Spirits may be down in the Limerick hurling camp at present, but Monaleen GAA Golf Society are having an excellent season.

This year they celebrate their 25th anniversary and boast a membership of 75 golfers. They are one of the few societies in the Limerick region with a waiting list.

A few weeks ago, society President, Eoin O'Kelly, hosted his outing at Thurles Golf Club, and the winner was Darrell Smith. Darrell was the bookies favorite before the outing, and the society's top man duly won the big prize.

Well-known auctioneer Corrie Ward just failed to get in the prizes, as did Limerick hurling hero Brian Geary and football star Muiris Gavin.

Other prominent golfers who performed well on the day included one of the founding members, Bernard Hanly, as well as Tony Hackett, Mossie Lenihan, Brian Punch, Paddy Geary, former Cork All Ireland medal winner John O'Halloran, Tony Fitzgibbon, Derry Dunn, Paul Hackett, auctioneer Tom Crosse, and one of Limerick's most versatile sportsmen, Joe Burke.

Joe is now in the 'handy' golfer category, but in his youth he was an outstanding soccer player with Limerick and a fine rugby player with Bohemians. Joe also holds the distinction of playing on the first Saint Munchin's rugby team to win the Munster Senior Schools Cup in 1968. Tony Sadlier, the society's popular Captain this year, was also on that historic Saint Munchin's team.

John D O'Halloran is the secretary and Barry Coffey looks after the treasurer's job. The society members, the majority of whom are members of Castletroy Golf Club, returned to The Hurlers pub in Castletroy for the prizegiving and singsong following the President's Prize day. "The craic was mighty," said the Captain, "and we were joined in the front bar by a French group who had been passing by and heard the singing."