Esker Hills Golf Club celebrates its latest champion golfer
Rahan woman follows in Lowry’s footsteps by winning West of Ireland
FAMOUS as the old stomping ground of one of the top golfers in the world, Esker Hills Golf Club members turned out in force on Monday evening to celebrate another huge success.
Approaching 20 years since Shane Lowry won the West of Ireland Mens' Amateur Open Championship in 2008, Ella Cantwell won the inaugural staging of the womens' event on Monday afternoon.
The Rahan woman was unstoppable as she pulled away from the field to win by a whopping eight shots from the joint runners up, Hannah Lee McNamara (a woman with Offaly blood as her Banagher father Ronan won an All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship medal with the county in 1989) and Aideen Walsh.
Cantwell belied her tender years as she started Monday's final round with a slender one shot lead but produced almost flawless golf to win with remarkable comfort. She has just completed fifth year at Killina Presentation Secondary School and will be taking up a golf scholarship in Abilene Christian University (ACU) in central Texas when she completes her Leaving Certificate next year.
It was the biggest win of a very promising career that has seen her flourish in youths golf, competing internationally and winning some big events. It was a breakthrough win in senior amateur golf and her name will be part of history as this was the first year Golf Ireland staged this event – deciding to have a West of Ireland Open Championship in addition to its other “majors”.
Travelling to Germany on Tuesday evening to compete in the German U18 Girls Championship on Wednesday, the win opens up new avenues for Cantwell – an invitation to the Irish Open is one likely outcome while her handicap is likely to move from +3 to +5, though this will only be confirmed later.
Her win was poignant as Lowry captured his title here just a year before winning the Irish Open, as an amateur, and immediately turning professional. He has embarked on a sensational career, winning the British Open and starring for the European Ryder Cup side.
Cantwell's ambitions are also high and professional golf is the obvious goal. Like Lowry, she was given honorary life membership by Esker Hills Golf Club at the end of 2025 after a super year and its members were out in force on Monday evening to welcome her home and celebrate with her.
Shane Lowry's father Brendan and uncle Tommy Scanlon were among the gathering as the young lady was given a standing ovation on arrival into Esker Hills – Brendan Lowry, an All-Ireland senior football medal winner with Offaly in 1982 and one of the county's deadliest forwards, is a leading activist in the promotion of junior golf in Esker Hills and Cantwell paid a glowing tribute to him in her speech, along with the other junior committee members.
“The junior committee do a serious job and that is how we are all progressing as juniors. I started going to junior golf when I was eight or nine and Brendan took me in like I was a little bird. He was saying, come on every Monday night. We were either going to the range or Esker and bring everyone with you. Only for the junior committee, there would be no girls making junior U19 inter-club and winning it. There would be no such thing as winning the West of Ireland. All the work put in is definitely not seen by everyone but the work they put in is absolutely outrageous.”
Stating that her win hadn't sunk in yet, she said it was a “tough” two days with the wind and rain. Stating that she was very proud to return to Esker Hills with the trophy, she took the opportunity to deliver a powerful statement about girls and women playing golf. Noting the presence of several young lady members in the audience, she smiled: “Womens' golf is getting stronger and stronger every year. I hope that one day you do see that it is possible to be a girl and win.”
Ms Cantwell recalled that she had to play with boys in her formative golfing years from eight upwards. “To be able to say that I can go out and play with Sinead and Sophie and Kate is something I really do take to heart a lot. There isn't many clubs you can go out and play with girls.”
She thanked the mens' and womens' clubs in Esker Hills, saying: “If I didn't have Esker Hills, I don't know where I would be, especially as I am from Rahan. I love playing here and am always let play, even when it is full. Without the support of this club, I wouldn't have won the West of Ireland today.”
Master of ceremonies was Paul Rabbitte described Ella as a proud Rahan and Esker woman, welcoming her mother Taragh, father Pat, 90 plus year old grandfather Paddy Cantwell, sister Kate and others to the reception.
Stating that they “must be doing something right” to produce golfers like Shane Lowry and Ella, Mr Rabbitte said they have other talented golfers emerging. He spoke about the different challenges that the hilly terrain in Esker Hills provides. “If you can learn to play Esker Hills, you can go anywhere and play off any lie. This course is unique and is producing the golfers that it is producing. Thanks to the Molloy and O'Brien families for providing this course.”
He concluded: “Shane has been a role model for us all and now Ella is going to be a role model for all girls who come out here.”
Mens' captain Dermot Heffernan described Ella's achievements as “outstanding” and congratulated her on her win. “You are adding this to your already impressive list of achievements. We would be here all night if I listed them all and all at the tender age of 17. The future is very bright for Ella. We are immensely proud to call you one of our own.”
Ladies captain Pamela Kerrigan said: “For a lady of your age, you have a list of achievements that has so many in awe of you. You have your whole adult life in front of you and I have no doubt, your list of achievements will only grow and grow. You are a role model to all junior golfers in Esker Hills and as I was talking to your dad this evening, three young men passed by and said you were an inspiration to them.”
Manager of Esker Hills Golf Club, Ray Molloy said they were “so proud” of Ella, noting that they had given her life membership before Christmas and they didn't have to wait long for her to further justify that.
“Esker Hills management are so glad to be providing the sporting field and the course is able to provide such good golfers. Extra people came after Shane winning and I know more extra people will come with Ella's feats. We welcome them all and we are so glad to be the provider of that.”