Ryder Cup trio pull out of this week's Wales Open

Three of last year's European Ryder Cup team have pulled out of this week's Wales Open at Celtic Manor - Oliver Wilson and Soren Hansen with bad backs and Swede Robert Karlsson with an inner ear infection.
The priority for all three, of course, is to be as healthy as they can for the United States Open in two weeks.
Miguel Angel Jimenez is left as the only member of Nick Faldo's side in the field, although the tournament does have Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin, the two captains for next year's match, on the course.
Wilson withdrew from the Players Championship in Florida last month with neck trouble and a chest condition called costo chondritis, an inflammation where ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the sternum.
He returned at the following week's Irish Open, but after finishing 14th there has missed the cut the last two weeks.
Hansen would have been playing for the sixth week in a row if he had competed in Wales, but decided he needed a rest after finishing eighth in the European Open this weekend.
Karlsson, last season's European No 1, has not had a top-10 finish since he was fourth in Dubai at the start of February and has been battling with his infection for some time.

Mickelson WILL play in US Open

World number two Phil Mickelson has decided to play in the US Open later this month.
Mickelson's participation in the second major of the year had been in doubt after he announced he was taking a break from golf to support his wife, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
But he will now tee off at Bethpage as it reportedly fits in with his wife's treatment schedule.
Mickelson said on his website last week: "We have a wonderful team of doctors helping us, and it is believed that we caught this early.
"We are anxiously waiting for a number of test results that will help guide us in the best possible direction."

Early doors for Monty but he's leaving

nothing to chance for Ryder Cup 2010

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Colin Montgomerie's attention to detail as Ryder Cup captain has gone as far as asking for a change to the doors into the team rooms at Celtic Manor.
In his first "Captain's Blog" on the Ryder Cup website Montgomerie, who along with opposite number Corey Pavin is competing at the venue in the Wales Open this week, revealed that he might just have saved somebody from being knocked out of the match.
"There is a quaint old Scottish saying which goes along the lines of 'every mickle maks a muckle'," he wrote. "Basically what it means is that it is important to consider all the little elements which go together to make up the big goal you are trying to achieve. "
He added: "That phrase was brought home to me once again by an incident during my visit to Celtic Manor.
"We are lucky that everything there is purpose-built for the Ryder Cup, including the team rooms which can be entered and exited by two big wooden doors.
"Although they were beautiful, as I was standing there looking at them something didn't feel right and it suddenly dawned on me - you couldn't see who was on the other side.
"Now while that might not seem a big problem, imagine you are coming back off the golf course and are just about to put your hand on the handle to pull the door open when one of your team-mates comes barging out of the room from the other side.
"Bang! The door smashes into your hand and that is your Ryder Cup finished right there and then. Twelve months of sweat and toil to get into the team taken away in an instant.
"I immediately alerted the officials to the issue and that will be changed immediately either by making each door only open one way or by putting glass panels in both the doors so you can see who is on the other side."

Gavin Dear driving from the third tee at Murcar Links on Sunday in the Bidwells Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency; click on it to enlarge).

Gavin Dear climbs 12 places to No 16

in R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Murrayshall's Gavin Dear, runner-up in the weekend Bidwells Scottish open amateur stroke-play golf championship, is getting closer to his ambition of making the top 10 in the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Because he missed the cut in last year's "Scottish," Dear's performance at Murcar Links pushed him up 12 places to 16th in the updated rankings issued this evening by R&A staff man David Moir.
"If I can make the top 10, then I can skip the early stages of the European Tour Qualifying School process," said 24-year-old Gavin who lives at Scone, Perthshire.
Tommy Fleetwood, the Lancashire 18-year-old who won the Scottish stroke-play shot up 36 places from 60th to 24th in the rankings.
Wallace Booth (Comrie) suffered the reverse effect from Dear. Wallace won the stroke play title last year so he has plummeted 21 places to No 68.
The only other Scot in the top 100 is Colville Park's consisistent player Ross Kellett who is 92nd, down seven places from last week.
Banchory's James Byrne, the Arizona State University student who tied for fourth place at Murcar Links, improved 34 places to No 292.
Those players in the top 10 rankings who have entered the Open and are not otherwise exempt gain exemption from the Regional Qualifyng and go straight into Local Final Qualifying at Glasgow Gailes, Kilmarnock Barassie or Western Gailes on July 6 and 7.

