Having lost out to hosts Dooks in the 2015 decider and to Ballinasloe in the final at Knightsbrook last year, the Dublin club arrived in Co Galway determined to go all the way,
The road to success is never a straight line, however, and Orla McMahon’s charges had to dig deep to make it to the final in the first place, beating Achill Island on the 19th hole in last Friday’s semis.
It was the second time they had been forced to go to the 19th following their hard-fought quarter-final win over Clandeboye at the first extra hole.
Cork club Fermoy ended Millicent’s dream of All-Ireland glory in the other semi-final, winning 2½ -1½ to keep alive captain Eddie Murphy’s dream of taking home the club’s first green pennant for 57 years.
However, it was not to be, as Malahide’s deadly combination of low-handicap men and high-handicap women came out on top.
Gary Cullen and Claire Grace went off first and cruised to an emphatic 9&7 win over Paul Cashman and Martha Brennan to put the first point on the board.
Niall Sullivan and Heather Mulcahy came in at number three to beat Jimmy Quirke and Lisa McLaughlin 8&6 and make it 2-0 before Alyn Hogan and Siobhan Pierce fell 3&2 to Cillian Twomey and Annette Twomey in the second match to give Fermoy hope.
It was not to be for the Cork club in the end as Paul O’Connor hit his approach to three inches at the 17th as he partnered Isabelle Goulding to a 2&1 win over David Lynch and Aileen Ryan and clinched the green pennant for Malahide at last.
“We’re absolutely delighted to get over the line this time,” Orla said. “It was a very tightly fought match, and Fermoy did everything they could to stop us in our tracks.
“Down to the last match one of our players, Paul, he hit in and it was about three inches from the flag, so that was pretty much it.
“We were one up. They had to win that hole, and thankfully, we won that hole and got them through.
“It’s fantastic. We certainly didn’t want another play-off hole because we thought we’d rolled that dice a lot of late. So we wanted the clear win without sending down our play-off pair to the 19th again.
“We’re delighted that’s over and we can finally breathe.”
It was particularly sweet for Sullivan and O’Connor, who were members of the losing team in last year’s final.
“We’ve had a different team, one or two the same from last year,” Orla explained. “We found a load of young ones who can hit the ball. So you know we’ve had the strategy of low men again and then higher women.” Flogas Irish Mixed Foursomes at Oughterard GC Quarter-finals: Millicent 2½ Greystones 1½ ; Castletroy 2, Fermoy 2 (Fermoy won on the 19th); Malahide 2, Clandeboye 2 (Malahide won on the 19th); Achill Island 3, Narin & Portnoo 1. Semi-finals: Fermoy 2½ Millicent 1½ ; Malahide 2, Achill Island 2 (Malahide 19th). Final: Malahide 3, Fermoy 1 (Malahide names first) Gary Cullen & Claire Grace bt Paul Cashman & Martha Brennan 9&7 Alyn Hogan & Siobhan Pierce lost to Cillian Twomey & Annette Twomey 3&2 Niall Sullivan & Heather Mulcahy bt Jimmy Quirke & Lisa McLaughlin 8&6 Paul O’Connor & Isabelle Goulding bt David Lynch & Aileen Ryan 2&1
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