Chapter name:BARTON CUP VICTORY

It was in 1950 that Portarlington golfers brought the Barton Cup back to the provinces and to Garryhinch. On their third meeting they beat Royal Dublin three matches to two in the competition decider.
In the two previous meetings each team had registered a home win. The neutral Oak Park course, Carlow, was selected for the third and final meeting.
County Kildare was the last provincial team to win this trophy, which was presented by Judge Barton in the early years of this century for competition among metropolitan and provincial clubs.
Primarily, the Barton competition is intended to encourage members of the various clubs to bring about fellowship among golfers.
It is also intended for medium handicap players who might otherwise not be selected to compete in the regular competitions.
Carlow won the Cup in 1908, and reached the final in 1925 and again in 1930. The Carlow Club on the day was host to several hundred people who followed the matches, and ifPortarlington' s win was unexpected to some, it was decidedly popular with all. No one was sorry that the Garryhinch side took the honours.
Royal Dublin players practising at Carlow a week earlier had returned some disheartening scores -from the Portarlington viewpoint. One player had gone round in six under bogey.
Portarlington, however, were unabashed and showed this by taking the first two matches. Royal Dublin won games three and four, and so the destination of the Cup really balanced on the outcome of the fifth and final match. But T. M. Canning and M. Finnegan made no mistakes for Portarlington and won 4 and 3. "Nothing spectacular" sums up the final match which, however, was steady and well up to standard.
At the Clubhouse later Dr. R. Davitt, President of the Leinster Branch, presented the Cup to R.H.H. Russell, Captain of the Portarlington Club, and trophies to the other members of the team.
This famous victory was unquestionably the Club's finest hour.The team was arguably the best combination ever to have carried the Club's standards to such dizzy heights.
Receiving a bye into the first round they beat County Kildare in the second round by 3 home wins to one away.
It was when Clontarf, the holders, were knocked out of the Competition that notice was served that Portarlington was going to be a real test for the strongest opposition.
This was followed up with a fine win over Greystones, 1949 semi-finalists. They met The Curragh in the semi-final and producing first class golf, won by 2 home wins and one away.
The personnel of the team remained unaltered although some of the pairings had been changed. At this stage each member of the team had played on at least one winning combination. Results of semi-final match: Portarlington v. The Curragh. At the Curragh Portarling-ton names first: 84 R.H.H. Russell and Sir. G. Holden lost to J. Flynn and P. Woodgate 3 and 2. Dr. J,. C. Canning and T. G. Howley lost to J. Cooney and T. Hyland 4 and 3. M. J. Finnegan and T. M. Canning beat D. O'Riordan and P. J. Ward 2 and 1.
At Portarlington: Dr. T. J. Kirby and J. P. Scally beat C. Sylvester Carr and M. Price 5 and 4. J. J. Daly and P. J. Conran beat B. Cassidy and P. Devine 2 up.
In a pre-match interview on the team's prospects for the final, captain R.H.H. Russell said "while not over confident, having gone so far and with the team showing such tremendous enthusiasm there seems to be no real reason why we should not go all the way. A game is never lost which the other side has still to win".
Portarlington accomplished a first class performance against Royal Dublin in the first leg of the final at Dollymount, by winning two matches against the opposition's three. "The match of the night" saw R.H.H. Russell sink a putt of fully five yards on the eighteen green for a half in 6 and the match for himself and Sir. G. Holden.
RESULTS
PORT ARLINGTON ROY AL DUBLIN Dr. T. J. Kirby & P. J. Scally W. J. Howley & L. P. Gunning .(6) (11) (Scr.) (2) 14 3 & 2 R.H.H. Russell & Sir G. Holden V. Herlihy & J. P. Cummings (8) (t1) (1) (2) 14 0 Dr. J. C. Canning & J. C. Howley D. Herlihy & P. F. Patten (10) (11) (3) (4) 2&1 0 P. J. Conran & J. J. Daly F. J. Moran & G. E. Clancy (11) (12) (4) (5) 0 3&2 M. J. Finnegan & T. M. Canning F. Coghlan & J. M. Howard (12) (13) (4) (5) 0 5&4
In the second leg of the final on 20th June, Portarlington had three home wins and none away. Oak Park course, Carlow, was the venue for the third leg and Portarlington, playing steady golf, won a momentous victory over the Dublin team to take the Barton Cup for the first time.
RESULTS
Portarlington names first:
Dr. T. J. Kirby & Sir. G. Holden beat J. K. Kearns & L. P. Gunning (5) (2) (2) 3&2 R.H.H. Russell & J. C. Howley beat V./Herlihy & D. Herlihy (7) (10) (1) (3) 6&5 Dr. J. C. Canning & J. Cotter lost K. Coghlan & J. M. Howard (9) (11) to (Scr.) 6&5 P. J. Conran & J. J. Daly lost J. P. Cummings & P. F. Patten (10) (11) to (2) (5) 1 Up T. M. Canning & J. Finnegan beat F. J. Moran & G. E. Clancy (13) (11) (4) (5)
BARTON CUP 1950

Nine players played in all seven matches.
The eleven members who played made up the different pairings. The Honourable Mr. Justice Dunbar Plunket Barton was born in Dublin in 1853. He was educated at Harrow and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He was Past President of the Golfing Union of Ireland and Royal Dublin Golf Club. His other clubs Were: Portmarnock, Greystones, Foxrock, Milltown, Delgany and Rathfarnham.