After the Senior Mens team went so close to national success the weekend before in Bagenalstown, it was the turn of the Kerry Mens Intermediate and Junior teams to bid for national success last Sunday in Riverdale in Nenagh as they faced their respective grade winners in Leinster in a National Challenge.
Kerry were defending the Junior Mens title having defeated Louth in last year’s event and the team were able to retain the title for the county against after a strong 6.5-2.5 win over Westmeath last Sunday. Mark O’Regan was the sole member from last year’s side involved again this year as both Noel Lee and himself claimed a Scotch Foursomes doubles win for Kerry at the second playoff hole (20th) in helping Kerry to a 2-1 lead at the halfway stage.
David Hobbert and Robbie O’Connor (2&1) had claimed the other point for Kerry at that stage with Pa Byrne and Mark O’Shea having lost 3&2. In the Singles only Mark O’Shea (2&1) was defeated as Pa Byrne (4&2), Mark O’Regan (4&3), David Hobbert (2&1) and Robbie O’Connor (2&1) were the winners of the four Singles matches Kerry were involved in before Noel Lee’s match finished in a tie with the matter already decided at that stage. This made it 6.5-2.5 overall as we congratulate the team as well as team manager Christy O’Mahony and sub Gerry Lee on a great win.
Unfortunately the Intermediate team could not make it a double on the day as they were well beaten by Kildare 7-2 in their match. The team was always on the backfoot after losing their three Doubles matches with James Fleming and Bobby McCarron (2down), Darragh Roche & Michael Creagh (4&3) and Keith O’Brien & Eamon Sheehy (3&2) failing to get a point here. Kerry’s only two points on the day came from Singles wins with Darragh Roche (5&4) and Keith O’Brien (2&1) claiming the two points Kerry won on the day.
James Fleming (2&1), Bobby McCarron (1down), Michael Creagh (3&1) and Eamon Sheehy (5&4) all tasted defeat in their matches as despite the result we thank the team along with their manager John Fitzgerald (Tralee) and Mark Lucey (sub) for their efforts this year. Prior to Sunday the National Inter-Club Qualifying event for Munster took place in St Stephens in Cork last Saturday. Three Kerry clubs entered teams and while Deerpark finished well outside the running both Tralee and Listowel found themselves in contention for making the Top 8 and a place in the finals on the October Bank Holiday Weekend.
Ultimately it was the two Tralee sides that got in ahead of Listowel as the Tralee 1 team of Jason Cregan, Jason O’Regan, Micheal Creagh, Eamon Sheehy, Pa Curran and Reece Sugrue finished third in the qualifier. The Tralee 2 team of Jamie Blake, Michael Conway, Mark O’Regan, Mark Lucey, Alan and Robbie O’Connor claimed the seventh spot meanwhile.
While there is no competitive fixture this weekend (Sept 29th) there is a busy month of October stretching into the first Saturday in November to complete the season. This includes the National Scotch Foursomes Finals on the first weekend of October followed by Damien Fleming’s trip with the Irish World Cup Pitch & Putt team the following weekend. The aforementioned National Inter-Club Finals event is on the Bank Holiday Saturday and the Inter-Provincial Challenge featuring Ladies and U16 players this year to complete the 2024 season on Saturday November 2nd.
(Pictured L to R: David Hobbert, Gerry Lee, Mark O'Regan, Robbie O'Connor, Mark Keohane (Pitch & Putt Ireland President), Pa Byrne (Captain), Mark O'Shea and Noel Lee.)
