East of Ireland champion Colm Campbell and leading qualifier Stuart Grehan were forced to dig deep to make it into the last 16 of the AIG-sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship at a sun-kissed Seapoint.

Dermot McElroy hopes to celebrate his call-up to the St Andrews Trophy squad by challenging for his first amateur major when the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open gets under way at Rosses Point today.

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.

Paul McGinley continues to make it clear that he will be his own man when attempting to mastermind Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Gleneagles next year.

Kilkenny’s Paul O’Hara crashed a young man’s party at Lahinch yesterday by winning two fine matches against Ulster duo Stephen Coulter and Nicky Grant to qualify for this morning’s first semi-final of the South of Ireland Championship against 20-year-old Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu).

Holder Pat Murray (Limerick), Stuart Grehan (Tullamore) and Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), the three players with most reason to feel aggrieved at the announcement of the Irish Home Internationals team before the South of Ireland began, all bit the dust on an eventful day at Lahinch yesterday.

A definite whiff of cordite left behind by the announcement of the Irish team for next month’s Home Internationals before a ball was struck in the South of Ireland, combined with electrical storms that caused a suspension of play in both of the opening two rounds, injected a considerable deal of spice into the action at Lahinch over the past two days.

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

Ulster and Leinster played out a thrilling tie on the opening day of the Interprovincial Championship at Lee Valley yesterday while defending champions Munster survived a few anxious moments in mid-afternoon to emerge 7 ½-3 ½ winners over Connacht.

Even though they are the defending champions and will be performing on home territory, Munster are regarded as underdogs in the Senior Men’s Interprovincial Championship beginning at Lee Valley this morning.

Castle’s Daniel Holland broke the hearts of the huge home gallery when he left Des Morgan in his wake and cruised to a three-shot win with a brilliant final round performance in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy.

Waterford hurling great Paul Flynn is hoping that ignorance is bliss when he makes his championship debut in the Radisson Blu sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at Rosses Point today.

Pat Murray’s perseverance was finally rewarded when after 20 years of trying, he finally won the South of Ireland at Lahinch yesterday, defeating Stephen Healy from Claremorris by two holes in the final.

If perseverance and commitment count for anything, then Pat Murray will win the West Coast Hotels-sponsored South of Ireland at Lahinch today.

Brilliantly led from the front by Kevin Phelan, Munster got their Interprovincial Championship campaign off to the best possible start when beating holders Connacht with two matches to spare at Royal Co Down yesterday.

Connacht, who bridged a 28 year gap when capturing the title at Rosses Point last year, begin their defence of the Interprovincial Championship this morning with a difficult match against Munster at Royal Co Down.

It was a polished Diamond — one Harry Diamond from the Belvoir Park club in Belfast — who shone brightest at scenic Rosses Point to take the title in the final of the Radisson Blu West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship yesterday.

WATERFORD CASTLE amateur Kevin Phelan is on course to qualify for the US Open for the second year in a row.

KEEPING Rathmore golfers out of the news these days is far from being an easy task.

Irish women Tara Delaney and Danielle McVeigh enjoyed mixed fortunes in Texas this week as they battled the Lone Star State’s infamous winds at the Texas A&M ‘Mo’morial’ tournament.

Ulster secured an impressive victory against Connacht in the Youths Interprovincial Matches at Donegal Golf Club today.

Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes, who were both instrumental in Mayo's National League title win in 2001, have been chosen to manage Mayo's Under-21 footballers for next season.

FOUR students were on top of the world after getting eight A1s in their Leaving Certificate yesterday.

CHARLESTOWN in East Mayo is quiet but alive some 35 years after journalist John Healy wrote about its death.