Leinster duly retained their AIB-sponsored Women's Interprovincial Championship at Donegal Golf Club, Murvagh yesterday, but not before they encountered stiff opposition from their Ulster counterparts, winning only by 5 1/2 to 4 1/2. Ulster finished second with Connacht and Munster sharing third place.
The foundation for Leinster's victory was laid in the morning foursomes which they won 2-1, despite losing the top match when Lilian Behan and Oonagh Purfield were surprisingly beaten 2 and 1 by Alison Coffey and Michelle McGreevy. But Suzanne O'Brien and Sinead Keane beat Anita McCaw and Emma Dickson 6 and 5 while Hazel Kavanagh and Yvonne Cassidy also won, defeating Bronagh McCann and Helen Jones 3 and 2.
The afternoon singles were just as close and Leinster had many anxious moments before they shared matters, 3 1/2 each, thanks mainly to fine victories by Elaine Dowdall and Yvonne Cassidy over Anita McCaw and Bronagh McCann. Ulster's winners were Michelle McGreevy, who beat Hazel Kavavagh 4 and 3, and Helen Jones, who accounted for Sinead Keane by 2 and 1.
The Connacht-Munster match was another absorbing encounter with two teams very evenly matched. The foursomes were shared, 1 1/2 each ,with Munster's Orla Barry and Barbra Hackett proving too strong for Suzanne Corcoran and Lilian O'Brien by 3 and 2 and Connacht's Ruth MacGuigan and Darragh McGowan squaring it with a fine 3 and 1 victory over Irene Murphy and Mary Sheehy.
Barbara Hackett gave Munster a great start in the singles, beating Emily Gallagher 2 and 1, and Tricia Mangan followed that up with a 3 and 2 victory over Lilian O'Brien. But Connacht hit back to equalise with narrow victories by Eileen McMullen and Suzanne Corcoran over Ailish Thompson and Denise Doyle.
Connacht's Ruth MacGuigan and Irene Murphy (Munster) swapped wins for their respective provinces before the final match between Darragh McGowan and Mary Sheehy was halved.
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