*Pictured: John Callinan of Meelick
A band of County Clare men are proving that the dream of pulling on an Ireland shirt can come any time.
This month, a heavy contingent of Clare players who play their footgolf at Munster Footgolf in Shannon, will pack their bags, grab their size-5 footballs, and board flights bound for Mexico.
They are heading to Acapulco to compete in the FootGolf World Cup—a rapidly growing global phenomenon that will see 64 countries compete.
For John Callinan, the tournament is the culmination of a decade-long journey that started as “an idea” and transformed into a thriving sporting community in Clare.
Back in 2013, Callinan began researching the concept of footgolf.
Finding that the hybrid sport was already capturing imaginations globally, he set about securing planning permission to build a course in Shannon.
Munster Footgolf opened its gates on April 2, 2017, and has been going from strength to strength ever since.
To understand the game, Callinan had to play it. “Hurling was my game, it was all about the GAA for me,” Callinan admits. “I was never really any good at soccer or golf.”
He quickly progressed from trying out his own fairways to an international competitor, representing Ireland at his first World Cup in Marrakesh in 2018.
Now, he is part of a 15-strong national squad to Central America, heavily reinforced by local Clare talent who sharpen their skills weekly in Shannon.
The Banner County representatives heading to Mexico include: Paddy Umlawzski (Spancilhill), Stephen Cahir (Knockanean), Roy Mounsey (Tobairteascain), Alan Cahir (Tulla), Kevin Barron (Sixmilebridge), Michael McInerney (Clooney), Aaron Troy (Castle Rock).
“They come from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes,” Callinan says of the squad. “They are a good group of lads who play Munster Footgolf regularly and just decided to have a go. Four of them got a taste of it at the European Championships in Turkey before Christmas, but for the rest, this will be their very first time competing for Ireland. They’re incredibly excited.”
The World Cup in Acapulco is a two-week operation.
The first week focuses on individual stroke play over four rounds, where Callinan will be the lone Clare representative competing in the Senior (over 45) category.
The second week shifts to the team event — a Ryder Cup-style format that Callinan is delighted to be playing in. Ireland has been drawn into a competitive group alongside Chile, Argentina, and old rivals England.
“England would be the benchmark,” Callinan notes. “They fancy themselves to go far. We recently played the Four Nations in Wales three weeks ago. The first time we played that tournament years ago in Kilkenny, we came last. The next time in England, we came second. We’ve managed to beat Scotland recently, so we hope to be fairly competitive. But team events have traditionally been tough for us, and countries like France, the USA, and Argentina are massive players.”
With no backing or grants, the trip is entirely self-funded.
The players are paying out of their own pockets for flights, gear, and accommodation.
Because of the logistics, the Clare contingent is taking a mosaic of routes across the globe to reach the same destination.
“We’re going up all roads,” laughs Callinan. “Some of the lads are going through Holland, some through Paris, and I’m heading through Heathrow. But we’re all going to end up in the one place competing for Ireland.”
