Irish amateurs win Home Internationals title

Ireland's amateur golfers today added the Home Internationals title along with a Triple Crown to their haul this year as they ran out comfortable winners against England on the final day by 10 matches to 5.

Being played at Muirfield, host to the Open Championship on 15 occasions, the Irish side enjoyed a final day victory over their old rivals to win their first Home Internationals title since 2003 when Ireland triumphed at Ballybunion.

It was 1990 when Ireland last won a Triple Crown, a year when Padraig Harrington won all six of his matches and Paul McGinley won all of his singles.

Jonathan Caldwell, Shane Lowry and Paul Cutler, who will represent Ireland at the Eisenhower Trophy in Australia next month all played pivotal roles during the three-day event and Irish team captain Michael Burns was understandably delighted with victory.

"Our confidence was high going into this week following our win at the European Team Championship in July and even with some debutants on the team, we felt we had what it takes to win the title back. The lads played superb golf all week and I'm very proud to work with such a great group of players"

Ireland has already won the European Team Championship in Turin in July, and this victory means a repeat double last achieved in 1987.

Ireland won the Boys Home Internationals at Royal Co Down last month for the first time since 1997, and Alan Dunbar, from the Rathmore club, who was a member of that team was also a member of the Senior team this week.

Following a victory by 9½ - 5½ over Scotland on the first day, Ireland claimed a resounding 11½ - 3½ victory over Wales, leaving the Irish the only team undefeated in the tournament.