The Leinster selectors have gone for a blend of youth and experience for the interprovincials at the Slieve Russell Hotel and Country Club next week. Four new caps are named: recently-crowned Irish Close champion John McGinn from the Greenore Club, Mark Ryan (Grange), Robert McCarthy (The Island) and Liam Ryan (Stackstown).
Forced to select without one of their top players, Justin Kehoe, Leinster will give the younger members of their squad a chance to shine.
East of Ireland champion Noel Fox will lead the team and Leinster can look to experience in Adrian Morrow, Michael McGinley and former Irish Champion Gavin McNeill.
Leinster: N Fox (Portmarnock), M Ryan (Grange), R McCarthy (The Island), Jo McDermott (Stackstown), J McGinn (Greenore), M McGinley (Grange), G McNeill (Waterford), A Morrow (Portmarnock), E O'Sullivan (The Island), L Ryan (Stackstown).
Kehoe will have mixed feelings about missing the interprovincials and also the Leinster Senior Cup finals at Co Louth on Saturday and Sunday. He has been selected to represent the Irish Universities at the World Student Games in Thailand next week and leaves today so will not be available for his club Birr at the weekend.
Birr lost out to Mullingar in the Leinster final of the Barton Shield at Luttrellstown last weekend and were anxious to make amends but without Kehoe they will have to dig deep when they play The Island in the quarter-final on Saturday. This was Mullingar's first success at senior level in Leinster and they can look forward with confidence to adding the All-Ireland in Galway in September.
Their only other success in Leinster came in 1981 when they won the Junior Cup but there was never much doubt at Luttrellstown. A three-hole victory over Killeen was followed by a four-holes win over Stackstown to take them into the final.
In the top match Peter Wallace and Des Morgan never looked back after winning the third hole as they went on to beat Joe Lyons and Michael Horan by four holes.
Ireland's top women will have places on the Irish team for the Home Internationals in their sights when the AIB-sponsored Interprovincials begin at Mount Wolseley tomorrow. The Irish team for the Home International at the Berkshire on August 21st to 23rd will be announced next weekend.
Leinster, winners for the past eight years, will again start favourites but will be without the injured Elaine Dowdall from New Ross, while missing from last year's winning team at The Island are Hazel Kavanagh and Yvonne Cassidy, who turned professional after last year's Home Internationals.
However, Leinster can look to Martina Gillen and Maria Dunne to lead them to a ninth title. Gillen, after a successful season on the US Collegiate scene, was just pipped on a countback for the Irish Strokeplay title at Dundalk last week, while Dunne was an impressive winner of the Leinster title at Co Louth earlier in the season.
Ulster will be without Curtis Cup player Alison Coffer but recall Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) and Brenda McLarnon (Fortwilliam). There is a change in the format for this year's event with the number of players on each team increased by one to eight.
The Irish Boys' will be looking for a change of fortune in the Home Internationals at Blairgowrie in Scotland this week. After the disappointment of not making the top flight at the recent European championships in Iceland the Irish will be keen to improve on their second place to England in last year's event.
Boosted by the recent success of Cian McNamara (Limerick) in the British Junior Open at Royal Mussleburgh they include Brian O'Connor (Hermitage), the recent winners of the Leinster title, while Clancy Bowe (Tramore), Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) and David Rawluk (The Island) were all members of last year's team that held champions England to a 7.5-7.5 draw.
Ireland will have six girls - Karen and Tara Delaney (Carlow), Amy Duggan (Kilkenny), Heather Nolan (Shannon), Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) and Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway) - in the chase for the British Girls' Open Championship, which starts at Sandiway Golf Club this morning.
LEINSTER: S Philips (Woodbrook), M Dowling (New Ross), M Dunne (Skerries), J Gannon (Co Louth), M Gillen (Beaverstown), S Keane (Curragh), M Morrin (Curragh), D Smith (Co Louth). Captain: Jackie Quinn.
ULSTER: E Dickson (Royal Co Down Ladies), G Hegarty (Greencastle), H Jones (Strabane), J McAuley (Dunmurray), B McLarnon (Fortwilliam), N Moore (Clandeboye), N Quigg (City of Derry), C Smyth (Massereene). Captain: Claire Robinson.
CONNACHT: S Corcoran (Portumna), S Gallagher (Claremorris), M Holmes (Enniscrone), D Judge (Roscommon), R McGoldrick (Enniscrone), D McGowan (Athenry), R Lennon (Roscommon), T De Courcey (Connemara). Captain: Helen Sweeney.
MUNSTER: C Coughlan (Cork), S Galvin (Limerick), B Gleeson Healy (Killarney), T Mangan (Ennis), G O'Leary (Cork), E R Power (Kilkenny), M Riordan (Tipperary/Ballykisteen), M Sheehy (Tralee). Captain: Evelyn Hearne.
IRELAND BOYS: C Bowe (Tramore), J Caldwell (Clandeboye), H Diamond (Holywood), S Gannon (County Louth), T Kearney (Ballyliffin), B McCarroll (Ballyliffin), C McNamara (Limerick), M Mulryan (Athenry), B O'Connor (Hermitage), D Rawluk (The Island), G Shaw (Lurgan). Captain: John Moloughney (Templemore).
