2017 - #10

The 10th Carne Trophy event took place in St. Helen's Bay on Saturday September 30th.   Despite it being a rainy day, a new experience for the Carne Trophy despite it still being September, 19 brave souls took to the golf course for the annual ‘scramble’.

As has now become tradition, the draw for the teams took place in the Kilrane Inn on the Friday evening.  This year we welcomed some new faces.  Brian and Sonya McGarry, who have joined us for the dinner for each of the last two years, took to the golf course to compete for the trophy for the first time.  Conor McGarry (no relation but IS from Cork!) and Colm O’Shea enjoyed a maiden outing and we also welcomed two more of Molly’s great-grandchildren, Cliona Burke and Billy Meagher Junior who were playing for the very first time.

The draw threw up the following line-ups:

The usual scramble format was the order of the day, and all five teams enjoyed the golf despite the wet conditions.  After the golf, everyone adjourned to the bar in the Saint Helen's Bay where notes were compared, post-round analysis completed, and a few pints were had.  After a quick shower and change out of the wet clothes, everyone headed for the K1 where once again we were joined by more family and friends and had enough people to fill the entire restaurant where Jim, Mark and the team looked after us as well as ever with another superb meal.

And so, to the results……

This year’s Carne Trophy was won with an excellent score of 75 and then only on countback from Team B which consisted of Feargal, Anne-Marie, Conor and Stephen.  Team E, with Peter leading Colm, Danny and a rotating ‘extra man’ won this year’s event by virtue of having one shot less that Team B on the back 9.

Longest drive was won by Billy Meagher on the 9th and, quite remarkably, nearest the pin on the 11th was won for a 3rd consecutive year by James Burke.  We managed to avoid any winner for nearest the pin on either the 7th or the 17th.  Golfer of the day was won by Colm O’Shea and the Green Jacket, which is awarded only to extended family members, was won jointly by Danny Donohue and James Burke.

As always, we remembered absent friends, Molly O'Donnell, Gay Reilly, Pat Hennessy and Joe Connolly.  We were delighted to have back Ellie Connolly this year who was on hand to say a few lovely and appropriate words to mark the occasion and to extend a warm welcome to everyone, friends and family alike.

This year we had an extra special surprise.  Sonya McGarry baked the most wonderful cake to mark the occasion (see the photos).   The cake was adorned with a prostate golfer on top prompting all sorts of speculation as to who it might be modelled on.  Sonya denied any suggestion that it might be somewhat autobiographical!  Many thanks to Sonya, the cake looked great and tasted even better.

Our thanks are also due to the staff of St. Helen’s Bay Golf both for the course, which was in excellent condition despite the rain and their support for the event.  We also extend our gratitude to Jim O’Donoghue and the staff of the Kilrane Inn who could not have done more to look after us.

Finally, many thanks to Ellie for the main prizes and to Peter and Anne-Marie, Billy Meagher and Susan for other prizes and the goody bags.

A great night was had by all and we look forward to the tenth anniversary and 11th running of this great event in 2018