FIPPA Newsletter - December 2006.

Welcome to this edition of the FIPPA Newsletter.

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Sean Breen - ULTIMATE HONOUR FOR FORMER IRISH INTERNATIONAL .

The Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland National National Executive Council has named Sean Breen (Seapoint) as the 2006/07 inductee into the P.P.U.I. Hall of Fame. Former Irish international player Sean Breen captained Ireland in the II World Cup at Teia, Barcelona last March. The Hall of Fame ceremony will be at P.P.U.I. National Annual Dinner in the Anner Hotel in Thurles, Co. Tipperary next February.
For over four decades, Sean Breen from Seapoint in Co. Louth has been a larger than life figure on the Pitch and Putt scene. He first made his mark as a player, winning hundreds of prizes in Open competitions across the country and even in Northern Ireland. He won the first Cloghogue (Co. Down) Flagstaff Open away back in 1970 with a score of 160 for 54 holes. Sean had earlier helped popularise the game of Pitch and Putt in Newry when he played in a fourball exhibition match at the invitation of Cloghogue founder Fr. Devlin. He is still winning on the course as his recent Masters win at the Italian Seniors Open demonstrates.

Sean Breen represented Louth on many occasions in the Inter-County championship. He was a member of the Wee County quintet that finished runners-up to Cork in the Inter-County championship at Portmarnock in 1975. Louth scored 408 to Cork's 401. Sean scored 105 that day. Sean was also on the Louth team that went very close at Cement five years later. Sean had a chip at the 36th to earn Louth a play-off against Kildare. It stood on the lip and Louth lost out on second place as well (on the tiebreaker). Louth were third at Cloghogue in 1970 (the first ever championship to be played north of the border. Consolation for Sean Breen was Individual Best Gross on 156 for 54 holes. Sean was the self-styled manager of the Louth teams that won the Inter-County championships of 1992 (at Cloghogue in the play-off against Cork) and in 1994 and 2001 (at his beloved Seapoint).

Sean Breen has served the Seapoint club in practically every administrative capacity. As Chairman, he steered the club through some very ambitious projects in the 1990s, including the construction of a beautiful new clubhouse and the purchase of their course. He was Club Captain when the National Gent's Strokeplay championship came to Seapoint in the summer of 1997 and was again involved in Seapoint’s hosting of the millennium National Matchplay championships. The National Matchplay was previously played in Seapoint in 1978. Sean Breen reached the semi-final where he was beaten by Ray Matthews from neighbouring Cement, who lost to Tony Maley in the final. Sean has won numerous County, Regional and provincial titles.
Sean Breen was a member of each of the four Ireland international teams of the 1980s. Ireland played England on four occasions, at Ierne in June 1981, at Nuneaton in May 1982, at St. Anne's in May 1983 and at Coventry in May 1984. Sean collected 7 and a half points out of a possible eight in his individual matches in those four Irish wins. He won each of his four singles and took three and a half points out of the four available in foursomes. His regular foursomes’ partner on international duty was Jack McCormack (Kilbeggan). A tribute to his enduring friendship and loyalty is that he travelled from the airport immediately following his return from the Seniors Open in Rome to visit old international colleague McCormack, who had recently suffered a stroke.

In addition to his club responsibilities at Seapoint, Sean served for many years as Chairman of the Louth/Down Board, the Louth/Down/Monaghan Regional Board and the Louth County Board. A keen student of the game, he is a regular face in the gallery at national championships and events and always has an opinion or two on the action or on the competitors. He has a ready wit and has made friends wherever he went such as his rapport with ex Cork County Board Chairman Colman Hayes and his wife, Mary.
Another of Sean's achievements in recent years was the crafting of videos (along with his great friend, Billy Lynch) of Pitch and Putt highlights. He was Coach Driver to the historic Irish touring party in Australia in 1996.
Along with his wife, Kitty, Sean agreed to become the sponsor of the National Club Tournament in 1998, which was a fine gesture by this supreme sportsman. He took on the Leinster Presidency in 1999. The eastern provincial council was in good hands for the last few years of its existence.
He was co-opted to the PPUI NEC table in mid 2004 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his great friend Jim Finglas (R.I.P). His main role, conducted in his inimitable style, was to administer Leinster provincial championships. Sean will retire from the NEC at 2007 Convention. He will be missed and the Hall of Fame induction is a much deserved honour.


(by John Manning)