Nora Geaney Memorial Golf Tournament in Killorglin on Saturday from 8am

The late Nora Geaney (left) at the launch of the 2009 collection of Christmas Cards with fellow Kerry Hospice Foundation members: Liz Galwey and Jack Shanahan, fundraising chairman.©Photograph: John Reidy 2-9-2009

The annual Nora Geaney Memorial Golf Tournament will be played at the Maine Valley Members Golf Club in Killorglin on the coming Saturday, September 21st. Tee off times are available from 8am to 9:20am and from 11am to 11:30am.

Open to both female and male players the entry fees are set at: €35 for non members and €15 for members. Anyone interested in playing is asked to please contact organiser John O’Connell on 087 92 60463.
The tournament was first held in 2012 on the summer after Nora died in December 2011.

Its revival on the Killorglin club course came after the winding up of the Castleisland club in 2020 and its subsequent amalgamation with Killorglin to become the Maine Valley Members Club in the early days of January 2020.

Why Nora Geaney ?

It’s a typical enough reaction for readers to ask why people would be honoured in one way or another when an item like this appears in print.

It was the late Nora Geaney’s remarkable organisational ability and talents that became the focus of attention of her fellow club members when the ladies wing of the Castleisland club came into being soon after the club was opened in the summer of 2002.

She was frequently and widely credited with its success and that of the club in general during a golden period of management under her watch there.

An Inspiration to All

Liz Galwey was a colleague on the committees of the club and of the Castleisland branch of the Kerry Hospice Foundation.

Liz, in a tribute after Nora’s passing in December 2011, said that she was an inspiration to all who were lucky enough to know her.

“She never made a big deal of her illness but instead, over the four years of her battle, she carried on as normal, continuing to be involved in organisations that were a huge part of her life,” said Liz.

“Nora was a member of the local hospice branch and was secretary for several years before handing over the reins. She was very much involved in organising the Good Friday walk and the September coffee mornings.

Always a Step Ahead

“Her involvement in Castleisland Golf Club had been as a player and as secretary of the ladies club since the course opened in 2002.

“She was a fantastic and dedicated member who willingly took on any job that needed to be done. “Respected by all young and old, her caring nature and cheery disposition ensured that new members always received a warm welcome.

“It was a rare occasion that Nora would have to be asked to do anything as she was always a step ahead with everything.

Known as ‘The Boss’

“For this reason she was affectionately referred to by her friends and fellow golfers as ‘The Boss’ and just about everything was run by her.

“It is fair to say that the clubhouse at Tulligubeen was never the same without Nora,” said Liz.

That’s why a memorial tournament was first put in place in Castleisland during 2012 during the first summer after she died.

And that’s why her family, friends and former colleagues will gather in Killorglin on Saturday in her memory.

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