Cork come back to clinch Senior Cup for Munster

Leinster and Munster clubs maintained their steady success-rate of recent years when the Bulmers All-Ireland Cups and Shields ended in further sunshine at Athlone on Saturday. Cork captured the Senior Cup for a fifth time and in the remaining event, Moate broke through to victory in the Jimmy Bruen Shield.

Despite drawing a blank on this occasion, Connacht remain the most successful province in these tests since 1994. And Ulster are emphatically at the other end of the scale, despite the return to prominence of Warrenpoint in the Barton Shield last Thursday.

Of the 25 competitions decided during the last five years, Leinster have won nine, Munster seven, Connacht five and Ulster four. Based on the number of clubs in each province, this means that Connacht captured one trophy for every eight clubs; Munster one for every 11.7 clubs; Leinster 1:15.3 and Ulster 1:28.5.

Granted, success at this level tends to be cyclical, but it is nonetheless surprising to note that Warrenpoint's win was the first by an Ulster club since Holywood's Junior Cup win of 1995.

Meanwhile, Saturday's play provided an appropriate finale to what had been a particularly successful staging of the annual interclub festival. Much of this had to do with the strength of Athlone as a venue. Quite frankly, it would be difficult to imagine a better location, in terms of hospitality, quality and accessibility.

Delightfully situated overlooking Lough Ree, the course was clearly an eye-opener for first-time visitors, judging by their enthusiastic comments. Against that background, it was a pity that the mower-blades were not lowered on what were otherwise very good greens.

In taking the Senior Cup for the first time since 1989, Cork staged a superb recovery against a highly-fancied Shandon Park side. Tom Cleary, typically solid with 16 pars, and former international colleague Pat Lyons, who was three up after eight, were always in control of their matches.

But with Neil Anderson taking the top match and Shandon being three-up at the turn in the other two, it was difficult to see how Cork were going to get the precious third point. As it happened, they finished with a point to spare.

Mervyn Owens, a 17-year-old scratch player with a sparkling future in the game, started the Cork revival by winning the 10th and 11th in pars. He then proceeded to force further errors from Philip Purdy before drawing level at the short 17th, where he sank a six-footer for a winning birdie.

Down the last, both players were in trouble among the ubiquitous trees, but Owens recovered better and eventually secured victory with two putts for a bogey five. By that stage, Gary O'Flaherty in the match behind him, had also birdied the short 17th from six feet except that in his case it was for a 2 and 1 win.

The Bruen Shield was effectively a local derby between clubs only 30 miles apart. Though Portumna were also seeking a breakthrough, it seemed more appropriate, somehow, that victory should have gone to Moate who, down the years, have tended to be overshadowed in the region by the host club.

But Portumna put up a tremendous fight, spurred on by noisy, good-natured support. Eventually, the key match came at number four where 15-year-old Thomas Higgins provided splendid support for his partner Kieran Heavin. Two down after 11, they won the next three to go one up and regained a winning lead when Portumna drove out of bounds at the 16th.

Senior Cup - Final: Cork 4 Shandon Park 1 (Cork names first) - P Dooley lost to N Anderson 3 and 2; T Cleary bt R Symes 3 and 2; M Owens bt P Purdy 1 hole; G O'Flaherty bt G Lynas 2 and 1; P Lyons bt B Hobson 4 and 3.

Jimmy Bruen Shield - final: Moate 3 1/2 Portumna 1 1/2 (Moate names first) - P Geraghty and M Glennon bt J Harte and N Kilkenny 5 and 4; D Fitzpatrick and T Rosney bt F McClean and l Smith 3 and 2; A Lynch and G Digan lost to M Carty and D Burke 1 hole; K Heavin and T Higgins bt J Slattery and F Kilkenny 1 hole; L Cunningham and T Flattery halved with P Quinlan and P O'Rourke.

Other winners: Barton Shield - Warrenpoint; Junior Cup - Old Conna; Pierce Purcell Shield - Nenagh.