Limerick Golf Club may have their own battles ahead in the AIG Senior Cup today at Carton House but one of their sons left Kildare yesterday with an All Ireland winners’ medal following Ballybunion’s AIG Junior Cup victory.

Another successful and dramatic week at the GUI Cups and Shields finals ended in style last Saturday at Carton House when Co Sligo were crowned AIG Senior Cup champions for the fifth time.

Ballybunion drew on their mix of youth and experience to capture the AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield for the first time since 1979 and guarantee that an All-Ireland title headed back to the Kingdom before a ball was kicked in anger at Croke Park.

It was a bad day for Munster golf as Muskerry and Douglas crashed out in their respective semi-finals of the AIG Cups and Shields National Finals at Carton House.

AIG Cups and Shields

Three weeks out from the Walker Cup and Irish top amateurs are already claiming the headlines.

Paul Dunne shook off the limpet-like American Robbie Ziegler on the last to move into the second round of the US Amateur Championship in Chicago last night.

AIG All-Ireland champions Muskerry have made a spectacular start to their Barton Shield title defence.

Bloodied but unbowed, Pádraig Harrington has abandoned hopes of coasting to victory at Royal County Down this weekend and will instead knuckle down to a 36 holes of hard graft as he fights to win the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

With good reason, Shane Lowry admitted to embarrassment and shame and letting family and friends down after an outburst of temper during yesterday’s second round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open probably cost him the chance of capturing the title for the second time in six years.

The 26-year-old was thousands of miles from his luxurious home in sunny Jupiter, Florida. He was being swept by fierce showers blown in off the Irish Sea. One of his partners was the local hero and tournament host who happened to be going through a horrendous time, failing to break 80.

In spite of his disappointing performance at Wentworth last week, Rory McIlroy will inevitably be very much the focus of attention at Royal County Down this week. Even so, the fans and television viewers will also keep more than one eye on several other Irishmen, and most especially Darren Clarke, Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington.

The Walker Cup captain will not be there but Cormac Sharvin reckons the R&A selectors that come to Royal Dublin this week will be looking for fireworks from the home brigade when the Irish Amateur Open tees off today.

There’s nothing inhabitants of 19th holes across Ireland like more than a sporting debate and they, among others, will think Brian Keogh’s recently compiled list of the top 100 Irish amateur men is manna from heaven.

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

Cork Golf Club’s dreams of an AIG All-Ireland Cups & Shields National Finals double may have been dashed already this week but the team is being backed to bounce back in today’s Senior Cup semi-finals.

Party time never seems to end for Cork Golf Club these days. Just as calm returns to Little Island after their successful 125th year celebrations, they are now turning their attentions to next week’s Irish Cups and Shields finals at Royal Tara for which they have qualified in the Barton Shield and Irish Senior Cup.

ON August 15, 1983, the great Seve Ballesteros struck a magnificent tee shot at the 11th hole of Cork Golf Club which still resonates with all at Little Island.

Today’s Barton Shield final at Kinsale Golf Club promises to be a classic battle between youth and experience as the young guns of NUI Maynooth vie with Banbridge for an All-Ireland title at the Chartis-sponsored Cups & Shields National Finals.

The 2012 cups and shields get off to flying start at Kinsale Golf Club today with the Barton Shield semi-finals.

Tramore were disappointed at losing to Lee Valley in the semi-final of the Barton Shield on Saturday but turned on the style yesterday in winning the senior title.

THE tail-end of Hurricane Katia has made the practice rounds for the Chartis Irish Cups and Shields finals at Castlerock, Co Derry over the past few days more a test of stamina than skill, although it is confidently expected calm will have been restored when the festival gets under way today with the semi-finals of both the Barton Shield and Irish Junior Cup.

THE Golfing Union of Ireland has begun the search for a new sponsor of their Irish Cups and Shields competitions after Bulmers ended their 19-year association with the competitions.

MULTI-million euro property sales are completing this month on several Cork and Kilkenny properties.

ALL the drama and excitement associated with the Bulmers Irish Cups and Shields came very much to the fore at Kenmare Golf Club when Nenagh and Douglas qualified for the national finals of the Jimmy Bruen and Pierce Purcell Shields.

IT is one of the biggest price drops around: €5 million, down to €2.2 million.

The AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Championship, which will be played at The Royal Dublin Golf Club on May 9-11, has attracted a record 91 overseas players from 17 countries.

AT a time when so much focus in the world of golf is on the professional game, it is good to see that the amateurs are not being forgotten.

WHILE they celebrated at Clandeboye Golf Club last night after the inclusion of Jonathan Caldwell in the British & Irish team to play the US in the Walker Cup at Royal Co Down on September 9 and 10, there was disappointment at Banbridge when Richard Kilpatrick was omitted.

THERE’S immediate development and speculative interest in the sale of fine old Castlemahon, a period home on Cork’s Castle Road near the emblematic Blackrock Castle.

THERE’S immediate development and speculative interest in the sale of fine old Castlemahon, a period home on Cork’s Castle Road near the emblematic Blackrock Castle.

HAVING ousted the holders Enniscrone in Thursday’s semi-final, Moate overcame Newcastle West by three and a half matches to one and a half to capture the BMW sponsored Irish Mixed Foursomes at Monkstown Golf Club yesterday.

AS Scots Marc Warren and Peter Whitefield battled in a three hole play-off at the inaugural Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge in Killarney, the 38-strong Irish contingent were left to reflect on largely disappointing performances.

THE Munster GUI branch last night agreed to run the preliminary rounds of the Pierce Purcell Shield, Jimmy Bruen Shield, Irish Mixed Foursomes and Junior Cup on a strokeplay qualifying basis next year.