Kinsale make Bruen Shield history in red-hot summer

By Charlie Mulqueen

The golfing year just gets better and better for Kinsale.

Having recently produced the winner of the highly prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy in teenager John Murphy, their Barton Shield, Irish Junior Cup and Boys teams qualified for next month’s provincial finals and yesterday the Jimmy Bruen squad went one better by reaching the national finals with highly impressive wins over West Waterford and Nenagh.

Indeed it was a historic occasion for Kinsale as this was their first Munster pennant.

They were later joined in the closing stages of the Pierce Purcell Shield by three times champions Nenagh who defeated Thurles at the 19th in the semi-final before accounting for Kanturk in the decider. Kinsale and Nenagh now go forward to the All-Ireland finals in Thurles on September 21-23.

The Co Tipperary club’s course at Dundrum presented a truly magnificent picture for the semi-finals and finals of the two competitions.

Nenagh previously captured the green pennant in 2009 and looked a good bet for another successful campaign when they held off a determined challenge from Castleisland in the first semi-final before getting home in the odd match in five.

West Waterford fully extended Kinsale in the other match with the Cork side also relieved to go through by 3-2 with a final green win for Aidan Cremin and Ruairi Dwyer over John O’Mahony and Richard Hyde proving decisive.

The Cork club had a little more leeway in the afternoon decider even though the partnerships of Robert Walsh junior and Keith Webb and Paul Shanahan and Rhys Reynolds were brought all the way to the 18th before emerging victorious leaving Brian O’Neill and Barry Dwyer to clinch the triumph over Nenagh on the 14th.

Jimmy Bruen Shield, Munster semi-finals:

Nenagh 3, Castleisland 2, Nenagh names first. B Freeman & M O’Gara bt N Gilroy & S Croke 4 & 3; M Scroope & N Gleeson lost to P O’Sullivan & J McAuliffe 19th; R Hurley & T O’Gara bt D Lyons & J Hughes 5 & 4; M Corrigan & M Ryan bt D O’Donoghue & K Hartnett 19th; TJ Burns & D Corrigan lost to D O’Sullivan & T Brosnan 1 hole.

Kinsale 3, West Waterford 2, Kinsale names first. E O’Callaghan & B O’Dwyer lost to M Ferncombe & S Roche 6 & 5; K Webb & R Walsh Jnr bt C O’Callaghan & R Ronayne 3 & 2; B O’Neill & P Coughlan bt K Fenton & D Cleary 3 & 2; A Barry & J Walsh lost to A Hickey and M Gee 4 & 3; A Cremin & R Dwyer bt J O’Mahony and R Hyde 1 hole.

Final – Kinsale 3 ½, Nenagh 1 ½, Kinsale names first.

Barry & Walsh lost to Freeman & M O’Gara 4 & 2; Walsh & Webb bt M Conway & Corrigan 2 holes; P Shanahan & R Reynolds bt Scroope & Gleeson 1 hole; O’Neill and B Dwyer bt Hurley & T O’Gara 5 & 4; Cremin & Dwyer halved with Corrigan and Ryan.

Pierce Purcell Shield semi-finals. Nenagh 3, Thurles 2, Nenagh names first.

J Gleeson & G Tucker bt T & S Quigley 1 hole; T & G Quinlan bt E Hayes & B Lanphier 2 & 1; P Ryan & M O’Dwyer bt F McGrath & J Looby 19th; J Reddan & M Fogarty lost to P Coote & S Sherlock 3 & 2; D Hickey & P Hogan lost to Stephen Quigley & M Fahy 4 & 3.

Kanturk 4, Bantry Bay 1, Kanturk names first:

J Duggan & N Meade bt M & G Harrington 2 & 1; J Lane & B Piggott bt D Wilcox & P Cronin 2 & 1; J Corbett & M Sheehy halved with B Coakley and C Farr; S Stokes & R Piggott bt M Booker & B O’Shea 4 & 3; B Daly & A McShane halved with B Aylmer & L Wilcox.

Final – Nenagh 4, Kanturk 1, Nenagh names first.

Gleeson & Tucker bt Duggan & Meade 2 & 1; T Clifford & T Quinlisk bt Lane & J Piggott 4 & 3; Ryan & O’Dwyer bt Corbett & Sheehan 2 & 1; Hickey & Reddan halved with S Stokes and R Philpott; Reddan & M Fogarty halved with Daly & D Hickey.