National Ladies Inter-County 2013

 
Sat 07/09/13:
Ladies Scotch Fours Rd 1:

08.30 - 08.40    Waterford & Offaly
08.45 - 08.55    Louth & Dublin
09.00 - 09.10    Meath & Kildare
09.15 - 09.25    Cork & Tipperary

Ladies Scotch Fours Rd 2

12.30 - 12.40    Waterford & Offaly
12.45 - 12.55    Louth & Dublin
13.00 - 13.10    Meath & Kildare                 
13.15 - 13.25    Cork & Tipperary



Sun 08/09/2013:
18 Holes Singles Strokeplay:

11.00 – 12.15   
Teams are placed in order of performance from Saturday with top scoring team last to play. 3-balls will be used.

Teams:

Waterford:
  • Lorraine Troy;
  • Sharon Keoghan;
  • Mary Carbery;
  • Nellie O’Sullivan;
  • Caroline English;
  • Breda O’Donnell   

Offaly:

Louth:

Dublin:

Meath:   
Kildare:


Cork:

Tipperary:
  • Breda Lonergan;
  • Martha O’Brien;
  • Shula McCarthy;
  • Bridget Shelly;
  • Mary Quinn;
  • Margaret Courtney    

A compact, but highly competitive 8 teams’ face-off for two days over 54 holes, for what should be a riveting National Ladies Inter-County this forthcoming weekend in the Suir Valley. It would be fair to say that at the moment there is a clear divide in the ladies, with Kildare, Dublin and Cork leading the way, Tipperary a bit behind, but way in front of the rest. Unfortunate, but such is life. Hillview is going to be tricky for the ladies. A lot of cut is going to be required in order to produce opportunities, and that is a tall order, one growing by the day as Hillview gets firmer and faster.

The race to avoid the wooden spoon will be a straight battle between Louth, Waterford and Meath. Louth fared surprisingly worse than what I would have anticipated in Cement, after starting so brightly in the opening 9 holes of the foursomes. It went downhill after that however. They have some tidy players, and I think they’ll have a tough time in store in Hillview. These new experiences will stand to the North-East ladies, and they’ll only get better as a result.
Waterford are up against it. Traditionally they have little to play for, such is the strength of the bigger counties. A two tier system complemented by Down, Clare and Westmeath would make for proper competition but as it stands the Deise will need to hope for the miracle of all miracles. Even coming out on an even-keel from their own private battle will be hard, but their experience of Hillview could creep them closer to Louth, but that’s about it. The commitment of Waterford to constantly have representation in this Championship should be applauded as it’s not easy to stand up on a teebox to represent your county.

Meath should account for a little more than Louth and Waterford, but are just that bit too far behind Offaly and Tipperary to come into the reckoning. Kathleen Geraghty and Carol O’Brien can hold their own in this competition, but they suffer greater than the other counties at the end of the list. They are probably one player shy of really challenging for the title of best of the rest, but that is where they lie. The new format might be to their liking with the emphasis on the doubles and less on the singles.

I feel for the Offaly ladies. They have the makings of a team that could really challenge if the cards fell right for them. Quite definitely the best of the rest currently, they are just one player shy of really challenging for the title not just a medal. If they can bide their time, Amy Galvin will be a massive addition to their squad in a few years. But at present they are a team that has excellent camaraderie, and they really thrive in the teamwork setting. Again the new format will play to their strengths, and a medal is not beyond them here, although they have ground to make up. Anne Marie Farrell strengthens the team, as she returns after missing the Leinster Inter-co.

Dublin were very unlucky last year in many ways, but lucky in others. It cannot have helped losing the captain to concussion that morning, but by the same token Thomson was excellent on the day so they didn’t suffer, but their preparations can’t have been helped. They wouldn’t have expected to have been beaten by Cork last year, so to finish 3rd was a surprise surely. However the score was a poor reflection on their combined talents, and save for an unfortunate outing for Margaret Webster, the Dubs would have been looking at a barren championship.
The same core of Ward, Elmes, Keely, and O’Toole are retained, as it reliable veteran Stella Sheridan. The management decided to place faith in Linda Thomson and were rewarded with a stellar performance in Cement bettered only by Kildare’s Marian Byrne. It is the lower order that Dublin seem to rotate, switching from Condron, O’Brien and Furlong and now to Thomson, and Pauline Balfe is now on the scene. If Claire Keating progresses as many hope in the next couple of years, Dublin should become the team to beat. For the moment, they are still in a dogfight with Kildare, and with the new format, will now be drawn into the pack with Cork and possibly Tipp in Hillview. They probably just about go in as favourites.

