Moyvalley Golf Club
Club Officers - 2024
Men's Captain: Karl Walsh
Lady Captain: Elaine Daniels
President: Bernard Doran
Vice Captain: Jody Crowe
Honorary Secretary: Fergus Kelly
Honorary Treasuer: Eamon Moran
Handicap Secretary: David Findon
Competitions Secretary: Bernard Campbell
MOYVALLEY GOLF CLUB
Moyvalley Golf Club was founded in 2007 and then affiliated in 2008 to the Golfing Union of Ireland (Golf Ireland from 2021). The course was designed by the 2011 Open Champion & Irish golfing legend, Darren Clarke in association with European Golf Deisgns. Moyvalley Golf Club has hosted many presitigious events since the course opened its doors, including the Challenge Tour of Ireland (2009) which was won by Robert Coles with a score on 10 under par, defeating future Ryder Cup Star Nicholas Colsaerts in a play-off. Moyvalley also hosted the 2016 & 2017 Irish PGA Championship, Tim Rice claimed the victory in 2016 & European Tour winner Damen McGrane winning in 2017. In recent years, The all Ireland Interprovincial championships have taken place here at Moyvalley (2022 & 2023) where all the best amateurs from all provinces of Ireland battled it out over 3 days of competition. In May 2024, Moyvalley hosted the Irish Seniors Amateur Open, over 132 players from Ireland & Europe competed for one of Ireland's most sought after trophy.
BALYNA ESTATE
The course, clubhouse and hotel all lie in the grounds of the Balyna Estate, the backdrop to the course being Balyna House a magnificent 19th century Italianate mansion. This was not the first house on the estate as it replaced the original house which was badly burned in a fire in 1878.
The estate was granted to Charles O’More in 1567 by Queen Elizabeth. How this came about is quite a story.
Caech MacDonnell O More was Chief of Leix from 1542 to 1545. In 1555 his brother, Patrick O More, supported by the O ‘Connors of Offaly (the neighbouring county) invaded Leix. His brother Rory Óg, who opposed him, was killed. In England this invasion was regarded as Rory Óg's rebellion and, as a result, his land was forfeited and colonised by the English, and its name was changed from Leix to Queen's County. In 1567, twelve years too late, it was established that it was Patrick and his allies who had been the "rebels", while Rory Óg had been the defender. In the meantime the O ‘More territory had been parcelled out among English adventurers and it was deemed politically inadvisable to uproot them, hence the granting of the estate to Charles.
Balyna became the home of the O’ More chieftains and their descendants for the next 400 years. In October 1641 Rory O ‘More (1592 -1655), a nephew of Rory Óg, plotted with Conor Maguire, Baron of Enniskillen, and others to seize Dublin Castle. They were betrayed by Owen O ‘Connelly. Rory, who had been suspicious of the traitor, escaped, but the others were executed. Rory hid in the thick woods then surrounding Balyna. When surprised by his pursuers he is said to have plunged his stick into the ground before fleeing. This stick took root and grew into a conifer. There was a family legend that when the tree died the family would leave Balyna. In 1957 the tree died and, shortly afterwards, Balyna passed from the More O’ Ferrall family.
The Golf Club have two trophies named after the O’Mores and Balyna, both being a major event in the club calendar.
