In the senior final, Maigh Cuilinn defeated the most successful team in InterClub history, Kells from County Meath. They became the first Galway team and only the third team from Connacht since the inaugural championship in 1969.
Inter Club format comprises a team of four, each team has two singles players and one doubles pairings all of whom play two games to 15 points, maximum possible team score is 90 points. The winners are determined by the highest aggregate score. The team, consisted of Diarmuid and Martin Mulkerrins, Seamus Conneely, and Conor Noone.
Diarmuid Mulkerrins played current National singles champion Gary McConnell in the first singles. After two hard fought games, Kells were leading 30-22.
Next up the doubles pairings, the Maigh Cuilinn duo of Seamus Conneely and Conor Noone played Brian Carroll and Tom Sheridan. The two Maigh Cuilinn men were exceptional in the first, Seamus executed numerous long-range kills as Conor Noone's retrieves were of exceptional quality. After the Doubles (13-15, 2-15 ) Kells still held a comfortable lead, 60-37.
Last up, in the anchor singles match was Martin Mulkerrins. Kells needed just seven more points to claim their 13th title. But Mulkerrins, only recently returned from the US, overpowered Farley, (15-1, 15-1 ) to win the match on a final tally of 67-62. A historic first 60x30 win for Maigh Cuilinn and Galway.
Maigh Cuilinn now hold InterClub titles in both 40x20 and 60x30 alleys.
'Junior B' victory
Last Sunday in County Sligo the Maigh Cuilinn 'Junior B' 60x30 InterClub team of James Dempsey, Paul Conneely, Jack McNeela, and Sean Moughan ended a 48-year wait for a Galway Team to win a 'Junior B' InterClub title.
That last victory was by the Maigh Cuilinn team of Tony Audley, Johnny Faherty, Nicky-John Clancy, Mick Lally, and Martin Conneely in 1977.
In Sunday's final, also against Kells, the team from Meath were bidding for their first Junior 'B' title.
James Dempsey was first in for Maigh Cuilinn. Kells got the better of that encounter leading 30-15 as the Doubles match commenced. The Maigh Cuilinn duo, McNeela and Conneely battled hard for every point against a strong Kells pairing who won both games.
As Sean Moughan entered the court for the second Singles matchup, Maigh Cuilinn trailed 60-36 in what looked like an unassailable lead for the Kells team. Moughan needed to keep his opponent to less than six points. Moughan did just that, winning 15-4, 15-0 to claim the All-Ireland title by a mere two points on a final scoreline of 66-64.
Maigh Cuilinn reclaimed their title after nearly half a century.
