Miley's skill aids children

For someone whose first sporting love was actually camogie, Paula Miley has switched to other pursuits with considerable success. Indeed, Miley has lost 19 shots in two years due to her exploits on the golf course - and it was quite appropriate that she should be part of last week's winning team in Roscommon Golf Club which qualified for the Connacht final of the Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Club Challenge.

Miley's win - in partnership with her husband Eddie Miley and Mary Jo O'Riordan - was particularly apt in view of the fact that she'd already committed herself to a debut appearance in the Chicago triathlon on August 30th as part of her own fundraising for the hospital.

Preparing for the swim-cyclerun hasn't upset the golfing performance of the manager of the fitness club attached to the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone. Recently, she was runner-up in the Lady Captain's prize in Roscommon (losing out on countback) and she was on the Roscommon team that won the Connacht Shield, beating Galway. Given a 36 handicap initially, Paula is now playing off 17 and, along with Eddie (8) and O'Riordan (20), they won the Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital qualifier in Roscommon to make it through to the provincial final next month.

If the horses for courses theory holds good, then the trio will be favourites to lift the Connacht title and they will earn a trip to Portugal for the national finals on October 3rd-10th. Roscommon will play host to both the Connacht and Ulster finals on September 9th, while the Munster finals will be staged at Beaufort on September 1st and the Leinster finals will take place at Mullingar on September 11th.

The major new club competition is supported with coverage by The Irish Times and is open to all clubs affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland.

By participating in this competition clubs will assist Our Lady's Hospital for Sick children in Crumlin to acquire new equipment and facilities. The drive includes the biggest building project since the foundation of the hospital in 1956, with the aim of increasing the number of operating theatres from four to seven at a total cost of £14 million.

Although the team entry fee will be decided by each club, the suggested fee is £30 per team (£10 per golfer) from which the club will retain its weekly competition subscription. Anyone seeking further information can contact tournament co-ordinator Pat Cashman at 01-455 8455.