WHILE IRELAND achieved unprecedented dominance in the Men's European Amateur Team Championship at Portmarnock yesterday, England's skipper, Peter McEvoy, was east in a decidedly curious role. As it happened, a hoped-for collapse from the golfing giants of Iceland never materialised - and England were out of the top flight.

"I overlooked the Netherlands," admitted McEvoy, after the English had been consigned to only their second experience of a lower flight. And ironically, the last time this occurred was in 1975, when the event was staged at Killarney.

So, with the Irish leading the qualifying from Scotland by a crushing 24 shots, the Dutch took over the crucial, eighth position. This gives them a meeting with Ireland in the first round of matchplay today. And the home skipper, Mick Craddock, has decided that Jody Fanagan is not playing well enough to be considered for action either in the morning or afternoon.

Instead, Keith Nolan and Garth McGimpsey are paired in the top foursomes, followed by Peter Lawrie and Richard Coughlan. The singles order is: Nolan, Lawrie, Noel Fox, McGimpsey and Coughlan. Predictably, Nolan is given a leading role but Craddock is also placing considerable reliance on Coughlan.

Meanwhile, McEvoy was attempting to come to terms with a performance that was as devastating individually as it was nationally. With the Walker Cup team due to be announced after these tests, England, eight times winners of the title, are now certain to have a decidedly limited representation.

"With respect to countries like Iceland and Finland, I never thought I would find myself studying their scores," said the English skipper. "But this is no more than we deserve. It was a pitiful performance in conditions that should have been made for us. The unpalatable fact is that on handicap, none of my players succeeded in breaking 80 net, over the two days.

Given their extremely limited resources, both in terms of playing strength and golfing facilities, Iceland's performance was truly remarkable. It is a reward for splendid application since they had the foresight to stage the European Junior Championships in Reykjavik in 1981.

Meanwhile, Ireland had reason to be extremely pleased with the nature of this qualifying performance in conditions that were even more difficult than on Wednesday. Indeed their dominance was emphasised by the fact that Nolan (149), Fox (150) and Lawrie (151) filled the top three places in the individual table.

Brushed relentlessly by the north-easterly which gusted to 40 mph, a great golf course bestowed few favours. And two particularly difficult pin-placements contributed greatly to the torment of certain, hapless competitors. These were at the eighth and more punishingly at the short 12th, where the flag was positioned on the slope, 12 yards up from the front of the green and six yards from the left.

England's Gary Wolstenholme had a crippling five putts there, taking a six at the hole - the same score as the combined birdies of Fox, Nolan and McGimpsey. Scotland's Steven Young missed a three-footer there and was taking his next effort from 15 feet.

All of which enhanced the achievement of Fox, whose 74 was [quite outstanding. The best score of the day by two strokes, it contained two birdies - at the 12th, where he hit an eight-iron to eight feet, and at the long 16th, where he pitched to eight feet. An indication of the tidy nature of Fox's play was that he could finish as second leading qualifier, despite having to wait until the 30th hole for his first birdie.

With four other Irish players breaking 80, there was no cause for concern at team level over Fanagan's 81, after an 85 on Wednesday.

Remarkably, all of the other five players broke 80 on each of the two days. And there was some delightful play from national champion Peter Lawrie, in a second round of 76. Particularly memorable was a birdie at the long sixth which wasn't quite so long, having been trimmed by 11 yards in an overall reduction of the course by 156 yards.

In the event, Lawrie pulled his drive into the left rough from where he played a four-iron recovery. Then, with 205 yards to the pin, he drilled a majestic one-iron, directly into the wind to leave it 18 feet from the pin. And the putt went down.

What McEvoy would have given for play of that quality. As it happened, four of his players had scores ranging from 82 for Wolstenholme to 88 from Robert Wiggins. "One good round would have made all the difference," he said. Indeed between top-flight survival and a first-round match against Austria today.