A pipeline drawing water from the Shannon is the only solution to the threat of drought and taps running dry in the east of Ireland, the head of Irish Water has warned.

Tiarnan McLarnan and Eugene Smith, both 23, and Robin Dawson, 20, and Alex Gleeson, 21, have qualified to meet in this morning’s semi-finals of the AIG Irish Close Championship at Tramore.

The price paid to dairy farmers may take a long time to recover despite signs that the global milk crisis may have finally bottomed out, said East of Ireland MEP Mairead McGuinness.

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.

Memories of the 1987 final at Tramore will be revived this week when the AIG Irish Close Championship takes place over the outstanding seaside layout for the third time.

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.

With handicaps ranging from plus 4 to 1.1, the high quality of the entry for the West Coast Hotels sponsored South of Ireland Championship beginning at Lahinch this morning is a source of considerable satisfaction for the organising committee.

A direct Cork to Dublin air link could have a viable future if a compelling case is made to service business class passengers using the service as a connection flight, according to Emirates Ireland country manager Enda Corneille.

THE tourism initiative launched yesterday seems impressive but it might be even more so if it had a budget. Despite that minor detail, a programme based on 5,000 years of history has, according to Fáilte Ireland, the potential to increase visitor numbers to the East of Ireland by 20% and tourism revenues by nearly €1bn by 2020.

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.

Munster interprovincial Geoff Lenehan has no qualms about lifting what could cynically be termed an asterisk AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at Seapoint Golf Links.

The last time a former European Tour player returned as a reinstated amateur to tee it up in the East of Ireland at Baltray, Jim Carvill led by nine shots with a round to go, in 2005, and won the title by three.

The end of a 364 kilometre journey from The North to the South-East of Ireland is almost in sight for a woman who's walked every step of the way in a bikini.

Extra preconditions for Irish beef exports to Britain pose a calamitous situation for Irish livestock farmers, writes Michael Spellman

Paul Dunne continued his triumphant march in the Amateur Championship by reaching the third round in Kent yesterday, just 24 hours after a record-breaking performance at the qualifying stage.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has led tributes to the young garda and a woman who lost their lives during the flash floods that wreaked havoc across the east of Ireland.

THE youngest and oldest players in the field met with mixed fortunes in yesterday’s second round of the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

IT WAS a chilly, windy morning for the third round of the Irish Close Championship at Tramore in 1987.

LIMERICK’S Pat Murray is hoping to find a “spark” at Baltray today that might light up his challenge for the East of Ireland title.

BRITAIN and Ireland Walker Cup captain Nigel Edwards is far from pleased with a decision by the Golfing Union of Ireland not to nominate four players for the Links Trophy, which begins at St Andrews today.

ALTHOUGH he probably knows the great Kerry links better than every other player in the field, Denis O’Sullivan makes his first competitive appearance at Ballybunion since 1991 when he takes part in the AIB Irish Seniors Open which begins this morning.

FAR be it from me to take issue with Pádraig Harrington, one of the best intentioned people I know, but I am fully in favour of Shane Lowry’s decision to turn professional rather than wait until after the Walker Cup next September.

IRISH golf had a day to remember at Baltray yesterday and, incredibly, Pádraig Harrington was not part of the feel-good story.

DARREN CLARKE has reacted philosophically to the news that there will be no British Masters or English Open this year and that the Seve Trophy has been renamed the Vivendi Trophy because of the critical state of the world’s finances.

IRELAND will be well fancied to retain their title when the third European Amateur Seniors Team Championship takes place at Shannon Golf Club this week.

LEINSTER include the three outstanding players of the amateur season so far — Shane Lowry, Niall Kearney and Paul O’Hanlon — in their side for the Interprovincial Championship getting under way at Athlone tomorrow.

FOUR members of the Irish side that retained the European Team Championship in Turin this month contest the South of Ireland, which begins at Lahinch this morning.

ULSTER redhead Darren Crowe and Limerick’s Pat Murray will be hoping for better luck over the coming days in the South of Ireland Golf Championship at Lahinch.

A new case of the deadly “swamp fever” virus detected in a horse in the east of Ireland has brought the number of cases discovered to 21, it was confirmed today.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy cruised into the last 16 of the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close at The European Club.

Odd couple Rory McIlroy and Adrian Morrow survived the carnage to lead after the first qualifying round of the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close Championship at the European Club.

Holywood's Rory McIlroy and Portmarnock veteran Adrian Morrow share the clubhouse lead in the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close Championship at the European Club.

East of Ireland Championship 2005

THERE are about 11,000 cancer deaths in this country each year and more than 19,000 new cases annually. The number of people suffering from cancer is expected to grow and will be 41% up on the 1993 figure by 2015.

SCIENTISTS do not know what actually causes cancer, nor have they yet found an actual cure, but they have long known that early detection provides the best hope of survival for women with breast cancer, which is the second most prevalent form of the disease among women.

SOUTH of Ireland winner Cian McNamara (Limerick) and runner-up Greg Bowden (Hermitage) are the two new caps in the Irish team for the Home Internationals at Prestwick on September 8-10.

HOLDER Mervyn Owens (Mallow) was first off the tee at Lahinch yesterday morning when he successfully began the defence of his title against Eddie Power (Kilkenny) in a 7am start to the South of Ireland Irish Shell-sponsored championship.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON wants to vox-pop as many of the 156-strong field as he can at this week's Nissan Irish Open and ask them to place the links of Baltray in their order of favourite courses.

THE NISSAN Irish Open Championship received a significant boost yesterday with the confirmation that Jesper Parnevik and Luke Donald will both be in the field at Co Louth Golf Club, Baltray, on July 22-25.

FOLLOWING consultation with David Probyn, tournament director of the PGA European Tour, Tom MacKenzie of the Donald Steel design team and local member Des Smyth, it has been agreed that the Baltray links will play to more than 7,050 yards with a par of 72 for next July’s Nissan Irish Open.