above, and the pairings must combine to 25 or higher, so I wasn’t able to take part. But the captain’s role is important. You have to bring lads together, make sure the right pairings are on the course, and organise all the matches and tee times. I even played in some practice games so I could see how lads were getting on. Until this year I didn’t realise how important that role was.

“Everyone bought in to the idea. Whatever team went out, they played really well each day. The credit belongs to the players.” 

Claremorris had previously reached the Pierce Purcell Final 12 years ago but fell short. Derek said winning this time marked a turning point for the club. 

“It’s huge for such a small club. We’re surrounded by clubs like Ballinrobe and Castlebar who have won this before, and we felt a bit left out. But we’ve proven this year that we are a club to be reckoned with. Hopefully, this win can drive us on for the future and we can win more at All-Ireland level.” 

Derek had a decent sporting CV to his credit, even before this win. He played corner-forward for Corofin GAA club in the 1998 All-Ireland Club Final, scoring 0-6 on the day. He played inter-county for Galway at minor, under-21 and senior levels. He won a Hogan Cup with St Jarlath’s College in 1994. He has been playing golf with Claremorris for seven years.