Helena Burke wins her first interprovincial cap

Surprised but delighted.

This was the reaction of Helena Burke on hearing she had been selected to play for Leinster in the Women’s Interprovincial Championships which took place in Slieve Russell recently.

In her late thirties, the Carlow Golf Club player, who plays off scratch, had assumed her chances of playing for Leinster at the top level were all but over. Yet her performance in the Carlow Scratch Cup earlier in the season had her featuring on the Order of Merit. Her play that day triggered off a sequence of events which ended up her winning her first interprovincial cap.

Three weeks ago, Helena received a phone call from the Leinster captain, Orla Darcy (Naas) with the good news that she had been selected on the Leinster squad of 10 players. Then when the travelling panel was reduced to seven the Carlow golfer was included. She was thrilled. The biggest achievement of her golfing career to date?

“By far. I couldn’t believe it. To be even considered was pretty good. Then to make the team. It was a great honour,” she said.

The interprovincial matches ran from Wednesday to Friday. Six of the Leinster team travelled to Slieve Russell for practice rounds on the Monday. Helena was one of them.

“We played foursomes initially. Then we changed the partners around. It was getting used to everyone playing with each other,” said Helena.

“No-one really knew who would be playing. We were asked privately to select a couple of players who we would like to play with and let the captain know. Also on the backroom team was another Carlow golfer, Leigh Bolger, who acted as Team Manager for the week.

The Carlow player was selected to play the first day of the foursomes with eighteen-year old Hannah Guerin of Royal Tara who plays of plus 2. The pair won their match against Munster opposition. Helena didn’t play in the singles against Munster but she teamed up with her young partner on the second day against Ulster.

Even though they lost their match, the pair were back on the last day where they beat Connacht opposition in the morning. After lunch, Helena played her first singles of the week and vindicating her selection she halved her match to wrap up an amazing week for the Carlow player.

It was an eye-opener to play all her three matches with Guerin.

“She is very good. She has a great golfing brain. I learned a lot from her.

The whole week was a great experience,” the Carlow golfer confirmed.