Offaly golfer makes semi-final of AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship

Ella Cantwell (Esker Hills Golf Club) Winner of the West of Ireland Women's Amateur Open Championship at Castle Dargan, Sligo pictured with Esker Hills Joe, Donal and Ray Molloy. | Ger Rogers Photo

placeholder image — Ella Cantwell (Esker Hills Golf Club) Winner of the West of Ireland Women's Amateur Open Championship at Castle Dargan, Sligo pictured with Esker Hills Joe, Donal and Ray Molloy. | Ger Rogers Photo

Esker Hills golfer Ella Cantwell reaches last four of Irish championship

ESKER Hills golfer Ella Cantwell reached the semi-final of the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship on Friday.

Ella was up against her Home Internationals Girls’ teammate Hannah Lee McNamara (Royal Portrush) in the semi-final at Enniscrone and unfortunately went down by 6 & 5. Hannah Lee also has Offaly connections as her father Ronan McNamara is a native of Banagher and won an All-Ireland minor hurling medal with Offaly in 1989.

Cantwell qualified for the matchplay stages with rounds of 78 and 71 to leave her in seventh place in the standings.

In the round of 16, she defeated Aideen Walsh from Lahinch by 3 & 2 to progress to the quarter finals where she faced Zoe McLean-Tattan from Romford. This match went all the way to the 18th with Ella Cantwell winning 1 up.

Cantwell won the inaugural West of Ireland Womens' Amateur Open Championship at Castle Dargan in Sligo on the June bank Holiday and has also represented Ireland.