Date posted: 12th June 2019

The Junior Cup has been played for since 1900. Killiney was one of the original participants and has been ever present since then. A glance up at the pennants in the Members’ lounge and you will see our famous green pennant, Junior Cup 1929. Since then we have had many many flirtations with the competition most of which went “unrequited”. In the last three decades we have had some serious engagements most memorably under the management of “Ned, Neddy, Eamon, Bumble Fahy” when we reached the Leinster finals at Tulfarris. See the photo in the dining room corridor, everyone has aged apart from Dermot!

The ability to cause upsets in the Junior Cup, and most of the other All Ireland Cups, has been severely curtailed by the change in format which introduced a strokeplay qualifier with the top four progressing to matchplay. We have reached the matchplay on a couple of occasions under this format, most recently under  our Pro Leo, where we were beaten by the hosts Grange who went onto win the Cup!

So this year it was to Ned Fahy’s old club that we returned, The Premier, Bray Golf Club now far away from the banks of the Dargle and the shore of the Irish sea. Boy, last Saturday at 8.50am, did we wish we were back in the lowlands. The winds howled, the Beaufort scale may have said “Fresh Breeze” but there was nothing fresh about the gale at the top of Bray Head. Golfing conditions were treacherous. Into this unappetising position strode the Killiney team, paired with Greystones (managed by former KGC member, Colm Mulcahy) and Royal Sallynoggin (now similarly to Bray perched on the side of a mountain, apparently still in county Dublin and known locally as Royal Fassaroe who were managed by our current Secretary Manager Niall!). Our team, Cian O’Sullivan, Gavin Homan,George O’Connell, Paddy May and Brian McCarthy to a man, well almost, showed extraordinary application and concentration with our four best cards totalling 319. As we left Bray with 2/3rds of teams still out we were tied for the lead with Royal Fassaroe (who due to some extraordinarily  bizarre  method were placed ahead us). No matter..despite the big guns like Castle, Milltown Woodbrook etc still to post scores and conditions easing our scores held up and we were paired against the leaders Grange at 8am on Sunday. In beautiful conditions our team battled so well. Our young lions Cian and Gavin roared home. Our old bucks George and Brian saw a few putts slip by and faded away. So it was down to Paddy.. a truly memorable battle against  Paul McGinley’s nephew,  a few putts, a number of unlucky breaks and yet the momentum was still with him on 15. Such is golf and despite an heroic 3wood out of the rough on 17 it slipped away. Thank you to all the team, to Gerry Drum and Stephen Connolly our subs, to our caddies, Paul, Matthew and Vice Captain Brendan, to our supporters who turned up in such numbers led by the Captain and President.

Memorable moments.. As Gavin tees off  will Brian turn up? As Cian tees off  will Brian turn up? As George tees off  will Brian turn up? As Paddy tees up .. what were we worrying about?

Gerry’s description of his backside such is the number of times  he has been “on the bench” for KGC this year. Brian’s “fork” joke (suitable for mixed company).

What ifs…. If Brian had only had 12 on Friday, if George hadn’t stopped counting, if Brendan Seaver hadn’t sent Brian home, if Gavin hadn’t  gone home early, if Cian wasn’t doing the Junior cert and if Niall Keyes hadn’t sabotaged Paddy…did we say current Secretary Manager.

Well done Niall and Dun Laoghaire who beat Grange in the afternoon… go all the way

John Green Manager(allegedly).