Security will be tight around Mount Juliet in Co Kilkenny today for the first practice sessions of top golfers, including Tiger Woods, taking part in this week's World Golf Championship.
Armed plainclothes detectives will patrol the grounds and gardaí have confirmed that as the tournament is taking place near the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks, special security arrangements have been put in place for the top US players.
Trucks arriving with equipment, food and other services will be searched and the Army, bomb squad and fire brigade will on on stand by, according to Sgt Mick O'Sullivan of Thomastown Garda station.
He said the hotel on the grounds had been searched by gardaí using sniffer dogs at the weekend and Mount Juliet House was being cleared yesterday.
He confirmed extra gardaí had been drafted in. Up to 70 gardaí will be on duty in and around Mount Juliet. They have been drawn mainly from within the Kilkenny/Waterford Garda division with a small number brought in from other divisions.
Neither he nor tournament director Mr Peter Adams would comment however on the specific security arrangements for individual players.
Other big names taking part include Ernie Els, José Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Richard Beem, David Duval and defending champion Mike Weir.
The event is open to the top 50 money winners on the world circuit and the winner's cheque will be at least $1 million.
The players will practise at Mount Juliet today and tomorrow, with the main event running from Thursday until Sunday.
Up to 30,000 golfing enthusiasts are expected to travel to Kilkenny every day this week to see the players in action. Kilkenny tourist office said all hotels and guesthouses in the area were full. Special traffic arrangements have also been put in place.