Former Offaly GAA hero wins big golf prize

No stranger to winning prizes, Ferbane GAA folk hero Pat Doyle returned to the victors' enclosure when he won Colm Burke's captain's prize at Tullamore Golf Club on Sunday last.

A deadly corner forward during a playing career that went from the 1970s to the 1990s, Doyle was once the record holder of Offaly Senior Football Championship medals with eight – before Alan McNamee and then a host of his Rhode colleagues overhauled him. A very keen golfer and a big hitter, Doyle moved to Tullamore from Birr Golf Club some years ago and won the coveted prize by one shot with a nett score of one under par after 45 holes.

A 12 handicapper, Doyle has a remarkable record of winning captains' prizes. He has won two in Birr and one in Moate in previous years and was determined to add Tullamore to his collection. 

Second place went to Denis Guinan, no stranger to the Captains' Prize final day. Doyle and Guinan initially thought they had tied for first place and were getting ready for a three hole play off but when the scorecards were entered into the computer, the Ferbane man was declared the winner. Third was Ciaran Hannigan. Leading qualifier was Glen Parnell. Committee prize went to Laughlin Fitzsimons and past captains prize went to Michael Bryant who had a great return to form particularly in the qualifier.

Pat Doyle was a brilliant forward during a great era for Ferbane. He won his first Senior Football Championship medal in 1976, five in a row from 1986 to 1990 and a further two in 1992 and 1994, when he was in the veteran stages of his career. He made 24 competitive appearances for Offaly senior footballers from 1975 and 1980 and was one of a handful of really talented players in that era who were very close to being good enough for the 1982 All-Ireland senior football winning panel but wasn't there, due to a variety of reasons.

He continued to play at a very high level for Ferbane after this and played some of his best football on the great five in a row winning team, when his vast experience shone through. He formed an almost unstoppable full forward line with Brendan Lowry and Paul Mollen. This trio were absolutely instrumental to Ferbane's run as their tactic of feeding long ball into Mollen, who then fed the rampaging Lowry and Doyle, led to a multitude of scores and wins - while Mollen also got his share of scores. The sight of the left footed Doyle racing in from the corner to score was a familiar one in that era.