Showdowns at Shannon

Golf Cups & Shields FinalsThe McMonagle family's golfing fortunes will be focused on two venues this weekend as brothers Ciarán and Séamus strive for success.

While Ciarán is in Germany battling his way through Stage One of the European Tour qualifying school, his brother Séamus will be one of six Sutton players striving for a Bulmers All-Ireland double at Shannon Golf Club starting today.

The All-Ireland finals attract the cream of the club golf scene over five competitions - the Barton Shield, Senior Cup, Junior Cup, Jimmy Bruen Shield and Pierce Purcell Shield.

And Sutton will set the ball rolling this morning when they take on Athlone GC in the first of the Barton Shield semi-finals in what should be a close match. Athlone were just edged out in last year's Senior Cup decider at Lisburn by a powerful Portmarnock side.

Ballyclare, also in line for the category one double, meet Munster champions Castletroy in the second semi-final, with the final scheduled for the afternoon (2.30 p.m.).

The Junior Cup semi-finals see Galway, All-Ireland winners on six occasions at this level, take on Portstewart, while Bandon and Lucan contest the second semi-final.

Portstewart, whose last success was in 1973 at Lahinch, have a good mixture of youth in 15-year-old Paul Cutler and experience in Shane McCotter, along with Andrew Stewart, Niall McGahon and Dan Henry.

The third trophy of the first day sees Borris making their first appearance in an All-Ireland final, meeting Ballinrobe in the first of the Pierce Purcell Shield semi-finals, with Tralee and Letterkenny following in the second.

None of the four semi-finalists have won the competition, where Kilkeel take on Portumna and Charleville meet Dundalk.

Today's draws in SPORTS ROUND-UP

The Barton Shield

Commemorating the former GUI president, the Hon Mr Justice Barton. Clubs are represented by two foursomes pairings, playing off scratch.

Thursday: Semi-finals: 8.30 - Athlone v Sutton 8.50 - Ballyclare v Castletroy. Final - 2.30.

Athlone: M Rowe, M Butler, P O'Boyle, C O'Connor, J O'Brien, J Joyce. Team captain: P O'Boyle.

Sutton: M Collins, S McMonagle, A Darbey, D Downie, P Byrne, C Heather. Managers: P Bowen, B Wallace.

Ballyclare: G Maybin, J Foster, R Forsythe, S Rea, J Drummond, C Steele, S McConnell, D Britton.

Castletroy: C Daly, F Hackett, F Harrold, E Haugh, J Kavanagh, R McDonnell, S Moloney. Manager: M Cregan.

Junior Cup

Inaugurated in 1900, cup teams are comprised of five players of 5 handicap and over, playing matchplay, off scratch. A member of Royal Liverpool GC, John Ball Jnr - featured on the lid - was British Amateur Champion in 1888, '90, '92, '94, '99, 1902, '09 and '12. He was also British Open Champion in 1890 and Irish Amateur Open Champion in 1893, 1894 and 1899.

Thursday - Semi-finals: 9.10 - Bandon v Lucan; 10.0 - Galway v Portstewart. Friday - Final: 8.30 a.m.

Bandon: A O'Donovan, B O'Driscoll, B O'Boyle, B O'Donovan, F McCarthy, JJ Riordan, P McCarthy, T O'Regan, T O'Donoghue. Manager: T Healy.

Lucan: M Clifford, C Fitzgerald, M O'Toole, E Condron, A Madden, O Tutty, J Kelly, M Downes jnr.

Galway: M Hennelly, M Dowd, G Scott, N Shaw, D O'Kelly, F Dunne, D Glynn, E Mulholland.

Portstewart: P Cutler, A Stewart, N McGahon, D Henry, S McCotter.

Pierce Purcell Shield

Named after Professor Purcell, one of Ireland's outstanding golf administrators from the 1920s to the 1960s, it was won by Massereene for the first time in 1970. Five foursomes pairings represent each club, comprised of minimum individual handicap of 12 and minimum combined of 27.

