Carrick on Shannon Golf Club Stalwart, Bridget (Bríd) Mannion, proud Croghan native, who died on October 16 th 2025 aged 87, was one of the last of a generation of lady golfers who helped to promote changing attitudes towards women in golf. Much more than a fair-weather golfer, “She was always a great team player”, said Mary O’Rourke who, along with Ger Farry and Bríd, won the Connaught Cup in 2002 – the same year as Bríd’s tenure as Lady President. Always calm and unassuming, she was a team’s secret weapon – never a long hitter but always consistent and steady. Fellow golfer, Mary Molloy, said, “She had a wonderful short game and even with her failing sight sank putts from anywhere on the green.” She enjoyed travelling to play on golf courses all over Ireland and always maintained that if you could play Carrick on Shannon, you could play anywhere. Brid was behind many of the defining moments in new members’ golf. “She was so encouraging and gave her time and advice freely…” Brenda Kelly said, recalling that Brid was one of the first members she met when she joined in 2006. “She was an amazing caddy and my first, always understanding but not afraid to tell anyone where they were messing up.” She had sincere curiosity and loved meeting new members and finding out who they were, and who they were related to, and where their home place was. Long before there was catering in the club Brid would persuade the ladies to bake cakes for the many events she organised or helped organise in her years on club committees. One of those ladies was her friend the late Maria Talbot whose family now sponsors an annual memorial golf competition, the Maria Talbot Trophy. Brid won the trophy in 2010 – aged 73. Siobhán Talbot teed off with Bríd that day, “… my heart was in my mouth the whole way round as I knew how much she wanted to win it. She had a birdie on the 10 th and it was like winning the gold cup! She was so proud to have her name on her friend’s memorial trophy.” Continuing to golf well into her 80s, the last big competition she won was 3 months after her 80th birthday when she came in with 44 Stableford points. “I played with her that day. The sun was splitting the sky.” Elizabeth Muldowney remembers, “She could do nothing wrong and giggled with glee as she sank one great par putt after the next. After yet another par on the 13 th she looked at me over the rim of her glasses with a giddy grin. She was thrilled to be playing so well.” Even up to the week before her passing she was interested in what was going on in the club and was looking forward to hearing the results of the 2025 Roscommon Cup. She was impactful and she will continue impacting us on and off the golf course long into the future. We will miss her greatly. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam.
