Donegal Golf Club Murvagh Ulster 4-ball team: Eamon O’Connor, GUI; Tom McNamara, George Hunter, Sean Diver, Roy Harronm Ivor Stewart, Damien Hannam Charles McNulty, Team Captain; Daniel Ward, Joe Cannon, John Sinclair, Tommy Gerraghty, Club Captain Photo: Jason McGarrigle
McGinty's team defeated at Murvagh
It was disappointment for Charlie McGinty and his gallant Ulster fourball team when they were beaten in the final of the Ulster Fourball Competition at Murvagh on Sunday.
With home advantage for the second leg being taken away as the weather conditions deteriorated, the one match lead held by Castleblaney from the 1st leg proved too difficult to overcome in the horrendous conditions.
It was all to play for after 9 holes, with the home team being up in two matches, down in two matches and one level. However our boys were unable to get the upper hand on a very strong ‘Blaney side. Still it was a great achievement for Charlie and his excellent panel of committed players to take Donegal Golf Club to its first Ulster Club team final in its history.
The team members for the final match were Ivor Stewart and Roy Harron, John Sinclair and George Hunter, Sean Diver and Damien Hanna, Conal Gallagher and Joe Cannon, John McNamara and Daniel Ward.
Ulster Branch GUI secretary Eamon O’Connor made the presentation of prizes to the winners and runners-up in the clubhouse afterwards.
Results
D&L environment services competition 19/20th September Winner Daire Woods (21) 76.
Saturday 1st John Neary (2) 77, 2nd O McCreash (8) 82
Sunday 1st Kieran Mullin (6) 78, 2nd M D Gallagher (14) 79, 3rd Liam Mundy (22) 80
Golfer of the year order of Merit as at 12th September: 1 Hugh O’Connor, 2. Padraig Mullooly, 3. Edward Canney, 4. Charlie McGinty, 5. John Neary, 6. Terry Irwin, 7. Tom Neary, 8. Denis Kelly, 9. Michael Neary,10. John Meehan.
The golfing fraternity were glued to their sets over the weekend as the Ryder Cup team of the US and Europe battled for supremacy. A terrific contest, with Irish players Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley playing a large part in the European victory. The Irish presence was very obvious at the end with ‘Ole, Ole, Ole’ and the ‘Fields of Athenry’ ringing out as the players celebrated Monty potting the decisive point. Even for us non-golfing outcasts, it was a great occasion and one that kept many up long past their bedtimes on Sunday night.
Copany win blitz
Copany Rovers U10 team with their winners trophies. The Copany team won the Tony Curristin memorial cup in an U10 blitz held at Copany.
Donegal Town FC notes
Club morale high as train of good results keeps club prominent in league tables
The club U-16’s made it 2 out of 2 last Saturday with an excellent 5-0 win away to Eany Celtic. Scorers on the day were Kyle Sheridan, Owen Anderson 2, Robert Timoney and Josh Lacey. This weekend’s opponents are St Catherine’s of Killybegs and a good result in this match will leave the lads in a very good position, St Catherine’s being one of the stronger teams in the league. Training continues a usual this week.
The seniors kept up their good run by taking 6 points out of six recently. We travelled to Letterkenny and, despite being surprised by going 2-0 down, we struggled and cajoled and eventually ended up 8-2 winners. Letterkenny can ask themselves all the questions, Donegal, on the other hand, well we’ll just take the points. Scorers on the day Aaron Slevin, Ringo Cannon, Benny Byrne 2, Terry O’Doherty 2, Pauric McGlynn 2.
Rathmullan Celtic, should have proven no problem for Donegal Town given our scintillating form, that is our scintillating form of not being able to score a goal. Yet again, not being able to kill off a side may or may not be our downfall. Rathmullan went one man down after 30 minutes, their goalkeeper committing a professional foul on Benny Byrne just outside the box. No advantage was gained and for whatever strange reason that football allows, 10 men seems like 12 men. Rathmullan, being a man down, played like a team with the extra man. Thankfully Paul McHugh’s experience, work rate, and class, came to the rescue - a brilliant header from a corner and, late on, when Donegal Town needed somebody to show the way, Paul scored with a rasping shot from outside the box - 2-1. We possibly deserved that.