Thursday - Semi-finals: 10.50 - Ballinrobe v Borris; 11.40 - Tralee v Letterkenny. Friday - Final: 12.

Ballinrobe: J O'Shea, P Nalty, P Coyne jnr, N Browne, D Fleming, M Heneghan, J Canty, P Malone jnr, R Darcy, J Joyce, G Garvey, J Monahan, D O'Connell, M Gannon, C O'Sullivan, C Syron, JJ Gannon jnr.

Borris: D Kelly, K Todd, E Morgan, N King, R McMinn, H Rooney, V Quinn, J O'Donovan, E McDowell, A Henning, S Ward, S McMullen. Captain: J McComb.

Tralee: D Barrett, P Comerford, P Curren, S Enright, D Foley, M Hamilton, L Hussey, G Kilgallon, M Laide, D Leen, B Lennon, D Lyons, S McCarthy, M Mitchell, J Murphy, P Nolan, M O'Brien, F O'Carroll, P O'Driscoll, T O'Halloran, P O'Sullivan, S Reidy.

Letterkenny: R Eaton, D McLaughlin, J Russell, L Speer, T Curley, JP O'Doherty, P Coleman, J Brown, B Ramsay, P McMonagle, F McMonagle, C Roarty, O Ward, H Doherty, C McLaughlin, C McHugh. Team captain: B O'Donnell.

Jimmy Bruen Shield

The Jimmy Bruen Shield is named in honour of the great Cork golfer who inspired Britain and Ireland to their first Walker Cup victory at St Andrews in 1938 when still an 18-year-old schoolboy at Presentation Brothers. He captured the British Amateur Championship in 1946.

Friday - Semi-finals: 9.45 - Kilkeel v Portumna; 10.35 - Charleville v Dundalk. Saturday - Final: 10.30.

Kilkeel: P Higgins, P Morgan, J Aikens, K Poland, C Hartigan, M Trainor, A Ward, R Sloane, G Morrow, T Weir, C Quinn, T Moan. Team captain: R Sloane.

Portumna: M Donohue, P Ryan, J Slattery, D Quinlivan, P Quinlan, J Porter, F McClearn, L O'Meara, S Robinson, M McGivern, M Carty, M Carroll, P Moran, D Flannery. Team captain: G Ryan.

Charleville: T Allen, E Barry, J Browne, B Buckley, D Deady, A Fitzgerald, M Fitzgerald, M Galligan, B Hanley, Damien Hartigan, J Kavanagh, D Kiely, S McSweeney, D Mooney, M Mullins, B O'Dwyer, M Quaid, D Whelan.

Dundalk: M Murphy, B Ward, R Gogarty, M Gill, K Norton, M Coburn, P Cole, D English, M Hamilton, J Dwyer, C Monahan, G Clarke, K Barry, C Sheridan, S Reidy, F Harte, P McGuinness, L O'Reilly, B Mernagh, C Cooney, A McCabe, L Mernagh, G Duffy.

Senior Cup

Instituted in 1900, the Senior Cup is the most coveted trophy in club golf. Teams consist of five players in singles matchplay, off scratch. The figure on the lid is that of Fred G Tait. A member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, Fred G Tait was British Amateur Champion in 1896 and 1898.

Friday - Semi-finals: 1.30 - Tramore v Athenry; 2.20 - Sutton v Ballyclare. Saturday - Final: 9.30.

Tramore: M Burns, D Burns, P Power, J Mitchell, S O'Rourke, K Dunne, C Bowe, F Reynolds.

Athenry: M Mulryan, C Waters, B Donohoe, Mark King, M Lane, P Greally, J Duffy, S Greally. Managers: N McSweeney, M Lane.

Sutton: M Collins, S McMonagle, A Darbey, P Byrne, D Downie, C Heather. Managers: P Bowen, B Wallace.

Ballyclare: G Maybin, J Foster, R Forsythe, S Rea, J Drummond, C Steele, S McConnell, D Britton.