Thoughts of the Ladies' Seniors Home Internationals probably fail to arouse deep emotions after the Ryder Cup but, starting Tuesday, a strong Irish team will be competing at Hamilton Golf Club.

England are favoured to retain the title as "ve of last year's team still feel young enough to do the business. Hopefully, the effervescent Irish captain Elaine Bradshaw will combine with manager Rhona Brennan to produce a winning reaction in their squad, which comprises Roma English (Larne), Valerie Hassett (Ennis), Marilyn Henderson (West Rhine), Eileen MacMullen (Donegal), Mary Madden (Ballinasloe), Mary McKenna (Donabate) and Sheena O'Brien-Kenney (Grange).

BARRIERS BROKEN AT PALMERSTOWN

Groundbreaking feats at the Silver Granite pub in Palmerstown where a woman hit the longest drive and their oldest member won the captain's prize at Killeen.

Marie Cullen was the big-hitter while Jimmy Lynch, brother of the late, great Joe Lynch of stage and screen fame, made light of his 76 years to win the captain's (Ray O'Sullivan) prize with 32 points by a margin of two from Leo Grady.

CRADDOCKSTOWN HOPE FOR HAT-TRICK

What a great success the various ladies' interclub championships have been this year as, under the sponsorship of the AA, they have gone national instead of stopping at regional level as used to be the case. The "nals will be played from Wednesday through Friday at the lovely Headfort Golf Club with all eyes on Craddockstown to see if they can achieve the treble of victories in the Senior Foursomes, Junior Cup and Intermediate Cup.

Glamour girls of the week are the East Cork team in the Minor Cup. If breeding amounts to anything in sport these girls are going to be tough to beat. Just look at this line-up . . . international volleyball players Claire Adams and Phil Sheehan, 800m gold medalist Gretta Conor, whose brother is Pat Harnett of Cork hurling fame, and Breda O'Farrell who plays camogie for Cork along with her sister Cathy and whose cousin is former Cork hurling captain Mark Landers.

The Killarney Junior Cup team isn't for being left behind either as they include international hockey player Mary Geaney, last year's Munster junior champion Ailish Mulcahy and Mary O'Doherty, whose late father was the legendary Irish golfer and captain Larry McCarthy.

The programme for the AA Finals reads: Wednesday, Senior Foursomes . . . Craddockstown v Limerick; Ballinrobe v Carlow; "nal on Thursday. Junior Foursomes . . . Shandon Park v Ardfert, Strandhill v Rosslare; "nal on Thursday. Challenge Cup . . .Lucan v Castletroy, Oughterard v Boystown; "nal on Thursday.Thursday, Junior Cup . . .Craddockstown v Killarney, Galway v Courtown; "nal on Friday. Intermediate Cup . . .Craddockstown v Ballybunion, Mountbellew v Moate; "nal on Friday. Minor Cup . . . Malahide v East Cork, Galway Bay v Courtown; "nal on Friday.

ERRITYS ETCH NAMES ONTO SCRATCH CUP

The highlight of September, ignoring events in Kildare, was the restoration of the Wicklow Senior Scratch Cup to the Irish gol"ng calendar through the good services of Pat Errity and Ken Monaghan in Delgany.

This event had not been played since 2000 and seemed to have gone the way of so many wonderful similar events of our youth. . . Arklow, New Ross, Birr, Tramore, Tuam, Hermitage, Naas, Cork, North West and Fermoy to name but a few. Sunday after Sunday the cavalcades of good players and would-bes set off for distant points to play 36 holes.

Then . . . gone. The scratch cups just dwindled away to a few classics like Waterford, Carlow and Mullingar. So, it is great to see Delgany return. It is only "tting, in the circumstances, that the Errity family made its presence felt as John Errity, brother of coorganiser Pat, scored 139 to win by three from John McDonald of Arklow and by four from local hero Gary Flynn. Flynn won the September Medal at Delgany in spectacular fashion with a new course record of 62.

ROCHE MUST HAVE LUCKY RABBIT'S FOOT

Richie Roche (20) showed his fellow bunnies a clean white tail when winning the Rabbit Captain's (Jim O'Hara) Prize by six clear points at Bray. Richie is a most popular fellow within the club having served the last two years as Captain Rabbit and he is currently serving-out his term as club vice-captain. He does most of the MC work at the club and mustered-up a proper degree of self-effacement on this occasion.

LEINSTER ANNOUNCE NEW FOURBALL EVENT

Well done to the men of the Leinster Branch of the Gol"ng Union of Ireland who have just announced a new Leinster Fourball Trophy to be competed by club teams of 10, aged over 35 and with minimum handicaps of 18. They have spotted a void which has caused much frustration over the years. While clubs within 20 miles of the GPO have annually played the Best Cup, their country cousins have looked on helplessly and without competition.

Bertie Best would be pleased and those of us who remember this "ne man would love to see his name associated with the new event as he deserves at least that.

When the campaign for Dublin's "rst public golf course was in full force in the 1960s he was always willing to help, attending many events of the Homeless Golfers' Association, and he accepted an invitation to be "rst captain of Dublin & County Golf Club (now Balcarrick) at Corballis.

How pleased, and perhaps shocked, Best would be if he were about today and watching Balcarrick prepare to spend over 1 million on improvements to their already delightful golf course.

LEE GETS IN FIRST FOR CLONTARF MEDAL "Does he think he's Annika?"

could have been the cry at Clontarf when former RTE man Liam Lee (15) got onto the right wavelength to score a winning 58 in the Monthly Medal.

Lee, who is an early-bird never likely to tee-off much later than 7.30am, has been in a rich vein of form lately as he also scored a 65 for runner-up in the President's (Turlough Considine) Prize a few weeks ago. In hindsight you can always see these things coming.

HOGAN HERALDS GOOD TIMES AT BIRR

These are exciting days at Birr Golf Club thanks to the exploits of young Simon Hogan and the receipt of planning permission just this week for three new holes.

The 13-year-old Hogan is quite a talent it seems. He has brought his handicap from 18 down to 12 this year after wins in the Loughnane Juvenile Matchplay Cup, the O'Dowd Trophy . . . which he won with a 63 . . . in the Club Ryder Cup, and in no fewer than three classics before knocking together 46 points to win last weekend by a margin of nine.

The Hogan home may as well be on the famed midland links as his father, Brendan, is on the greenkeeping staff and so this is yet another example of a young fellow revelling at the opportunities afforded him.

They have been up to their eyes in Birr golf ever since the 1890s when the King's County Chronicle reported a "rst sighting of local swingers thus: "With tennis "ourishing, cricket prevailing, and polo occasionally making its appearance, it might have been thought that the round of local outdoor amusements was complete. But another form of exhilaration is added with the arrival of golf."

Soon, a "ne course was established through woodlands and over eskers, which at once give a remarkable shape to the game at Birr and a footing as good as any links, on lands leased from the Rosse Estate for a fee of one shilling a year. Just to keep all stress out of the arrangements it was agreed that the shilling could be paid in two parts per annum.

This came to be seen as quite a generous arrangement, of course, as it lasted well into the 1970s before being reviewed amidst considerable concern. Anyway, the club is now most vigorous and thrusting ahead with plans for three new holes out beyond the "fth green with a view to keeping pace with technology and making the game much safer.

Meanwhile, the club is celebrating a win over Tullamore in the "nal of the Midland Towns Cup and looking forward to taking on Mullingar in the "nal of the Tudenham Cup on 14 October.

Paddy Kirwan, of hurling fame, is the man of the moment as he managed the club to Tudenham Cup victory in 2004 and to the Central Towns win this year and hopes are high for another win.