TOP TEN
(+ or - indicates how many places a player has gone up or down since last week).
1 Morgan Hoffman (US) 1202.94.
2 Rickie Fowler (US) 1194.67.
3 Nicol Van Wyk (SAf) 1168.75 (+1).
4 Matt Hill (Can) 1163.93 (+3).
5 Nick Taylor (Can) 1155.56 (-2).
6 Stephan Gross (Ger) 1151.52 (-1).
7 Jorge Campillo (Spa) 1121.13 (-1).
8 Mike Van Sickle (US) 1114.52 (+1).
9 Billy Horschel (US) 1111.54 (-1).
10 Kyle Stanley (US) 1089.06 (+3).
Selected rankings:
16 Gavin Dear (Sco) 1023.68 (+12).
24 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) 998.18 (+36).
68 Wallace Booth (Sco) 889.74 (-21).
92 Ross Kellett (Sco) 858.21 (-7).
172 Steven McEwan (Sco) 781.25 (-42).
180 Michael Stewart (Sco) 774.14 (-9).
251 Glenn Campbell (Sco) 722.22 (-7).
292 James Byrne (Sco) 700.00 (+34).
300 Keir McNicoll (Sco) 692.96 (-8).
308 Scott Borrowman (Sco) 688.75 (+53).
323 Mark Hillson (Sco) 683.61 (-23).
328 Paul O'Hara (Sco) 681.97 (-16).
389 Philip McLean (Sco) 643.75 (+21).
396 James White (Sco) 640.32 (-34).
404 Craig Watson (Sco) 637.50 (-10).
410 Lewis Kirton (Sco) 635.00 (-10).
448 Gordon Yates (Sco) 612.50 (-31).
531 Greg Paterson (Sco) 571.43 (+42).
580 Peter Latimer (Sco) 548.78 (+20).
595 David Law (Sco) 539.52 (-158).
625 Stephen Speirs (Sco) 525.00 (-5).
635 Kris Nicol (Sco) 520.31 (+37).
648 Bryan Fotheringham (Sco) 515.00 (+128).
653 David Addison (Sco) 513.95 (+32).
663 Mark Lamb (Sco) 506.67 (+27).

Russian Open cancelled after sponsor pulls out

The worldwide Credit Crunch has claimed another golf tournament.
The Russian Open has been cancelled following the withdrawal of the event's main sponsor.
Tournament spokeswoman Leili Koeleman said the organisers were $992,000 short of their prize money target after Russian property giant Inteko said it could no longer afford to fund the August 6-9 event.
Koeleman said that Inteko’s decision to pull out came with little notice and there wasn’t enough time to find a replacement.
The organisers are confident that the Russian Open will be back in 2010.
The Russian Open, held in the past at Moscow’s Le Meridien Golf and Country Club, became a full-fledged European Tour event in 2006.

Oldcorn's third win of Tartan

Tour season at West Lothian

Former PGA championship winner at Wentworth, Andrew Oldcorn scored his third one-day victory since April 1 with a flawless round of four-under-par 67 in the £6,500 West Lothian Golf Club pro-am at Linlithgow today.

Kings Acre tour pro Oldcorn, pictured above, an earlier winner at Monifieth and Kilmarnock Barassie, birdied the fourth, sixth, eight and 10th in halves of 33 (three under par) and 34 (one under) to win the first prize of £935 by one stroke from Andrew Marshall Houston Golf Range), Chris Kelly (Cawder) and Craig Lee (unattached).

Lee, winner of last week's Northern Open at Aviemore, would have welcomed his £576 joint runner-up prize as more grist to the mill to fund a return to the EDP Tour in Germany where he currently leads the Order of Merit.

Oldcorn scored with a 10am starting time. The morning starters had calm conditions whereas those teeing off from lunchtime had to contend with a rising cold wind.

David Orr (East Renfrewshire) led the Smith Packing 1 trio of Derek Cant (handicap 18), Jim Small (13) and John Johnston (16) to victory in the team event with a net score of 14-under-par 57.

Pro scores (par 71)

67 Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) (£935).

68 Andrew Marshall Houston Golf Range), Chris Kelly (Cawder), Craig Lee (unatt) (£576.40 each).

69 Derek Watters (Gourock), Stephen Gray (Hayston), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) (£286.61 each).

70 Alan E Reid (West Lothian), David Orr (East Renfrewshire), Kenny Walker (Castle Park), Colin Gillies (Perry Golf) (£170.65 each).

72 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Gordon Niven (Stirling Univ), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) (£112.17 each).

73 Craig Ronald (Carluke), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) (£79.36).

74 Stewart Savage (Dalmuir), Fraser Mann (Musselburgh), Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Golf Links), Christopher Russell (RAW Golf Course Design) (£51.93 each).

