Tommy Quigley hugged his sons and team-mates Stephen and Shane as Thurles celebrated their first AIG Pierce Purcell Shield win for 18 years.

PAUL DUNNE

Ireland’s best amateurs went their separate ways this week but whether the US Amateur or the Home Internationals are their next port of call, they departed in buoyant mood following an excellent collective showing at the European Individual Amateur in Slovakia last week.

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne will attract much of the attention at Royal Portrush in two weeks as Ireland bid to defend their Home Internationals title on home soil.

Ronan Rafferty and Philip Walton made the halfway cut by the skin of their teeth in the Seniors Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl in south Wales yesterday as German superstar Bernhard Langer strengthened his grip on the title.

Lisa Maguire narrowly missed out on a medal in the European Ladies Amateur Championship in Finland at the weekend.

Kevin Phelan will look to carry momentum from his top-five finish at Carton House into the European Amateur Championships into this week’s Home Internationals.

CARLOW’S John Greene produced one of the great putting displays to etch his name in the history books by claiming the South of Ireland Amateur Open title with a 2 and 1 win over Athlone’s Kelan McDonagh at Lahinch.

IRELAND begin their bid this morning to become the first country for almost four decades to win three European Amateur Team titles on the bounce.

Portstewart's Paul Cutler will face Johann López Lázaro of France in the quarter-finals of the Spanish Amateur Championship in Girona tomorrow.

Ireland striker Kevin Doyle has backed plans to bring back the Home Internationals in the shape of a new tournament.

Dunmurry’s Darren Crowe has withdrawn from Ireland’s team for the Home Internationals at Co Louth Golf Club September 19-21.

IT WASN’T easy to look star struck at Carnoustie yesterday as a miserable, unrelenting mist — or haar as the Scots like to call it — swept over the great old course from the nearby North Sea.

Rory McIlroy (Holywood), Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) and Simon Ward (Co Louth) will represent Ireland in the World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy which will be played at the De Zalze Golf Club and Stellenbosch Golf Club, near Cape Town, South Africa on October 26 to 29.

The Irish women's golf team travels to England this weekend to play in the Ladies Home Internationals at Frilford Heath on September 13-15.

Ballyliffin’s Brendan McCarroll came from seven shots behind overnight to snatch the East of Ireland Championship in brilliant fashion at Baltray today.

THIS is a huge week for golf in Ireland and Britain with at least four major tournaments down for decision.

CORK woman Ann Heskin is the new president of the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union (ILGU). She replaces outgoing president, Ita Butler of Elm Park.

Teen sensation Cian McNamara produced two stunning extra time comebacks to win the Shell Ireland sponsored South of Ireland title at Lahinch.

Scotland striker Kenny Miller has been identified as the main goal threat to Wales tomorrow night by the club-mate who hopes to foil him.

FINGERS were firmly crossed in Kerry last night that news was winging its way to the effect that the 2007 Solheim Cup would take place either at Killarney or Ballybunion.

AS Ireland’s two new Walker Cup stars basked in the adulation at Mullingar yesterday, where Colm Moriarty strode to an impressive victory in the prestigious 72 hole Scratch Cup to confirm his current well being, they became the 29th and 30th golfers from this country to be chosen on the British & Irish Walker Cup team.

FOUR of Ireland’s finest have qualified for this morning’s semi-finals of the Shell South of Ireland at Lahinch.

CLANCY BOWE of Tramore is one of eight young players added to the British & Irish Walker Cup elite squad preparing for the defence of the trophy against the USA at Ganton, Yorkshire, on September 6-7.

THE build-up to the selection of the first ever Irish side to compete in the World Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy in Malaysia next October continues.