The St. Mary’s College PPU Annual Golf Outing took place on Friday 22nd May at the magnificent Castle Golf Club, and what a fantastic occasion it proved to be.

With glorious sunshine throughout the day, over 90 golfers made up of PPU members and guests enjoyed a superb afternoon of golf, camaraderie and celebration in one of Ireland’s finest golfing settings.

A huge thank you must go to our main sponsor, Fanagans Funeral Directors, whose continued support makes events like this possible. We were also delighted to have the support of Google, who kindly sponsored the St. Mary’s branded golf balls, tees and ball markers, while Gary and Troy Lavin of VitHit generously kept everyone refreshed and hydrated throughout the day.

Special thanks must also go to Alan Mountaine, who once again led the organisation of the outing alongside Barry Muldowney, Doug Leddin, Conor Shaw, Gordon Murray, Michael Craig and Marcus Spring. Their hard work behind the scenes ensured another seamless and memorable event.

One of the standout moments of the day saw the recently won Senior Cup Trophy proudly displayed on the first tee, giving attendees the opportunity for some fantastic group photographs and a fitting reminder of an incredible year for the school.

The atmosphere only grew stronger as players reached the 10th tee, where Verve Live Agency, organised by Barry Muldowney, installed a hugely popular pop up Guinness bar which became a brilliant mid round gathering point.

This year’s prize table was exceptional, featuring signed Shane Lowry hats as well as a stunning framed signed flag from Portrush commemorating Shane’s historic 2019 Open Championship victory, generously donated by Brian Moran.

A special thank you also to Kieren Curtin of Brew Crew for donating one of the raffle prizes on the day, a 40l keg of Guinness with tap and glasses delivered to your house, which was won by Will Andreucetti.

Competition winners on the day were:
* 1st Place – Mathew Buckley
* 2nd Place – David Bausang
* 3rd Place – Simon Hannigan

Special prize winners included:
* Longest Drive – Jonno Sexton
* Closest to the Pin – Alan Mountaine
* Past Presidents Prize – Richard Byrne

The Team Prize was awarded to Garry O’Brien, Gerry O’Brien, Alan Crawford and Gavin Cullen.

The day concluded with dinner and drinks in the clubhouse, providing the perfect opportunity for everyone to relax and reflect on another hugely successful outing, even if the Ulster result later that evening did not go Irish rugby’s way.

Finally, sincere thanks to all the staff and members of The Castle Golf Club for their warm hospitality and continued support in hosting the event year after year, and in particular to Arthur “Archie” McAvoy, Past President and current Captain of the club, whose support and hospitality were hugely appreciated by everyone involved.