Berehaven claim national golf title: ‘It’s the best moment of my life’

2020 CHAMPIONS: Berehaven celebrate winning the AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield at the AIG Cups & Shields finals at Donegal Golf Club, Murvagh. Picture: Golffile/Thos Caffrey

Berehaven were crowned 2020 AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield champions on the Murvagh Peninsula, earning a first national title for the West Cork club.

A 3.5-1.5 win over Baltinglass at Donegal GC was sealed on the 16th green as Declan Dunne and Luke O’Sullivan earned a 4&2 win over Fergal Doogue and Nathan Gerraghty to win the decisive point.

“You cannot imagine how good it feels. It’s the best moment of my life,” Dunne said.

The six-hour road trip back to the Beara Peninsula will be a lot easier now and O’Sullivan believes it will put Berehaven GC on the map.

“There’s a pile of kids playing, and hopefully more kids and adults will follow,” O’Sullivan said. “Most people don’t even know where we’re from. So many people said how far away we are. It’s unbelievable.”

Berehaven had got off to a flying start when Chris Downey and David Kelly won their match 6&5, followed by another point for Seamus Spencer and Brendan O’Driscoll, 5&3 winners at the top of the flight.

The remaining matches saw Baltinglass hit back with a 6&4 victory for Neil Patterson and Stephen Mann but the West Cork club prevailed with that 4&2 victory for Dunne and O’Sullivan.

Galway’s reign as AIG Senior Cup champions came to an end when they lost their semi-final to Ulster pennant holders Belvoir Park, who now face Carton House in Friday's final.

Galway’s bid for back-to- back titles and a third in four years following their 2019 win over Carton House at Westport came unstuck in a 3.5 to 1.5 defeat to Belvoir Park, who were led by wins from Gareth Lappin, Simon Ward and Darcy Hogg. Eddie McCormack notched Galway’s lone win.

Leinster champions Carton House reached their second successive final with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Munster’s Faithlegg on the back of wins for Marc Boucher, Keith Egan and Darragh Flynn.

The final tees off at 8:30am and is followed at 9:20am by the AIG Junior Cup final between Ballinasloe, 3-2 winners over Castletroy and Kilkenny, who saw off Ulster’s Balmoral with a thumping 4-1 win comprised of equally emphatic victories, Simon Cullen winning his rubber 8&6, Sam Dunlop running out a 7&6 winner and Alan O’Rourke securing his point with a 5&4 victory.

Spanish Point will have a chance to continue Munster’s eight-year grip on the AIG Pierce Purcell Shield final and grab their third national pennant in that timeframe when they go head to head with Dunmurry in Friday's final starting at 10.10am. The Clare club, champions in 2013 and 2014, beat Connacht’s Gort 3.5-1.5 in the semi-final, while Ulster champions Dunmurry were 3-2 winners over Cill Dara.

Three Hehir brothers were part of the winning Spanish Point team, with Fergal Hehir, a 3&2 winner with his brother Michael over Gort’s Gerard Connors and David Cahill.

“We’re thrilled with the win” said Fergal. “There was very little in it. We won the shield a couple of years ago, and hope to do it again. Michael taught me all I know about golf. We’re a tight family. Tomorrow will be super.”