Next Sunday, it’s the local derby, Donegal Town vs Letterbarrow. We call on all town supporters to be there as your support means more that you know.
Congratulations to Conor McMonagle who scored 0-8 when Donegal’s U15s recently drew 1-11 all with Leitrim. Another county star possibly in the making.
Ardara in county final
Ardara Vice-chairman, Anthony Molloy with team mascots, Owen Doherty and Steafan Boyle. Anthony told Donegal Times, “it’s great to get this far - football is everything to us in Ardara from U10 to seniors. We won the final in 2000 and doing so again would give a great lift to the whole parish”.
Basketball Club
The recent AGM was well attended and the following officers were returned: Chairperson: Bill Collins, Treasurer: Gareth Britton, Secretary: John Kennedy and PRO: Simon Waugh.
It was agreed that underage coaching will begin on a Friday evening, the first Friday in October. Training times will be forwarded to the primary schools in the immediate future. There was also a lot of interest surrounding a Ladies team. It was decided that they would be entered into the forthcoming blitz on Saturday, October 2nd, in LYIT. This is a fun day out, with a chance to play some competitive games. All teams are guaranteed at least three matches on the day.
Hopefully next week things will be up and running properly. In the meantime there is training tonight for both the Mens and Ladies teams in Ballyshannon, meeting up outside the Abbey at 7.30pm. For any enquiries contact Bill at 0876997621 or Gareth at 0876785850
Donegal Motor Club Harvest Rally 2004
Big influx of crews and spectators expected for weekend event
This year’s Harvest Rally is being hosted by the Mill Park Hotel, Donegal Town, on Saturday, 9th October. The weekend event starts off with vehicle scrutiny, on Friday evening, at the new Donegal Tyre Centre on the Ballybofey road, between three p.m. and nine p.m. First car away is at ten a.m. Saturday, leaving the St. John Bosco Centre, also the venue for drivers’ briefing, and heading for the start of stage one at Cavangarden. There will be eight special stages totalling 75 miles approximately, with the winner crossing the finish ramp at the Mill Park Hotel, at six p.m. approximately.
This will be a tightly contested rally, as it is the final round of the Quinn Group Border Championship, a qualifying round of the Oil Burner Trading/DMC championship, and last not but least, the penultimate round of the Dunlop Rally Championship.
All the top contenders will be in action: Niall McGuire, current leader; James Harrison in second place; Patrick Elliot in third; Letterkenny’s Paul Harris, 2002 national champion and Charlie Donnelly returning to the fray in a Skoda Octavia WRC.
Other entries include: Gweedore’s Hugh Martin Doherty the 2000 winner; Kevin Lynch; Davy Armstrong; Andrew Stewart; Sean Devine and Ivan Stewart. Local honours will be upheld by Frosses men, Joe and Dermot McHugh, and Brendan Kelly.
A lot of interest will centre on C/13, which will see the resumption of the epic battle which took place between Damian Gallagher, Paul Gallagher and Robbie Peoples, in the Donegal International, with entries received from all three crews.
COC, Bobby Cunningham, has also received a number of overseas enquiries, which include entries from James Harrison, in a Subaru; Anthony Mabury, in a Toyota Celica GT4 and Gerard Moroney, in another Subaru.
The Finnish crew of Nils Warstav and Anders Granheim, driving a Sierra Cosworth, will be accompanied by a television crew who plan to record the Finns’ progress on the Donegal tar. John Haughland, of the world famous Haughland Rally School, will also be in attendance, to watch the progress of his proteges.
To crown the day’s event, the prizegiving will be held in the Mill Park Hotel at 10 p.m. on Saturday night.
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