County Derry golf club claim their first Irish pennant in AIG Men’s Barton Shield

A County Derry golf club has claimed their first Irish pennant as they claimed the AIG Barton Shield.

Moyola Park ended their 47-year long wait to achieve this honour with a comprehensive win over Nenagh.

Club captain Seamus Graffin believed it was a fitting moment for the ‘strongest team’ the club has ever had. 

He said: “It is a great honour being captain of the club to be there for the first time. The club is full of blue pendants for the Ulster victories, but to be the captain to collect our first green pendant with the All-Ireland is something special.

“There would have been various good teams prior to this one; we have won Ulster nine times but always fell short in the All-Ireland. 

“Our first green pendant has come with the strongest team we have ever had at the club.

“The club has only existed for 47 years, and there are quite a few clubs in Derry older that have yet to get their green pendant.”

Graffin couldn’t be more proud of the team that achieved this momentous feat for the club formed in 1977.

The wins came in quick succession for Moyola Park in Carlow Golf Club as European and PGA Tour caddie and former professional Chris Selfridge sank the winning putt in their ten-hole win.

He was part of a successful partnership with Corey Scullion.

They were first out for Moyola Park, coming off a fine performance the day before to come back from a five-hole deficit to win the semi-final match against Ballyknock.

The pair had the momentum and confidence to build a three-hole lead after their front nine.

In the other pairing, Dean Crawford and Luke Lennox were also quick off the mark, taking the same lead over Nenagh’s David Reddan and Tony Scroope on the front nine.

Graffin said: “Luke Lennox was one of the players; the last time we were in that particular final was 17 years ago, and he was only a young fella at the time, at 16 or 17. At the time he didn’t think it would take him this long to reach the same stage, but at the weekend he was the oldest player.”

Victory was sealed on the 14th hole, with Selfridge holing the winning putt to see the club taste All-Ireland glory for the first time ever, something team captain Hilary Armstrong will always remember.

On the way to the title, Moyola Park had defeated a number of quality clubs to qualify for the All-Ireland series, a competition that saw 253 teams enter.

Graffin said: “We beat Portrush in the Ulster semi-final and Letterkenny in the Ulster final.

“Portrush had a great team, including Matthew McClean, a man who played at Augusta in the Master’s last year, and he had been British amateur champion.

“It is a shame Paddy Power didn’t have them up; you would have won some money had you put a pound on them winning as they were complete underdogs.”

The club could be preparing for further success as they prepare for the Jimmy Bruen quarter-final this weekend. 

Graffin believes it would seal what has already been an incredible year as captain of Moyola Park.

He joked: “The next captain has big shoes to fill; the lads have assured him of that with their victory.

“We hadn’t won an Ulster in seven years, and now we have two. They are like buses, I suppose.

“You only get one year at the job as club captain, and those boys have done me proud; they are quality players.”