Dowdall heads Under-21 selection

Four survivors of the team that played in Nairn two years ago have been selected on the Irish team for the European Women's Junior (Under-21) Championships which take place in Oslo next month.

Wexford's Elaine Dowdall, a golfing scholarship student in UCD, who made her full international debut in last year's Home Internationals in Lahinch, is joined on the six-player team by Pamela Murphy (The Island), Claire Coughlan (Cork) and Denise Doyle (Lahinch), who were all on the 1996 team.

Jenny Gannon, of Co Louth, and Martina Gillen, of Beaverstown, will be making their first appearances at this level, but have represented Ireland in girls' international competition. The Irish team was finalised last night and will be captained by former Curtis Cup player Claire Dowling, who is the current manager of the British and Irish Espirito Santo (world championship) team. Ada O'Sullivan, a former international, will manage the Irish team.

Maura Morrin (Naas) has been named as first reserve, while Gemma Heggarty (Greencastle) is the second reserve.

Recently-crowned Irish champion Lillian Behan will attempt to repeat history when she leads an 11-strong invading force for the British Women's Amateur championship which starts with strokeplay qualifying at Little Aston today.

Behan, who captured the British title at Ganton in 1985, is one of just two former winners in the field and showed her form by claiming the Scratch Cup over her home course The Curragh at the weekend. The Irish competitors are: Behan, Hazel Kavanagh (Grange), Irene Murphy (Cork), Tricia Mangan (Ennis), Suzanne O'Brien (Milltown), Sinead Keane (The Curragh), Alison Coffey (Warrenpoint), Claire Dowling (Copt Heath), Barbara Hackett (Castletroy), Valerie Hassett (Ennis) and Elaine Dowdall (UCD).

Michael Hoey, who captured the Irish Amateur Open strokeplay championship at Royal Dublin last month, has been named on the six-man Irish team to face Scotland at Bruntsfield later this month in the annual youths match between the two countries.

Hoey, whose performances this season are likely to see him attain full international honours sooner rather than later, is joined in the team by Ricky Elliott (Royal Portrush), Colm Moriarty (Athlone), Alan Murray (Greystones), Tim Rice (Limerick) and Alan Thomas (Tramore).