Top Irish amateurs share €65k grant aid

GRANTS totalling €65,000 were awarded by the Irish Sports Council to leading Irish golfers.

The allocation is in respect of national and international competition and training costs in 2005, and is being paid from the allocation to sport from the National Lottery. They are awarded based on specific criteria agreed by the Irish Sports Council and the Golfing Union of Ireland.

Brian McElhinney (North West) and Rory McIlroy (Holywood) are the top recipients with grants of €5,000 each. McElhinney captured the British Amateur Championship, was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team and of the Irish team in the Home Internationals. McIlroy, who celebrated his 16th birthday in early May, became the youngest winner of the Irish Close at Westport Golf Club in June. At Easter he won the West of Ireland Championship and capped a wonderful season by being selected to represent Ireland in the Home Internationals and also winning the Willie Gill Award for topping the order of merit table.

Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), runner-up in the Irish Amateur Open Championship in May, received €3,000 while Jim Carvill (Warrenpoint) who won the East and South of Ireland titles following his reinstatement as an amateur at the beginning of the year, got €2,500. Gareth Shaw (Lurgan), winner of the North of Ireland Championship and Connor Doran (Banbridge), also received €2,500 each. Both players represented Ireland in the Home Internationals.

The balance of power in the amateur game at present lies very much in Ulster and the six main benefactors of the scheme are from that province.

A total of 46 players from the three National Panels - Senior, Youths and Boys - received grants. They were: €5,000: Brian McElhinney (North West); Rory McIlroy (Holywood).

€3, 000: Darren Crowe (Dunmurry).

€2,500: Jim Carvill (Warrenpoint); Connor Doran (Banbridge); Gareth Shaw (Lurgan).

€2,000: Aaron O’Callaghan (Douglas); Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin); Seamus Power (West Waterford).

€1,500: Cian McNamara (Limerick); Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge); Paul O’Hanlon (Curragh); Mark O’Sullivan (Galway); Stephen Crowe (Dunmurry); Brendan McCarroll (Ballyliffin); Pat Murray (Limerick); Nicholas Grant (Clandeboye); Christopher Hughes (Royal Portrush); Simon Ward (Co. Louth); Brian Keenan (The Heath); Shane Lowry (Esker Hills).

€1,000: Greg Bowden (Hermitage); Mark Campbell (Stackstown); Keith Crowley (Lee Valley); Neil O Briain (Royal Dublin); Michael Mulryan (K Club); Harry Diamond (Holywood); Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye); Simon Doherty (Fortwilliam); Aengus McAllister (Portmarnock).

€700: Cathal O’Malley (Westport); Thomas O’Neill (Rathsallagh); Andrew Pitcher (The Island); David Daly (Muskerry).

€600: Patrick Sheehy (Newcastle West); Barry Fennelly (Royal Dublin); Byron Campbell (Malone); Andrew Hogan (Newlands); Fergal Rafferty (Dungannon); Alan Glynn (Porters Park); Ian Bermingham (Mahon); Paul O’Kane (Massereene); Liam Reilly (Galgorm Castle); Simon Gallivan (Killarney); Mark Shanahan (West Waterford); Robert McCarthy (The Island).