01/09/2026
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒโฆ
Sunday was a busy day with two Portsalon teams in action as Joe Hensey and his squad contested the first leg of their Donegal Seniors final against Bundoran and Cathal Canning's Donegal League team were in semi-final action in Letterkenny.
Perhaps nobody was under more pressure than Deirdre Hensey, as she had to try and watch Joe's side do the business in Portsalon then hot-foot to Letterkenny where sons Kevin and Sean were on opposing teams!
On the positive side, all three Hensey's won their games but Joe's team face an uphill battle in the return leg after Bundoran left Portsalon with 3.5 to 1.5 victory.
In the Donegal Seniors final in Portsalon, the match one pairing of Diarmuid Logue and Philip Durning scrapped their way to a half-point while at the tail end skipper Joe and his partner Paddy Kelly put a full Portsalon point on the board.
Alas, the middle pairings of Brian Devlin & Eunan McGlynn, John Logue & Paddy Merritt and Paul Armstrong & Dan Curran were all defeated despite valiant efforts, ensuring Bundoran will take the advantage into the return leg this Saturday, 5th September.
It is an uphill climb but they will take inspiration from Cathal Canning and his Paddy Carr Donegal League team after they went to Letterkenny on Sunday afternoon and won.
The first leg in Portsalon ended all square with 2.5 matches each and on paper it was certainly advantage to Letterkenny on home soil in Barnhill.
Some stunning golf from Jack Friel and Kevin Hensey in the front match put Portsalon on the front foot. They completed an incredible 8&7 win, with a gross score of eight-under par for the 11 holes they played. Stellar stuff.
Letterkenny responded to win match two as Eamonn McConigley & Alistair Rodger were defeated but Paddy McGowan & Donal Callaghan Jnr controlled the third match and were 2up on the 17th tee when proceedings were called in after a 6&5 win for Ronan McClafferty & Shane McGlade in match five left Letterkenny unable to win on holes, with the match four pairing of Enda McElhinney & Shane
Sandilands all-square through 14 holes.
A superb away-day performance for Cathal and his team, particularly by the front partnership, and they now get the opportunity to face Ballybofey & Stranorlar in the final in their attempt to win a third Donegal League crown on the trot.
