Two former club colleagues are set to become implacable rivals in pursuit of the Bulmer's Barton Shield at Royal Portush today. It will be the first of five trophies to be decided over the next three days in what has become a splendid, annual festival of inter-club golf.
When Co Sligo teams gained remarkable dominance of the Senior Cup and Barton Shield from 1995 to 1997, including "a double-double", Ken Kearney and David Dunne were key members. But Kearney will be competing for Galway against Youghal in the first semi-final of the Barton Shield this morning, while Dunne goes into action for Elm Park in the second semi-final against Royal Portrush.
As it happened, they were together in the side beaten by Warrenpoint in last year's final at Athlone, where Paddy Gribben combined so effectively with Colm Campbell. Warrenpoint are now back in the national finals in quest of the Pierce Purcell Shield, the only pennant which has eluded them.
Kearney's commitment to Galway has cost him a place in the Ireland team for next week's Home Internationals at Royal Co Down, where he is replaced by Eddie Power. The East of Ireland champion was unable to rearrange his schedule, nor get an additional week's leave.
He is partnered this morning by boy international Mark O'Sullivan in a side led by the partnership of David Cunningham and former South of Ireland champion, Stephen Keenan. But the placing of the pairings is clearly tactical against relatively unknown opponents.
The host club have five-times North of Ireland champion, Garth McGimpsey, as a partner for Christopher Brown in the second semi-final against Elm Park. And they will be opposed by the partnership of Dunne and John Curran in what appears to be another tactical deployment.
Meanwhile, Royal Portrush, which was overcast and brushed by a fresh breeze as teams finalised their preparations yesterday, is certain to provide a wonderful challenge to competitors of varying levels of skill. Four of the competitions - the Senior Cup, Barton Shield, Junior Cup and Jimmy Bruen Shield - will be played from the blue markers, giving an overall length of 6,818 yards, while the Pierce Purcell competitors will be forward on the men's medal tees, facing an overall length of 6,500 yards.
With the continuing growth in the number of clubs, it is inevitable that entries should be up on last year. But an original entry of 1,325 teams is nonetheless impressive. Of those, 343 were seeking the Pierce Purcell Shield, 304 challenged for the Bruen Shield and 275 entered for the Junior Cup.
A measure of the intense rivalry generated by the quest for a national pennant, is the fact that of last year's successful teams, Cork are the only club defending a trophy. They go into action in the Senior Cup tomorrow afternoon against Leinster champions, Co Louth.
Cork have captured the Senior Cup on five occasions, between 1931 and last year, but the other semi-final includes a club with a truly remarkable record in the competition. Shandon Park, who will be challenged by a Galway team chasing the category-one double, have captured the Senior Cup on no fewer than 12 occasions, the last time in 1994 at Rosses Point, where veteran David Long played a key role.
For this week's challenge, they will be looking to younger talent in the person of Michael Hoey, the former Irish Amateur Open Strokeplay champion. Hoey, a student at Clemson University in South Carolina, is home so as to compete in next week's Home Internationals.
Still, Cork have reason to be optimistic, given the presence of Pat Lyons, Tom Cleary and Peter Cowley, who have been members of winning teams in 1989 and last year. But Co Louth's Barry Reddan can go considerably further back - to all-Ireland Senior Cup success in 1974 and 1977.
Honours have also come regularly to Pierce Purcell teams from Galway GC. Indeed it is remarkable that in a competition which has been in existence only 29 years, the Westerners have captured it on no fewer than five occasions, with successive victories in 1992 and 1993.
But it is their neighbours, Galway Bay, who will be representing Connacht on this occasion, in a semi-final meeting with the 1986 winners, Kanturk. Warrenpoint face newcomers Castle Barna from Daingean, Co Offaly, in the other semi-final.
A total of 17 clubs are seeking the five pennants. As so often happens with Connacht clubs, Galway are competing in three events, the Barton Shield, Senior Cup and Junior Cup, while Warrenpoint compete in both Junior Cup and the Pierce Purcell Shield. Interestingly, Galway are seeking a breakthrough in the Senior Cup, the only national pennant yet to grace their clubhouse.
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