IRELAND BEGIN their bid this morning to become the first country for almost four decades to win three European Amateur Team titles on the bounce.
Not since England completed a hat-trick in 1973 at Penina in Portugal has it been achieved, and Ireland know a stern challenge awaits them this week at Conwy on the North Wales coast.
There is a new captain in Kevin Flanagan, who succeeds Michael Burns, the man in charge when Ireland won at Western Gailes in 2007 with victory over France, and at Turin last summer when they beat the English in the final.
And the side is somewhat different.
Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney and Paul Cutler played in the winning team in Turin, while Simon Ward from County Louth featured at Western Gailes. He missed out in Italy, but has been recalled this time.
Last year Cutler was in tremendous form being unbeaten in the European Championships and the Home Internationals in which Ireland clinched the title and completed the Grand Slam.
Alan Dunbar, winner recently of the St Andrews Links Trophy, Dara Lernihan and Cian Curley will make their European Championship debuts at Conwy.
