Tyrone takes the tournament and the Irish whiskey home from the Pakistan Cup season finale

THE summer season for the All Ireland Polo Club and indeed, up and down the country ended earlier this month (8 September), the sun setting on the Nine Acres much as predicted in favour of the team from Tyrone.
Polo Wicklow will host the opening tournaments of the 2024 season in the all-weather arena and the grass field

Tyrone’s Tommy Diaz on the ball backed up by Dan Laverty as Glenpatrick’s Siobhan Herbst waits for a chance at the ball in the final of the Curraghmore Irish Whiskey Tournament for the Pakistan Cup at the All Ireland Polo Club

At stake was the much-coveted 4 Goal Pakistan Cup, and at play were three teams competing in round-robin-style in the Curraghmore Irish Whiskey Tournament. The nascent distillery at Curraghmore Estate in County Waterford released its first bottling to coincide with the tournament in an accolade to all that the AIPC has stood for to the de la Poer Beresford family.

Training Award recipient Kristina White at the 2022 awards ceremony, presented by James Kennedy of the IPF

Paul Ronan (l-r), Bunclody Polo Club’s Nick Murphy and coach and trainer Alejo Tagle, treading in the divots just as play resumes off to the right at the Curraghmore Irish Whiskey Tournament for the Pakistan Cup at the All Ireland Polo Club

Richard, the Earl of Tyrone and his father Henry the Marquess of Waterford along with his grandfather, the late Lord Waterford had all teamed up on the Nine Acres at one time or another along with a whole host of family and friends. Tyrone’s Eamonn and Dan Laverty, John Corbett and Tommy Diaz marked their fourth win of the season with the tournament in a right and fitting end that saw Glenpatrick and LHK/Keelings nipping at their heels through most of it, ending their season on a tie at two wins each.

The 2024 season will open with the Novice Cup in the arena at Polo Wicklow

The Tyrone team ( Eamonn Laverty, John Corbett, Dan Laverty, Tommy Diaz)
were presented with the Pakistan Cup for winning the 4 Goal Curraghmore Irish Whiskey Tournament for the Pakistan Cup by the Earl of Tyrone, Richard Beresford (l-r) along with Mary Laverty, Irish entrepreneur Nora Casey and Irish polo’s April Kent

“Curraghmore has had a long association with polo, I myself being a fourth generation polo player and many in our family, particularly my grandfather playing for many decades here (at the AIPC in Dublin Ireland),” said Richard Tyrone. “Congratulations to the winners and congratulations to everyone who played. It was a fantastic display of polo in front of incredible crowds.”

The 2024 season will open with the Novice Cup in the arena at Polo Wicklow

Ronan Cup winners Tara Moore, Sienna and Lucca Moore and Francisco Peluffo of the 0 Goal Wexford 2 team were presented with Curraghmore Irish Whiskey merchandise by Richard Beresford, Earl of Tyrone (l-r) with Irish entrepreneur Nora Casey and the Ronan Group’s Paul Ronan

Tyrone bested LHK/Keelings to win the tournament and the season with 7 goals to 6 from LHK/Keelings, the runners-up tying with Glenpatrick at two wins to close the summer calendar.

The 2024 season will open with the Novice Cup in the arena at Polo Wicklow

Former racehorse Nobbey, retrained as a polo pony and one of 27 horses
supported by the Treo Eile retraining programme earned the 4 Goal Pakistan Cup award for the Treo Eile Best Playing Pony trained by Stephen Power (l-r) and ridden by Evan Power for LHK/Keelings with Coolmore Stud’s Tom Harris presenting on behalf of Treo Eile and coach/trainer Alejo Aita Tagle

The 0 Goal Ronan Group Cup sponsored by Paul Ronan was won by Wexford 2 with 7 goals to 5 from runners-up Coolfin; BEC scoring 7 goals over 2.5 from Keelings and Sixt drawing with Wexford 1 on 4 goals.

The 2024 season will open with the Novice Cup in the arena at Polo Wicklow

Former racehorse Layla, trained by Tyrone’s April Kent was awarded the Treo Eile 0 Goal prize for the Best Playing Pony in the Ronan Group Cup for Wexford’s Tara Moore, Amalie Moore with Coolmore Stud’s Tom Harris
presenting for Treo Eile; Sienna and Lucca Moore, Paddy and Emma Casey

The 2024 season will open with the Novice Cup in the arena at Polo Wicklow

Glenpatrick’s Diego Valor closely followed by his patron Ian Magahey along with LHK/Keelings Colm Kelleher and Caroline Keeling in the 4 Goal Curraghmore Irish Whiskey Tournament for the Pakistan Cup at the All Ireland Polo Club. The teams finished the season on a draw, sharing two tournament wins

Article by Kim Mullahey

Image credits: Kim Mullahey

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