The Cups of Lahinch – Mixed
The Moy Cup
The Moy Cup was presented by the Ladies of Lahinch Golf Club to the Club in 1920. There were no meetings of the Ladies Committee during the outbreak of World War 1. On resuming the Silver Challenge Cup was purchased on behalf of the Ladies by Mrs. Alexander Knox of Ennis. Canon McLaurin, a Church of Ireland Minister, presented a box for the cup. Subscriptions were collected by Mrs. Noble Johnson and Mrs. Robertson amounting to £25. The name of the cup was settled on after a debate and a vote at the A.G.M. of the Ladies Committee in 1920. It was also decided that the Cup would be played at the August Open Meeting with a Mixed Foursomes format.
The McDonnell Cup
The McDonnell Cup was presented by W. F. McDonnell to Lahinch Golf Club in 1896. W. F. McDonnell enjoyed the honour of playing the first game of golf at Lahinch with Lieutenant William McFarlane of the Black Watch Regiment on Good Friday 15th April 1892. Lieutenant McFarlane was killed in action during World War 1 and his memory is honoured in a War Memorial at Blaingowrie, Scotland. W. F. McDonnell was a well known figure in the Limerick business community and a prominent member of the first Committee at Lahinch Golf Club. He was also one of the Directors of the Golf Links Hotel, a magnificent hotel overlooking the village of Lahinch. That hotel opened its doors on 5th May 1896 and was a great boon to golf in Lahinch in the early years of the Club. W. F. played off a handicap of 6 and represented Lahinch in a Senior Cup challenge against Cork Golf Club on Holy Saturday 1901.
The Liscannor Cup
The Liscannor Cup was presented jointly by Croker Barrington and William McDonnell to Lahinch Golf Club in 1901. Croker Barrington was a member of the famous Barrington family who made a significant contribution to civic life in Limerick in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Barrington family home was in Glenstal Castle, Limerick. William McDonnell was one of the founders of Lahinch Golf Club. He played the first game of golf at Lahinch on Good Friday April 15th 1892 with Lieutenant William McFarlane. William McDonnell also donated the McDonnell Cup to the Club in 1896.
The Lakeside Cup
The Lakeside Cup was presented to Lahinch Golf Club by Richard J. Williams in 1964. The Williams family owned Tullamore Distillery and Tullamore Dew since 1861. The Distillery was founded in 1829 by Michael Molloy and the brewing of “Tullamore Dew” is one of the most prominent industries in the midlands. A member of the Williams family, Capt. John Williams served with the British Army in World War 1 and received the Military Cross. His son Shaun was killed in action in World War 2. Tullamore Dew is a connoisseur’s whiskey and enjoys an international reputation.
The O’Neill Cup
The O’Neill Cup was presented to Lahinch Golf Club by P.V. O’Neill in 1967. Paul O’Neill and his wife Peggy were keen competitors at Lahinch from the 1950’s to the 1980’s and were regular visitors to Lahinch during the summer season. Paul was Managing Director of O’Neill’s Sports Company and their footballs and sports attire are on display in Croke Park and in other Irish sporting venues for many years. O’Neill’s was established in 1919 and is a highly successful international sports company. The company motif “Lamh dearg abu”is inscribed on the O’Neill Cup. P.V. (as he was popularly known) was a regular member of Royal Dublin Senior Cup teams in the 1960’s and was one of the best putters of his generation. “Every putt”, he was won’t to say, is a straight putt
The Kincora Cup
The Kincora Cup was presented by W. J. O’Neill in 1969 to Lahinch Golf Club. Billy O’Neill was a Dublin accountant who loved Lahinch and Co. Clare. In the dim and distant past Kincora, on the banks of the Shannon was the chief seat of Brian Boru, a famous Clare chieftain who conquered the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf 1014. James Clarence Mangan (1803-1849) in his poem “Kincora” asks “Ah where Kincora is Brian the Great and where is the beauty that once was thine.