75 Ross Neill (Drumpellier) (£43.01).

76 Gordon Law (Uphall), Edward Thomson (Senit Associates), Mark King (Kingsfield) (£43.01 each).

77 Garry Harvey (Kinross) (£43.01).

78 Samuel Cairns (Colville Park), Jonathan Lomas (unatt) (£43.01 each).

80 Ewan Hogarth (Peebles) (£43.0l).

81 Ross Ewen (West Lothian) (£43.091).

Disqualified Paul Malone (Braid Hills) (£43.0l).

ENDS

Thurso a bridge too far for North

District boys' championship?

The North District boys' championship for the Bain Trophy is in danger of being cancelled or at best switched to another venue on Sunday, July 5.
The executive committee made the choice last winter of Thurso Golf Club as a venue for the competition "with the twin objects of promoting more participation from clubs in remoter areas and using venues in those areas," according the district secretary Peter Abbott in a letter to all mainland golf cllubs north of Tain and to the Orkney clubs.
At May 28, only six entries had been received.
"Without panicking, we have to be realistic. The numbers entered are poor. The take-up for the bus from those from Tain south is non-existent," says Mr Abbott.
"On June 24, and no later in any circumstances, we will make a decision whether the competition is viable. If the decision is adverse, we would have to cancel or postpone to a different venue. We cannot wait longer to give fair notice to those entered and to limit any financial loss to the district.
"Though the main prize is to the scratch winner, there is a handicap competition for all with a valid handicap of 28 or less and the opportunity is there to measure performance against players from all over the Highlands."

R&A announces venues for its

championships in 2012

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R&A
2 June 2009, St Andrews: The host venues for 2012’s R&A Championships and International matches have been decided. They are as follows:
The 2012 Amateur Championship will be contested at Royal Troon and Glasgow – Gailes Links with the initial stroke-play stage shared between the two venues. The final match- play stage will be contested solely at Royal Troon. Troon has hosted The Amateur on five previous occasions in 2003, 1978, 1968, 1956 and 1938.
The 2012 Boys Championship will be held at England’s Notts Golf Club. Notts has hosted Regional Qualifying for The Open Championship on a number of occasions and was the venue for the 2007 Jacques Leglise Trophy.
The 2012 Boys Home Internationals will be staged at Ireland’s County Louth Golf Club. Another past Open Championship Regional Qualifying venue, Baltray, as it is known, recently hosted the Irish Open won by the then amateur golfer, Shane Lowry.
The 2012 Seniors Open Amateur will be hosted by Wales’ Machynys Peninsula Golf Club. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course is only four years old but it has already hosted the Boys Home Internationals in 2007, becoming the youngest course ever to have held an R&A event.
The 2012 St Andrews and Jacques Leglise Trophies will be contested at Ireland’s Portmarnock Golf Club. Portmarnock also hosted the Boys Home Internationals in 2004, and was the venue for the 1991 Walker Cup in which former Open champion, David Duval, and current world number two, Phil Mickleson, both competed.
The 2012 Junior Open will be held at England’s Fairhaven Golf Club. The course has been used as a Local Final Qualifying venue for The Open Championship. The course record is held by 1997 Open champion, Justin Leonard.

ABERDEEN SCHOOLS GOLF

LEAGUE LAST FOUR

Cults, Grammar, Hazlehead and Robert Gordon's College have qualified for the semi-finals of the Aberdeen Schools Golf League. Cults pipped Harlaw for the runners-spot on a count-back differential after they had both finished with 3pt.

The ties at Hazlehead No 2 course on Tuesday, June 16 are:

4.05 - Hazlehead v Grammar.

4.26 - Robert Gordon's v Cults.

The final will be played over the Hazlehead No 1 course on Tuesday June 23 at 4.12pm.

Final results:

League A - Torry 1, Harlaw 2; Cults 1, Hazlehead 2.

League B - Oldmachar 0, St Machar 3; Grammar 0, Robert Gordon's College 3.

FINAL TABLES

League A - Hazlehead 6pt, Cults 3pt, Harlaw 3pt, Torry 0pt.

League B - Gordon's College 6pt, Grammar School 4pt, St Machar 2pt, Oldmachar 0pt.

Paul Lawrie to play in Scottish

Hydro Challenge at Aviemore

FROM THE HERALD NEWSPAPER WEBSITE

http://www.theherald.co.uk/

By Douglas Lowe

The pathway for the development of Scottish talent has gained a little definition with the announcement that the Scottish Challenge on the European Challenge Tour is to be sponsored by Scottish Hydro for the next three years.
This is the tournament that, for example, has helped Richie Ramsay gain his foothold on the European Tour. Through a series of contra deals with events in other countries, it is possible to give Scottish players who do not have a tour ranking a schedule of six or seven events they would not otherwise have had.
The tournament will be called the Scottish Hydro Challenge and, with a prize fund of 200,000, it will be one of the more lucrative on the European developmental schedule.

