Players with disabilities from England and Wales travelled to the Rathfarnham venue to compete over two days against an eight-person Irish team under captain Caolan Munnelly and vice-captain Carol Brill.
Cian Arthurs, Kevin Cassidy, Paul Ferguson, Paul Kelly, Shane Keogh, Philip Querney, David Quinn, Gary Barrett, and Vera Smyth trailed Wales by a point after the opening day.
But the Irish team stormed back on day two to win by four points from Wales and by 14 from England under a format where the best stableford score in each three-ball got three stableford points, with two points for the second-best score and one for the third-best.
DIGA is focused on making golf accessible to all, regardless of age or gender and welcomes golfers with disabilities or long-term health challenges to come together and discover how golf can enable people with disabilities to stay active, be competitive and be social.
Padraig Harrington supports DIGA and Special Olympics
Pádraig Harrington did his bit for Ireland’s DIGA competitors by dropping into Stackstown to chat with the team on the eve of their Tri-Nations Cup win at the course where he learned the game.
Pádraig Harrington with the Irish DIGA team
But the three-time Major winning Dubliner was back at Stackstown the following day to present the prizes to the Special Olympics and DIGA golfers, who opened proceedings with a nine and an 18-hole event.
Andrew Dunleavy took first prize in the nine-hole competition, with Kyle Norton second and Joe Hallam third while Marty McGrath, Donal Brennan, David Quinn, Cian Arthurs & John Keating were the winners of the 18-hole competition.
Bronze for men, women seventh in Senior Championships
France claimed a famous double in the European Senior Men’s and Ladies’ Team Championships as Ireland’s men took home the bronze.
While England and Ireland topped the strokeplay qualifying in the men’s event at BlackSeaRama Golf Resort in Bulgaria, finishing on one-under and one-over, respectively, neither made the final.
England lost to Denmark in the quarters, while Ireland — represented by Stephen Browne, David Mulholland, Eddie McCormack, Alan Condren, Joe Lyons and Shane Kenneally — followed a 4-1 win over Scotland with a 4-1 defeat to Sweden in the semi-finals.
France beat the Swedes 3-2 to take the gold, and Ireland beat the Danes 3.5-1.5 to win bronze.
In the women’s event at CUBO Golf in Slovenia, Ireland qualified in fourth place behind England, France and Germany but fell 4-1 to Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
After a 3-2 defeat to Belgium, the side comprising Alison Taylor, Laura Webb, Deirdre Walsh, Tracy Eakin, Gail Linter and Lisa Cullen eventually beat Sweden 3.5-1.5 to finish seventh as France beat Switzerland 4-1 in the gold medal match and England edged out Germany for the bronze.
Inter-cub action heads for Gort
The AIG Cups and Shields action moves west to Gort Golf Club this week for the All-Ireland finals of the men’s Pierce Purcell Shield and the women’s Intermediate Foursomes.
Athlone beat Letterkenny 3-1 in the quarter-finals at the Galway venue last month, thanks to wins for Declan Hynes and Cathal Joyce, John Barry and Kevin Maguire and Declan Hynes and Cathal Joyce.
They face Co Cavan in the semi-finals on Friday with the Ulster men looking for a repeat of their quarter-final form that brought them a 3.5-0.5 win over Clontarf thanks to wins for Barry McDermott and Darren Greene, Noel Johnston and Patrick O’Reilly and Stephan Smith and Brendan McClarey.
The winners will face Cahir Park or Tulfarris in Saturday morning’s final.
Cahir Park beat Tralee 2.5-1.5 in their last eight match thanks to wins for Thomas Walsh and Declan Lonergan and Willie Morrissey and John Mitchell as John McGrath and Donal Mullane claimed a halved match.
Tulfarris knocked out Ballinascorney 2.5-1.5 in their quarter-final with wins for Paddy Carthy and Eoin Curley, Tom O’Rourke and Enda Daly and a half for Darragh Louge and Oisin Carolan.
In the women’s Intermediate Foursomes, Athenry face Rathcore with the winners taking on Ennis or Castlecomer in the final.
Athenry defeated City of Derry 3.5-0.5 in the quarter-finals thanks to wins for Marian Hosty and Eilish O’Flynn, Ailish Duke and Kara O’Neill, Aoife McCormack and Fiona Burke and a halved match from Maria Conlon and Marion O’Brien.
Rathcore had a 3-1 win over Co Cavan after wins by Sharon Conway and Jess Shiels and Majella O’Donoghue and Noreen Sheridan.
Ennis were 3-1 winners over Kinsale on 31 August after wins by Kitty Morris and Mary T. McMahon and Ann and Helen Gallery.
But they won’t have it all their own way against Castlecomer, who beat Foxrock 3-1 thanks to wins for Margaret Furlong and Ita Madigan and Maureen Norton and Margaret O’Keefe.
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