West Waterford’s Gary Hurley fired five birdies in an opening 68 to get his qualifying bid off to a positive start in the 72-hole European Tour Qualifying School Second Stage in Spain.

Thomas Mulligan, the talented 16-year-old from Co Louth GC, demonstrated during yesterday’s second qualifying round in the AIG Irish Close Championship at Tramore why, only two days ago, he was included in the British & Irish Jacques Leglise boys team for the forthcoming bi-annual challenge against the Continent of Europe.

The sunny south-east lived up to its reputation in style at Tramore, Co Waterford, yesterday when the opening day of the AIG Irish Close Championship was favoured by glorious weather conditions.

Stammering can make a person’s life hell. Many become more introverted, with their work and social lives being affected enormously. But help is at hand, writes Ellie O’Byrne

Gerald Kean mentors golfer Brian Casey in the first episode of The Speech on RTÉ One tomorrow.

IF an army marches on its stomach, and an economy on its retail and restaurant expansion, then things are clearly picking up in Cork - with knives, forks and chopsticks at the ready in the ‘Asian Street Feud’ moves.

Irish golfers have captured four major championships since 2011 but in that same timeframe, eight of our best and brightest have taken the plunge into the professional ranks.

Kieran McCarthy defends his title against another high-class field in the Munster Stroke Play Championship at Cork Golf Club tomorrow and Sunday.

Paul McGinley declared he would be taking a backseat role but there was no hiding the enthusiasm of the European Ryder Cup captain on the opening day of the Seve Trophy near Versailles.

Irish golf has never produced as many players willing to chase the ultimate dream of a place on the game’s major tours. Whether they can afford to follow their dreams is another matter altogether.

Ireland suffered a disappointing start to the Home International Championship at Ganton, suffering a narrow 8-7 defeat at the hands of a below strength England side.

Stuart Grehan and Pat Murray are amongst the big names competing in the South of Ireland, which begins in Lahinch this morning.

Irish Amateur Open champion Robbie Cannon angrily headed to Lahinch last night gunning for more South of Ireland glory after being sensationally left out of the 11-man Ireland team for next month’s Home Internationals at Ganton in England.

After some controversial incidents on the professional front in recent times, golf’s reputation as a game of honour and self-regulation has come under a little bit of fire.

Ireland swept into the quarter-finals of the European Amateur Team Championships at Silkeborg in Denmark yesterday and will play seventh placed qualifiers, the Netherlands, in the first matchplay contest today.

For the first time since 1980, the North of Ireland Amateur Golf Championship, at Royal Portrush, will be extended, until Saturday at least, because fog caused suspension of play yesterday evening.

Brian Casey had to be content with second spot in the English Open strokeplay championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Formby after a final round hiccup.

He might have had just five hours sleep and suffered an attack of nerves on the back nine, but no-one could deny that Greystones’ Paul Dunne deserved his one-shot victory in the East of Ireland Amateur Open at sun-splashed County Louth.

Des Morgan will chase his Mullingar Scratch Cup dream again today — just 10 weeks after a four-hour operation to have a faulty heart defibrillator replaced.

Ruaidhrí McGee delivered a five-star display at Frilford Heath yesterday to lie just off the pace in the first stage of the European Tour Qualifying School.

Headfort’s Brian Casey held off a late charge from home hope Dessie Morgan to win the Mullingar Grant Thornton Scratch Trophy by a stroke and boost his confidence heading to next month’s European Tour Qualifying School.

Six members of the triumphant Munster team in this week’s Interprovincial Championship at Royal Co Down are included in the field for the South of Ireland Championship starting at Lahinch this morning. And yet, they will all have to take a back seat behind the remarkable Ennis man, Noel Pyne, who is competing for the 50th successive year.

A Dublin man has today been given a suspended sentence after admitting to indecently assaulting a seven-year-old boy 34 years ago.

Two men who killed a young teacher in an attack described as "cowardly, brutal and grossly violent" have had two years added to their sentences by the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Rory McNamara produced a Houdini act to edge dramatically into the third round of the 117th Amateur Championship at Royal Troon on Scotland’s Ayrshire coast yesterday.

Dubliner Richard O’Donovan gave a champagne display at Glasgow Gailes on the Ayrshire coast yesterday to romp into the matchplay stages of the 117th British Amateur Championship.

Dublin teenager Gavin Moynihan bids to continue his amazing run of form at the British Amateur Championship at Royal Troon this morning.

Malahide teenager Gavin Moynihan joined major winners Padraig Harrington and Louis Oosthuizen on the roll of champions when he produced a brilliant short game display and defied near gale force winds to clinch the Irish Amateur Open in dramatic fashion at Royal Dublin.

The Court of Criminal Appeal has ruled that sentences handed down to two men for killing a Co Clare schoolteacher are too lenient.

MUNSTER got off to the best possible start on the opening day of the senior and boys interprovincial championships at Rosses Point yesterday.

THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is to appeal against the leniency of sentences handed down to two men jailed earlier this month for “a cowardly and unprovoked attack” that killed Clare schoolteacher Brian Casey.

TWO Clare men were yesterday jailed for “a cowardly and unprovoked attack” that ended the life of a 26-year-old school teacher on St Stephen’s night in Ennis last year.

Two men have pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a 26-year-old man in Co. Clare last Christmas.

PAT QUINLAN has suffered many disappointments in his 14 years representing Portumna in various inter-club competitions, so it was all the sweeter for the man from Ballinderry in North Tipperary that he should clinch their first Bulmers Irish Junior Cup triumph at Castlebar yesterday.

BANDON’S dreams of a famous double have been shattered by yesterday’s narrow loss to Dunmurry in the semi-final of the Bulmers Barton Shield at Castlebar. So now, they switch their attentions to the Irish Senior Cup, in which they meet Co Sligo in tomorrow’s semi-finals.

THE race is on to get much-needed aid to Haiti’s struggling survivors amid concern over riots for food and the development of malnutrition among the starving population.

THE sister of the 26-year-old school teacher who died following an alleged assault in Ennis on St Stephen’s night has described her brother “as a role model, inspiring son and loyal friend”.

Two men have appeared in court in Ennis, Co Clare again today charged in connection with an assault that led to the death of Brian Casey.

A 38-year-old woman who was arrested in connection with an assault on Brian Casey in Ennis in Co, Clare has been released without charge.

Two men are due in court in Co. Clare again today charged with the assault that resulted in the death of Brian Casey.

A man who was seriously injured in an assault in Co. Clare has died.

Two men have appeared in court in Ennis charged in connection with an assault that left a 26-year-old man fighting for his life in hospital.

THE sight of a man and his dog rounding up a flock of sheep is as old as the rugged hills in which they work.