Ladies All-Ireland champions begin the defence of their title…

Amanda Lawless, as the previous year’s Lady Captain, took on the managerial role for the Challenge Cup team this year.  After their dramatic All-Ireland win last year, the team had a lot to live up to this afternoon as they took on Druid’s Heath in the first round of the 2023 campaign.  To add just a little additional pressure we had three matches away from home and a number of injuries to contend with coming into today’s match. Sandra Cotter was looking after the home leg of the match today for Amanda.

First out this afternoon at home was Lady Captain Celine who was drafted in yesterday evening after Ann Browner & Aideen O’Leary both had to pull out through injury.  Oddly enough, despite having won two All-Ireland medals for the club at this level, today was the first time she played a match at home.  Another player from the 2022 All-Ireland victory, Ann Browner, was on Celine’s bag.

Second out at home was yet another 2022 All-Ireland winner, Grace Dodd, who had Regina Barry caddying for her today.

Celine was playing very well and got off the a flying start with wins on all of the first three holes. She lost the fourth but this proved to be a just a minor blip as she went on to win the next seven holes to close her match early 9&7.

Behind her Grace was also playing very well. She won the second and third holes but then lost four and five and the match was back to all square.  From this point however Grace was in total control winning the next six holes in succession with a half on the twelfth enough to take her match to dormi. Grace found the edge of thirteenth green in three and played a lovely chip to two feet which was enough for a win by a margin of 7&5.

Away from home, Linda Walsh was in a tough battle in the first match out.  Despite winning the first, Linda found herself one down after five holes but won six and seven to edge ahead once again.  Druid’s Heath won the eighth and a half on the ninth brought the match to all square at the halfway stage.  It was the Druids player that got ahead early on the back nine however and Linda was two down by the fifteenth tee box.

Another player from the winning 2022 team, Regina Connaughton, was the second match out in Druid’s Heath. Four wins in a row from the seventh had Regina four up but it’s never over till it’s over and her opponent came back strongly, winning the next three holes to reduce the lead to just one hole. Regina then won the fourteenth and fifteenth holes to go dormi three up.

Out last away was Sile Mullin who was in good form today. Sile was three to the good by the tenth and five up after the eleventh. As with Regina’s match, Linda’s opposition was not going to lie down and battled hard to win the two of the next three holes but was dormi three down after fourteen.

Meanwhile, in the first match, Linda was also fighting back and got her match back to all square with excellent wins on fifteen and sixteen.The tricky seventeenth was halved and the pair headed for the eighteenth to try to decide the match there.

At this stage we had our two home points in the bag and two matches dormi three up away with the third all square playing eighteen.  Almost simultaneously, Linda got over the line to secure her win on the eighteenth, Regina finished her game off on the sixteenth 4&2 while Sile completed her match with a win on the fifteenth to finish 4&3.

All in all a great performance by the squad and management.