Mount Juliet golf club Kilkenny

Members Achievements

The Ladies of Mount Juliet Golf Club won the Mid Leinster Final of the Irish Intermediate Cup when they beat Athy Golf Club by 4-matches to 1-match at Tullamore Golf Club on Saturday 1st September 2018.

They were led out by Brenda O'Sullivan (18) who had a resounding 7 and 6 win over Phil Brown (16), she was followed by Kathleen Hession (18) who beat Brid Myers (17) by 2 and 1, next up was Helen Walsh (18) who halved her match against Gobnait Walsh (19), Mary Quigley (18) also halved her match against Mary Hurley (19) and in the bottom match Mary Molloy (19) recorded a 4 and 3 win  over Joan McDonald Hyland(21).

They made the short journey to Knightsbrook Hotel & Golf Resort to participate in the All-Ireland Deciders where they met Ulster Champions Malone Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Thursday 27th September and lost out by 3 ½-matches to 1 ½-matches to the ladies from Antrim.

They were led out again by Brenda O’Sullivan who won her match by 3 and 2 against Kay Gilbert, she was followed by Kathleen Hession who lost her match against Claire Canning by 2-holes, next on the tee was Helen Walsh who halved her match against Caroline Jones, in the penultimate match Mary Quigley lost out to 2 and 1 against Anita Goan by 2 and 1 and in the bottom match Mary Molloy lost her match against Sharon Cox by 3 and 2. Malone met Munster Champions Douglas in the All-Ireland Final the following day and went down by 4-matches to 1-match in the decider.    

Mount Juliet Golf Club came 3rd in the Irish Independent-Allianz Officer Golf Challenge on the Palmer Course at The K Club in September 2015 with a score of 73 points.
They were represented by Captain Laurence Shields, Lady Captain Anne Murphy and Club President Tom Duggan, they qualified for the event on their home course earlier in the year.

Mount Juliet were runners-up in the Leinster Final of the Irish Mixed Foursomes in 1996, when the team was Padraic Slattery, John Comerford, John Curran, Padraic O'Rourke, Des Fitzgerald, Oisin Fanning, Jeff Howes, May Quinn, Ita Slattery, Isobel Freaney, Brenda Fitzgerald, Jon Hegarty, Eileen McLoughlin, Kate McCann and Adrienne Walsh.

Lady Captain, J Duggan (14), Captain Des Fitzgerald (11) and Honorary Secretary Pat Hegarty (22), had five points to spair in the Regional Qualifier of the Mercedes-Benz-Irish Independent Executive Golf Trophy at their home course in July 2002. They went on to play the National Finals at The K Club on August 12th.

Lady Captain, Jon Hegarty, Captain Kevin McLoughlin and Pat Hegarty came 7th in the National Final of the Mercedes Benz-Irish Independent Executive Trophy at the K Club on the 13th of August 2001. They returned 72pts. which was only three shots off the winners.

History of Mount Juliet

This part of Ireland has very strong Norman associations, particularly with the great Butler family, who have played a large part in the history of Mount Juliet. The estate as we know it today was originally two separate estates, Walton Grove and Ballylinch, each with their own separate history. Walton Grove was the home of the Walton's who were an ancient Norman family who owned Oldtown, the town land of Mount Juliet. They changed the name Oldtown to Walton's Grove. They were here for centuries, until William Walton was, dispossessed by Cromwell in 1653. Walton's Grove was owned by an unknown Cromwellian for a short period, but after the Restoration it became the property of James, Duke of York, later James II. James sold it to a Mr. Sweet, who in turn sold it to Mr. Kendall in 1719. He changed the name to Kendall's Grove.

On stormy winter's nights "Old Mr. Kendall" as he was known was robbed by highwaymen and an important portfolio was taken. He begged the Rev. Thomas Bushe to retrieve it for him. Rev. Bushe duly caught the robbers and returned the portfolio. Old Mr. Kendall was overcome with gratitude that he left all his property, including Kendall's Grove to the Rev. Bushe. Unfortunately, the Reverent was wildly extravagant and had to sell all his property to settle his debts. He sold Kendall's Grove to his neighbour, the Earl of Carrick, in 1757, who built Mount Juliet, on the lands.

Ballylinch being the other part of the estate is now a thriving stud farm and an integral part of the day-to-day life on the estate. Originally called Bally Inch which is a translation of the Gaelic "Baile Inse", meaning the peninsulated town land.

The town lands and castles of Legan and Ballylinch belonged to Jerpoint Abbey until the Suppression of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1541. They were then granted to Thomas, Earl of Ormond (The Black Earl). He in turn granted them to Oliver Grace, a descendant of the Norman adventure Raymond Fitzwilliam le Gros.

Oliver's son Gerald built Ballylinch Castle and moved here from Legan Castle in 1563. However, the Graces were dispossessed by Cromwell who granted Ballylinch to one of his followers, Colonel Daniel Redman in 1654. His daughter Eleanor married James Butler, 3rd Viscount Ikerrin and the Butler's of Ikerrin moved their residence to Ballylinch from Lismalin in Co. Tipperary.

After the Rev. Bushe sold Walton's Grove in 1757, the two estates were amalgamated and the Earl of Carrick built his mansion on the opposite bank of the River Nore and called it Mount Juliet as a compliment to his wife, Lady Juliana, always known as Juliet. The family remained in Mount Juliet until 1914 when the McCalmont's bought the lands.

The last member of the McCalmont family to resided, at Mount Juliet prior to its transformation into the magnificent Jack Nicklaus designed championship golf course, was, Major Vivian McCalmont, known locally as "The Major". However Thomastown had another "Major" as the story goes back in the 40th and 50th only two people in Thomastown ordered The Irish Times one was for the Manor House and the other was for an man I had the pleasure to meet several times. His name was Joe Wemyss, a very clever and amusing man, even to this day when one mentions "The Major" they will tell you yarns about Joe. The story goes that Joe was known to catch the "odd" salmon from Major McCalmont's section of the River Nore without possessing a "rod licence" a matter, which often had the Major McCalmont bring his activities to the attention of the local Garda. Every so often the local paperboy out of sheer devilment would deliver "The Majors" Irish Times to Mount Julies and it would not be long before stories would filter down to the local pubs about the reactions to the misplaced Irish Times.