Joy for Carlow ladies at Headfort

Carlow captured the first national title of the week The National Finals of the AA Insurance take place at Headfort Golf Club with a 2-1 win against Limerick.

It was an exciting final decided by an 18th hole victory for 17-year-old Aideen Murphy.

"The experience of playing in a national competition has been incredibly rewarding, not least playing with such a supportive team and playing the winning shot on the 18th hole but also from a personal perspective, improving my game," said Murphy.

"I hope the experience will stand us in good stead for next year!"

These sentiments were echoed by Carlow team captain Mary Hughes: "Every member of the team has had a part to play in our success today and it is this team spirit, along with the unfailing commitment from all those involved that really won it for us in the end."

In the Junior Foursomes, Shandon Park reigned supreme against an impressive Rosslare finishing 2 ½ - ½.

For Marina Bleakley, Shandon Park team captain, the competition was tense but winning the Northern District in the play-off against Eastern District Hazel Grove spurred them on to win the final today.

"All the matches today were tight but our success in the play-offs last month only encouraged us to leave the course triumphant," she said.

Boystown emerged victorious against Lucan in the Challenge Cup, the first final of the singles competitions.

"This win is a win not just for the team members but for the whole club as it is the first national competition that we have entered," said team captain Anne Kelly. "We certainly intend to start as we mean to go on!"

Meanwhile Craddockstown beat Killarney and Galway beat Courtown in the Junior Cup semi-finals and meet in tomorrow's final at 9am.

In the Intermediate Cup semi-finals, an in-form Craddockstown beat luckless Ballybunion 4-1 and join Moate, who ended the hopes of Mountbellew by a similar margin, in tomorrow's final at 9.50am.

In the Minor Cup semis, East Cork beat Malahide while Galway Bay beat Courtown and now meet each other in the final at 10.40 on Friday.

Senior Foursomes:

Final: Limerick 1-2 Carlow

Mary Conlon & Trude Murphy lost to Aideen Murphy & Margaret McHugh 2up

Vivienne Gabbett & Patricia Kelly beat Madeline Brennan & Carmel Roche 2&1

Ann O'Mahony & Siobhan Conway lost to Bernie Cox & Maggie Ruth 3&2.

Junior Foursomes:

Final: Shandon Park 2½-½ Rosslare

Yvonne Posnett & Carol Turkington beat Anne Kelly & Theresa Healy 3&2

Isobel Hall & Jackie Young beat Mary McDonald & Catherine Howard 2&1

Rosemary Clarke & Kathleen Hynes halved with Anne McHugh & Joan Bowe.

Junior Cup:

Semi-Final: Craddockstown 3½-1½ Killarney

Stella Lunny lost to Ailish Mulcahy 2&1

Mary Kearney beat Mary Geaney 4&2

Margaret Swan halved with Mary O'Doherty

Erika Roche beat Julia O'Donoghue 5&4

Anne Bolster beat Sue Snelling 4&3

Semi-Final: Galway 3-2 Courtown

Geraldine Neville lost to Denise Kavanagh 1up

Sheelagh Kearney beat Eileen Allen 5&4

Bryde Glynn lost to Pat Walters 2up

Rita Grealish beat Mary O'Reilly at 22nd

Pat Lillis beat Ann Bernie 5&4

Intermediate Cup:

Semi-Final: Craddockstown 4-1 Ballybunion

Eileen Jones beat Pudge O'Reilly 3&1

Brigid Kennedy beat Georgina Keane 2&1

Eileen O'Donnell halved with Ann Marie Carroll

Frances Corrigan beat Nola Adams 3&2

Rosemary O'Connor halved with Nuala Lynch

Semi-Final: Mountbellew 1-4 Moate

Aoife Fallon lost to Eileen White 5&4

Laura Burke lost to Mary Rohan 3&2

Mary Hyland beat Beth Dunne 4&2

Kathleen Bergin lost to Pearse Corbett 3&1

Mary Costello lost to Margaret Galvin 3&2

Minor Cup:

Semi-Final: Malahide 2-3 East Cork

Catherine Hughes lost to Breda O'Farrell 3&1

Tess Lenihan lost to Jean Guilfoyle 1up

Maura Falvey beat Fiona Morrison 3&1

Annette McInerney beat Phil Sheehan 3&2

Alma White lost to Gretta Conner 3&1

Semi-Final: Galway Bay 4-1 Courtown

Aoife Killeen lost to Siobhan Freeney 6&4

Fiona O'Driscoll lost to Biddy Butler 5&3

Helena Walters halved with Patsy Gaffney

Patricia Melville halved with Denise Burke

Ellisa Molloy lost to Patty Flynn 4&3

Challenge Cup:

Final: Lucan -v- Boystown

Breda McGarry lost to Jean Mackey at 19th

Marianne Short lost to Mary Fitzpatrick 3&1

Helen Downes lost to Irene Downey 5&4

Cliona Sheridan halved with Marie Clarke

Dolores Colgan lost to Noelene Mullen 4&3.