Kildare are with them as joint-favourites. They have a strong 3 in the Bridgets crew and then a good 3 in O’Toole, Kelly and Donnelly. Indeed it was Rose Kelly’s fine singles score in Cement that tipped them over Dublin, when it looked lost after an uninspiring singles performance in general. They were blessed that Dublin’s doubles scores were so weak in Cement, otherwise they’d have lost out on the title, and a similar singles performance at the weekend would be fatal for their title aspirations.

Currently the Munster and All-Ireland Inter-county champions, but the Munster win was facile given how the weakened state of that Tipp team, the uneven contest with Waterford and given it was on home soil. I would say that there is no chance of the holders retaining their title without the services of Siobhan Scannell and either Claire O’Flynn or Ann Daly. The difference to make up on Dublin and Kildare will be too much. Now, that said, the Munster performance wasn’t bad: Under-par in all the pairs is good-going,  but only one sub-par singles performance is not going to cut the mustard in Hillview. Sharon Bowes and Valerie O’Leary most definitely have room for improvement, so all is not lost just yet. They could be hard pushed to get a medal though I feel.

The final team on Sunday is the host county, Tipperary. Now, first of all, there is great support for the home county, but I think expectations need to be dampened, and that is bound to have at least one member of the O’Brien household frowning. Of course, the returning tag-team of Breda Lonergan and Martha O’Brien is a huge boost to their chances but when was the last time either of these players reigned supreme individually in a National event? I like both player’s style and their enthusiasm is evident, but let’s not start throwing out the baby with the bath-water here: Even allowing for local knowledge, will the stronger Tipp team have too much across the board for Dublin and Kildare? I don’t envisage so, certainly because in the ladies the varying strengths of the teams’ means there can be too much of a difference to make up. What will definitely happen now though is that Tipperary is now in the hunt for a medal. This will be a big championship for them – a lot of pressure on their shoulders now. Shelley is a good solid player; she has titles to back this up. Shula McCarthy as the relaxed local could be their ace in the pack (if they had the other one to call on too, they would definitely be favourites). It will come down to how Mary Quinn and Mags Courtney perform as to where they finish. Doubles will be key to them, and I think they need to be ahead after the doubles to really last the pace.


Waterford:
Last year’s position: 8th
Highest Ranked Player: N/A
MVP: Lorraine Troy. New on the scene, but Munster Junior Strokeplay Champion (and would have won the Inter section) albeit at home. A good prospect
Anything else? Playing for pride; While a great club (Cunnigar) at promoting the Ladies game, they lack the 2/3 big performers that would lift them up the table - Plenty of time to develop that though.
Prediction: 8th

Offaly:
2012 position: 5th
Highest Ranked Player: Tracey McGrath
MVP: Tracey McGrath – in an era where senior quality players are dwindling, this is Offaly’s most reliable performer
Anything else? They finished 3rd at the recent Leinster Inter-co, a superb achievement for the Midland County. Una Pyke is their manager extraordinaire. I’m told her team-talks are legendary.
Prediction: 5th

Louth:
2012 position: 7th
Highest Ranked Player: Noleen Bedford
MVP: Mary Agnew – Regional Chair. Will need to lead in doubles and singles to try and push down Meath.
Prediction: 7th

Dublin:
2012 position: 3rd
Highest Ranked Player: Geraldine Ward
MVP: Maree O’Toole. Missing out last year didn’t cost Dublin, as her substitute performed heroics, but she is the kind of player that Dublin need to perform at an optimum to ensure a higher finish this year.  
Prediction: Winners.

Meath:
2012 position: 6th
Highest Ranked Player: Kathleen Geraghty
MVP: Carol O’Brien – the National Inter Strokeplay champion will have a big part to play. Can be the difference between Wooden Spoon or best of the three-way with Waterford and Louth
Prediction: 6th

Kildare:
2012 position: Runners-Up
Highest Ranked Player: Chrissie Byrne
MVP: Chrissie Byrne – If she captains them to victory it will cap the most incredible of incredible years
Prediction: Runner’s up

Cork:
2012 position: Winners
Highest Ranked Player: Eleanor Walsh
MVP: The same, Eleanor Walsh. Leads by example, and is a very courageous player. Seems at ease battling it out with the Leinster players.
Prediction: 4th

Tipperary:
2012 position: 4th
Highest Ranked Player: Breda Lonergan
MVP: Martha O’Brien – not because she’s better than Lonergan (that duel is definitely in favour of the more senior senior – but because if Tipp are to medal, then she is going to have dig deep and come up with the goods that Lonergan is sure to produce.
Prediction: 3rd