Galway win Senior Cup after West Waterford test

Galway clinched the Bulmers Irish Senior Cup for the second time in four years when they held off a brave challenge from a young West Waterford side to run out 3.5 to 1.5 winners at Tullamore.

Vera and Joe LyonsBut the scoreline does not do justice to the losers, whose five-man side had an average age of just 20 compared to 34 for the 2006 champions.

With the scores tied at 1-1 following wins by Mark Shanahan and Galway's Damien Glynn, West Waterford’s spirit was embodied by 16-year old schoolboy Gary Hurley, who came back from three down with four to play to take Eddie McCormack to the 19th.

They halved the first extra hole in pars but Hurley’s fightback proved to be in vain as his match was called in when Damien Coyne beat 19-year old Philip Spratt on the 18th and the 2007 West of Ireland champion Joe Lyons defeated 20-year old David Curran 2 and 1 to get the Connacht champions over the line.

Lyons was forced to hole an eight footer for a winning par three at the short 17th after Curran fluffed his first chip but then holed out with his second attempt for an unlikely three.

“It would have been terrible to go home empty handed,” said Lyons in reference to Galway’s defeat to eventual runners-up Banbridge in the semi-finals of the Barton Shield earlier in the week. “Fair play to West Waterford. For a young team they really put up a great performance.”

In the Jimmy Bruen Shield, Nenagh claimed the title for the second time when they cruised to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Waterford thanks to big wins by Paul Moloney and Paddy Kennedy, Michael Tierney and Michael Fahey, and Michael Corrigan and Jimmy Griffin.

Bulmers Irish Cups and Shields, National Finals, Tullamore Golf Club

Irish Senior Cup Final
Galway 3.5, West Waterford 1.5
D Scully lost to M Shanahan 3/2; E McCormack halved with G Hurley; D Coyne bt P Spratt 1 hole; D Glynn bt D Curran 5/4; J Lyons bt P Walsh 2/1.

Jimmy Bruen Shield Final
Nenagh 4, Waterford 1
P Moloney & P Kennedy bt A Aherne & C Lynch 6/5; C Heffernan
& M O'Gara halved with A Mulhall & J Power;  M Tierney & M Fahey bt M Daly & E Griffin 4/3; D Corrigan & L O'Gara halved with A Feicks & F Power; M Corrigan & J Griffin bt A Ryan & M Freeman 6/4.