Ireland won the foursomes battle 3-2 but could not win the day's "war" against England who beat them 10-5 in the final match of the Boys' Home Internationals at Blairgowrie in Scotland.
England retained the R&A Trophy with three wins out of three ahead of Wales, who beat Scotland 9½-5½ to fill second place, ahead of Ireland who had one win, over Scotland.
The stage looked set for a great finish by the Irish when they became the first team to lead England after a foursomes session.
Clancy Bowe and David Rawluk beat the top English pairing of Farren Keenan and Michael Skelton by 3 and 2, and there was a last-green victory by Gareth Shaw and Cian McNamara over Jamie Moul and Chris Clarke.
But England came out of the singles traps like greyhounds. Michael Skelton, Paul Waring and Matthew Richardson won the first three ties to turn a one-point deficit into a two-point lead.
David Rawluk had a good win against England's playing skipper Farren Keenan by two holes, but the tide was running against the Irish.
Jamie Moul had a big 6 and 4 win for England over Michael Mulryan, and Ireland's only other winner in the singles apart from Rawluk was Jonathan Caldwell. He beat Eren Behcet by 3 and 2 in the last of the 10 ties.
So England had destroyed Ireland 8-2 in the singles in much the same way as they had done to Scotland 24 hours earlier. Most pundits think this is the best England Under-18 team in many years. You'll be hearing more about them in the next five to 10 years.
Ireland's best points gatherers over the three days were Jonathan Caldwell and David Rawluk with 4½ points apiece.
Details in SPORTS ROUND-UP
IRISH hopes disappeared in the Girls' British Open Amateur championship at Sandiway, Cheshire, yesterday as all three competitors who qualified for the matchplay stages were knocked out in the first round.
The best performance was staged by Carlow's Karen Delaney, who should have made progress at the expense of Amy Yeates.
Delaney (17), came to the 17th two up, but Yeates, who celebrated her 18th birthday yesterday, won the last two holes to draw level and force the match into sudden death.
Delaney was unable to match the birdie four of Yeates at the 19th - and out she went.
Details in SPORTS ROUND-UP
FIRST-round leader Andrew Conway (17) remains the pacesetter at the halfway stage of the Ulster Youth Open Championship at Clandeboye. The local had a roller coaster round before settling for a 70.
His aggregate of seven under par 135 is two strokes ahead of Richard Kilpatrick (70) of Banbridge, and Conway's club colleague Trevor Spence (68).
Details in SPORTS ROUND-UP
