Irish Open: Philip Reid talks to John O'Leary, who would love an Irishman to match his win of 24 years ago

It seems like an age ago, the summer of 1982. It was the year when Italy won soccer's World Cup for a third time; when 2,075 couples were married in a mass ceremony in New York's Madison Square Gardens by the Rev Sun Myung Moon, and when the dance floor was thronged to young things strutting their stuff to the sounds of Dexy's Midnight Runners' Come on Eileen.

In fact, it was an age ago.

That summer was also the last time an Irishman won the Irish Open. John O'Leary finished the tournament at Portmarnock a shot clear of Maurice Bembridge, with Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Christy O'Connor Jnr a stroke further back in third. Eamonn Darcy finished seventh.

Three Irishmen in the top-10, who'd have believed that one decade would stretch into another and then another without another Irishman savouring a victory in the tournament?

O'Leary, for one, never envisaged that such a barren spell would ensue. The reason for such a span? "How long is a piece of string?" wondered O'Leary, nowadays a much-respected member of the PGA European Tour board of directors, but who hasn't been able to lift a golf club for over a decade and a half due to a back ailment, continuing: "It's very hard to grasp that one, to work it out or know what the reason is, especially when you look at the quality of players we've had in Ireland since then and what they have achieved around the world."

In truth, there is no real excuse or reason for the long drought. Darren Clarke, at least, proved that it was possible for an Irishman to win in Ireland when he captured the Smurfit European Open at The K Club in 2001. But as far as the Irish Open itself has been concerned, the prize has proved to be elusive.

There have been close calls, some of them closer than others. For instance, in the 1989 Irish Open at Portmarnock, Philip Walton was denied in a play-off with Ian Woodsman - and there have been runners-up finishes too for Des Smyth in 1988, for Padraig Harrington in 2001 and 2004 and for Clarke in 2001.

Yet, other nationalities don't seem to be afflicted in the same way: Bernhard Langer has won nine times in Germany in his career, since winning the German Open for the first time in 1981, while Faldo secured 12 career wins on English soil.

The current crop of Irish players on tour believe that it is just a matter of time for the drought to end.

And, certainly, O'Leary would love for someone else to take over as a statistic in the record books. "You know, things were different ba'ck then (in 1982). Our access to play in America was very limited, and the Irish Open was one of three events that we geared our season around, along with the PGA at Wentworth and the (British) Open. We worked to peak for those three tournaments."

Back then, the Irish Open was one of the flagship tournaments on a European Tour schedule that revolved mainly around Britain and Ireland with forays on to the continent. These days, admittedly, the itineraries of the elite players has changed with them criss-crossing time zones as a matter of routine.

Harrington remembers attending his first Irish Open at Portmarnock as a young boy. "It was one of those ice-cream days, of sunshine and hard fairways . . . and I remember seeing guys hitting in wedge shots no more than 10 feet off the ground and wondering, 'wow, how do they do that?'," he recalled.

Although it is no longer considered one of the flagship tournaments, it is still very highly regarded by tour players.

"It is one of the most popular on tour with the players," said Harrington. "Times have changed and now you get all the good players and good tour players coming, but you miss out on the very elite players who play a worldwide schedule. It is still a premier event, (but) it does miss the elite top few because it is a tough schedule and you can't play in everything, unfortunately."

In fairness to the leading Irish tour players, the Irish Open has consistently featured as a must-play in their schedules and this week's field at Carton House will have no fewer than 19 Irishmen in the field - so, statistically at least, the odds on ending that stark statistic of 24 years since O'Leary won would appear to be decent, even allowing for the fact that no Irishman has yet won on the European Tour this season.

O'Leary remembers his win at Portmarnock in 1982. "I look back at photos of the final day and there is one taken on the 12th tee and I swear I knew half of the people in the crowd. For any Irish player, to win the Irish Open would be a highlight of their career and I would love one of them to win. It is a very special memory for me and I hope one of the other guys get to savour that same feeling."