Huntington Hibernian Charity Golf Outing: The Wild Geese Cup 2^nd Annual Pub Challenge at Bethpage Red

The Pub Challenge is an annual golf outing sponsored by the Huntington Hibernians. The purpose of the outing is to promote good will and to raise community awareness of the needs of local charities. The format for the outing is a best ball team (foursome) event, shotgun start with the lowest scoring team taking possession of the Wild Geese Cup for one year. There will also be awards for the best individual scores of the day. It is important to note that during this event all players shall be required to follow the 2007 PGA rules of play.

THE STORY OF THE WILD GEESE

Each year the Hibernians select an honorary for it’s annual golf outing. In years past, this honorary has been someone who has given of their time to help improve the conditions of the less fortunate in our local community. However this year, unlike previous years we have decided to honor in memoriam a group of men who gave up their beloved Ireland believing that they had secured a safer and brighter future for their families and fellow countrymen left behind. This is their story…The time 1691, the place Limerick, Ireland. The Irish forces of Patrick Sarsfield who had fought the army of William of Orange to a standstill, were given the option of sailing to France to join the Stuart King, James the II in exile, thereby securing rights and freedoms for the Irish people. This was part of the Treaty of Limerick.However, soon after the Treaty of Limerick was signed, the French fleet arrived with reinforcement and urged Sarsfield to tear up the treaty and fight on. But Sarsfied being an honorable person, believeing he had negotiated a treaty that guaranteed rights for the Irish people, agreed to leave his beloved Ireland with his brave soldiers never to return. Perhaps 20,000 Irish soldiers sailed with Sarsfield to France.

But the treaty would never be honored by the British, only to be replaced with more cruel Penal Laws, stripping Irish Catholics of their land and persecuting them for their religion and removing every right of citizenship. This dishonor and betrayal began the saga of “The Wild Geese”.

This year's Golf outing is schedule for Tuesday, Aug. 7th, 1:00PM. More info to follow!