Douglas to put local knowledge to good use

TOURNAMENT specialists Royal Portrush and Douglas are hopeful of regaining national eminence when the closing stages of the Irish Ladies Senior Cup are played at Cork Golf Club, Little Island, over the next two days.

Douglas first captured the Irish title in 1952 and it was the first of 12 Senior Cup victories between then and 1990 when such great golfers as Zelie Gaynor, Eileen O’Callaghan, Ann Heskin, Girlie Hegarty, Oonagh Fitzpatrick (nee Heskin), Anne O’Brien, Rhona Brennan (nee Hegarty), Clare Keating, Eileen Rose Power (nee McDaid) and Eavan Higgins, to name but a few, were very much to the fore.

Douglas are third in the roll of honour behind Portrush and Milltown while their record in Munster is nothing short of staggering — since 1952 they have been champions on 40 occasions, including an unbroken run of 20 titles between 1964 and 1983.

That level of dominance may be a thing of the past but their latest Munster success suggests that the current side still containing the evergreen Eavan Higgins and another former Irish player, Kate MacCann, can put their knowledge of the Little Island layout to good use over the next couple of days.

They take on Carlow, a useful side who include Karen Delaney and Aedin Murphy in their ranks, in the first of the quarter-finals this morning.

Portrush, powered by current international Charlene Reid and former Irish stars Helen Jones and Gemma McClenaghan, meet Wexford in the last of the quarter-finals and should go through against a side that has reached this stage for the first time.

Lahinch, who include Valerie Hassett, Linda Twomey and Sinead Sexton in their squad, face a tough match against Claremorris who have impressed in getting this far, thanks largely to the efforts of Sarah Helly and sisters Kate and Sarah Gallagher.

Slieve Russell would surely have been well equipped to upset calculations had the brilliant twins Lisa and Leona Maguire been available.

But that seemed unlikely last night because of Lisa’s continued involvement in the British Girls Championship at Royal Belfast.

Without them, and in spite of the best efforts of Bronagh Lunney and Ann Monteith, the Cavan side may well struggle against a Laytown & Bettystown team containing sisters Phil and Carol Wickham and Alison Taylor.

Little Island Programme: Today, quarter-finals, Irish Senior Cup. 11.30am, A: Carlow v Douglas. 12.10pm, B: Laytown & Bettystown v Slieve Russell. 12.50pm, C: Lahinch v Claremorris. 1.30pm, D: Royal Portrush v Wexford.

Saturday, semi-finals: 8am: A v B. 8.40am: C v D. Final: 2 pm.