This article is from page 40 of the 2009-09-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 40 JPG
WITH threats of “you will never get your hands on the cup’, talks of changing handicaps and discus- sions of one team’s inability to play in windy conditions, the “Friendship Cup” tournament began with good humour on Wednesday last.
The friendly jibes were given and taken well as a group of west Clare golfers took on the Americans in the first of the friendly competitions to be held in the county.
The brainchild of one of the found- ers of the Ibrickane Golf Society, which was formed in 2007, the com- petition forges links with a New York golf society – Cuchulainn Golf
Society.
Last year the team of golfers took their good humour banter to North Carolina for the inaugural competi- ntOyee
This year the American team, made up mostly of Irish Americans, are experiencing west Clare hospitality and for the first time ever all of the members played Clare courses.
Incoming captain of the Ibrickane Golf Society, and the captain of the Clare team, Evan Talty from Quilty explained that the competition and the arrival of the ten members of the New York team has captured the im- agination of the locality.
“It has got a lot of local publicity. A lot of people are asking about it and
showing an interest,’ he said.
Current captain of the society and founding member of the group Eoghan O’Loughlin paid tribute to the local businesses who also got be- hind the event and saw its potential.
‘Next year we will have up to 15 or 16 going with us, there is such an in- terest in it now. It will probably reach a team of 20 coming back and over alternative years,’ he said.
Paddy Cartel, Treasurer of the Cu- culainn Society added, “We are life long friends through this.”
Cavan-born Paul Donoghue paid tribute to the hospitality the group has received since arriving in west Clare. “The Bellbridge has been very good to us,” he added.
Sean Clarke was equally posi- tive about his visit to west Clare. He maintained that the group even brought the fine weather. “From the time we lived here we remembered that there was always good weather in September when we had to go back to school, that is why we picked September to come.’ Usually the Americans play golf from the begin- ning of April to the end of October.
The Ibrickane Golf Society is al- ready planning the return trip state- side next year to defend the cup.