Connemara Isles captain Sean Seoige said finally winning the AIG Fred Perry is a huge achievement for a club of their size as they defeated Ballykisteen in the final at Westport.
Conditions were tough on a rain-soaked afternoon in Mayo but Connemara Isles dealt with them better and last year’s beaten finalists were crowned champions.
The team of Liam O Maolaodha and Sean O Cualain laid the platform with a 4&3 success against Pat Ryan and Raymond Kelly. Noel O Tighernaigh and Seosamh O Cualain followed up with a 2&1 win and Gearoid O Cualain and Vinny Lorcain applied the finishing touches on the final hole.
“The All-Ireland is going to go past Droichid An Daingin tonight and we’re going to celebrate. Ah it’s huge, brilliant,” said Seoige.
“It means a lot, we are a small club. Playing members you would be looking at 40 to 45 so our pick is very small. But we just prove it year on year. The commitment these lads have and the heart they have, it’s just super and they deserved it.”
In the final event of this season’s All-Ireland Inter-Club series, Ballykisteen got the better of Dunmurry in the semi-finals on Saturday and Connemara Isles defeated Templemore. And with heavy rain forecast for the early afternoon, the first tee time was moved forward to 8am on Sunday.
O Tighernaigh and Seosamh O Cualain went up early in their match and that put Connemara Isles in the ascendency, and once O Maolaodha and Sean O Cualain got across the line the Galway men were on their way.
“We played yesterday’s semi-final against Templemore and it was a tough day, tough grind, we thought they were a tough team,” said Seoige.
“But we played today against Ballykisteen and they are the best we have played. We are super excited to win this match.
“It means a lot, it’s brilliant. We are super excited just so happy for the lads, the work they put in through the year. Their own hard graft, their own travel, practice, their commitment.
“I just couldn’t be happier, I’m so proud of them.”
