John O’Connor’s vision of a premier golf course paid off, says Dan Buckley

In Kerry, a county with so many All-Ireland medals, what kind of person would be agreeable to the general populace as a radio sports host?

Aged just 16, Mayo people knew there was something special about David Clarke.

FORMER British Mitsubishi Evo Challenge winner, Enniskerry driver, Danny Barry won the Germaine’s of Baltinglass Mini Stage Rally for the second time in succession.

TOMORROW afternoon in Dr Crokes club grounds in Killarney they will don opposing bainisteoir bibs on the sideline for the Corn Ui Mhuirí decider, yet it was on the field that John Flannery and Aidan Moynihan first crossed paths.

THE DONEGAL Mini Stage Rally in Glenties fell victim to the weather conditions despite the heroic work of the organisers who salted the roads over which the event was to traverse.

JUST when it appeared the Irish Seniors Open would fall by the wayside after the withdrawal of AIB’s long-standing sponsorship, support for the event at Carton House next weekend came from an unusual quarter.

BALLYBUNION is rarely visited by a north-easterly wind gusting to over 20 miles per hour but when it happens, the famous golf links becomes a seriously testing challenge.

BALLYBUNION, one of the world’s finest links courses, will be the ideal home to the 13th AIB Irish Seniors Open which begins on Friday.

RORY McILROY has returned to 16th in the world rankings after finishing fifth in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday.

Stewart Ginn leads by two at the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Palmerstown House heading into the final day.

SOCIALIST Party leader Joe Higgins has revealed his grief after losing his brother to cancer and has demanded better health services for the ill.

Unrivalled in terms of the magnificent beauty and setting of the site, Old Head Golf Links continues to take the golfing world by storm.

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.

Denis O’Sullivan was the leading Irishman at the Travis Perkins Senior Masters as Argentine Eduardo Romero captured his maiden European Seniors Tour title at Wentworth.

While the small Irish contingent toiled under the Swiss sun, American Jerry Bruner stormed to a course record equalling 62 on the opening day of the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open at Bad Ragaz Golf Club.

EAMONN DARCY has his sights set on the second richest prize in European Seniors Tour golf when he tees up in the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open which starts at the Royal St David’s GC in Harlech this morning.

GOOD enough to stage any event — even the Ryder Cup. That was Sam Torrance’s considered view about the Seve Ballesteros designed Heritage course yesterday, after he opened the AIB Irish Seniors Open with a four under par 68 in blustery and often showery conditions.

Charlie Mulqueen, The Heritage

THE Donegal pairing of Charlie McMonagle/Aidan Friel (Mazda 323) won a closely fought Midland Navigation Trial, a counting round of the Executive Logistics National Navigation Trial Championship and the regional championships.

IT'S little wonder golfers can't wait to reach their 50th birthday these days. Carl Mason won just twice on the regular European Tour, but when he turned 50 at the end of June last year he quickly fattened up his pension fund.

Christy O’Connor Jnr's hopes of making an immediate imprint on the €330,000 AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor this afternoon were dashed as the 55-year-old three-putted on four occasions for a round of 75.

Derry’s, Kevin Lynch, in his KPL Subaru World Rally Car emerged an easy winner of the nine stage Roscommon Moto Rally – finishing with a victory margin of two minutes and seven seconds.

THE start of the Irish Tarmac Championship looms — beginning with the Galway International Rally — and Pirelli Tyres are the series sponsor.

Paidi O’Se has decided not to seek another term as Kerry football manager.

ST. FACHTNAS will be without David Limrick for tomorrow’s Irish Examiner Corn Uí Mhuirí opening round against Críost Rí at Newcestown (2.30pm).

FIVE years after he bogeyed the 18th at Woodbrook to forfeit the lead and eventually lose in a playoff to Clare's Joe McDermott, 58-year-old Australian Noel Ratcliffe at last captured the AIB Irish Seniors Open at blustery Adare Hotel and Golf Resort yesterday.

IN spite of his disappointing weekend in the final Benson & Hedges International at The Belfry, Padraig Harrington is back up from 10th to 9th in the world rankings and up to third in the European Tour order of merit.

Victory on the Midland Navigation Trial, the penultimate round of the national series in Athlone,

The West Cork novice pairing of Diarmuid French/Jason O’Mahony (Toyota Corolla) won the Skibbereen 100 Isles Navigation Trial following a tiebreak with national championship contenders, Andy Mackarel/Liam Higgins (Ascona).

A MINIMUM prize fund of €25,000 has been put up for this season’s Formula Ireland championship that will begin in Kirkistown on April 5.

IT has been another wonderful weekend for Irish golfers Peter Lawrie and Denis O’Sullivan. Lawrie made sure of his card on the main European Tour for next year, while O’Sullivan claimed his fifth title on the European Seniors circuit.

Australia’s Mike Ferguson enjoyed a signficant upturn in his fortunes when he fired a five-under 66 to open a one-shot lead after the first round of the De Vere PGA Seniors Championship over the Nicklaus course at the De Vere Carden Park resort in Cheshire.

After the first day's play in the 36-holes Monkstown pro-am tournament there 's a traffic jam at the top of the leaderboard.

John McCluskey, driving his powerful Peugeot 306, won an exciting second round of the Irish Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park.

The seventh round of the Hewison Autotest Championship at Graiguecullen, Co Carlow resulted in a narrow win for Eamonn Byrne.

American David Oakley made the early running today in the British Seniors’ Open Championship at Royal County Down posting a three-under-par 68 to be four-under for the tournament and is the clubhouse leader.

John Bland and Denis Durnien leaped into the lead after the first day’s play in the stg£501,000 British Seniors’ Open Championship at Royal County Down after both toured the Newcastle links in three-under-par 68.