It will be further boosted by the presence of Paul Lawrie (pictured above), the former Open champion, who will take a week off from the top tier to give the event a higher profile and also to set himself up as a target for the aspiring players.
Having previously been hosted at Murcar Links and Cardrona, Peebles, the event will be played at the Macdonald Spey Valley course in Aviemore which held the Tartan Tour's Northern Open last week.
The only downside is the date of the tournament, July 30 to August 2, which clashes with the Scottish Amateur Championship at Royal Troon. That means that six invitations to the Scottish Golf Union have had to be returned and will go to young professional players instead.

Efforts are being made to reschedule the Scottish Hydro Challenge a few weeks earlier next year from what has become a notorious date, because it also clashes with the Women's British Open, which is to be staged five times in Scotland over the next decade.
Lawrie plans to have his eldest son Craig as caddie for the week. "Craig is excited about his role, although he might see a different side to his father than the one he's used to," said Lawrie. "Mind you, I don't think I'll be as harsh with him as I am with my regular caddie Andy Forsyth; I think his mum might have something to say about it if I was.
"In terms of preparation and play, though, I'm going to treat it like a normal week on the European Tour. I'm certainly not going up there on holiday; I'm going there to win, because I don't play in tournaments unless I feel I can win them.
"Tournaments like the Scottish Hydro Challenge are crucial in raising the profile, not only of the Challenge Tour, but also of tournament golf in Scotland in general as we look ahead to the Ryder Cup in five years' time.
"I wish I'd played the Scottish Challenge in 2006 when it was at Murcar Links but, unfortunately, it was up against the European Open at that time. Whenever possible, I think it's important that guys from the main tour play in tournaments in our own country like the Scottish Hydro Challenge."
The need for tournaments like this is illustrated by the case of Craig Lee, winner last week of the unsponsored Northern Open, whose prize fund was drastically reduced. The 32-year-old collected £2700 compared to £8000 last year.
Lee lost his European Tour card last year and his eventual ranking of No.186 was four places away from even a Challenge Tour schedule. He is trying to make his way back via the third-tier EPD Tour in Germany and wonders why he is not able to do that in Scotland, where the Tartan Tour has only two 72-hole tournaments, the Northern Open and the Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles.
The Stirling player is using the predominantly pro-am based Scottish schedule to raise money to fund his German campaign, where he is currently No.1. It costs about £1000 a tournament in expenses. Two weeks ago he finished fifth and estimates he actually lost £300.
"Why not have a third-level tour in Scotland, because the EuroPro Tour is all south," he asked. "I don't know if it would work, but has anyone contemplated it? It is a lot to ask but I believe the money is still out there. We just have to work harder to find it."
*Published by permission of the Herald newspaper in which the original article appears today.

Lothians junior championship ties tonight

This evening's ties in the Lothians junior championship at the Braids are:
5.0: C Dick (Murrayfield) v B Todd (Greenburn).
5.07: L Gaughan (Bathgate) v A Rowe (Kingsknowe).
5.15: S Boyle (Bathgate) v S Young (Turnhouse).
5.22: A Blaney (Liberton) v G Forrest (Craigielaw).
5.30: E Mackay (Torphin Hill) v L Morgan (Newbattle).
5.37: D Maxwell (Craigielaw) v S Fairbairn (Craigielaw).
5.45: G Miller (Bathgate) v J Renwick (Uphall).
5.52: B Pelling (Prestonfield) v J Rhind (Uphall).

Colin Farquharson writes: Although Shane Lowry was down to play in the Bidwells Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship this past weekend, until he went away and won the Irish Open and changed his golfing life, there were NO Irishmen in the field at Murcar Links at the weekend. Why not? Well, the East of Ireland amateur championship is big on the Irish golf calendar and though the Walker Cup selectors were at Murcar Links, the Irish contenders for places in the GB&I team for Merion were all playing at Co Louth in the "East." Picture right, by courtesy of the Irish Times, shows Paul Cutler with the trophy. Here's a report by Philip Reid of the "Irish Times:"

Paul Cutler heads stay-at-home Irish while Walker

Cup selectors are out in force at Murcar Links

FROM THE IRISHTIMES.COM WEBSITE

By PHILIP REID
A number of months ago when Paul Cutler became another number in the crime statistics, a victim of a street attack in Portstewart which left him with a cracked knuckle, the first thought that came into his head was to run as fast as he could away from his attackers. The second was how it would affect his golf game.
Thankfully for the 20-year-old – the latest in a line of production off an Irish Golf Union conveyor belt that appears these days to have no end – the medical prognosis was not as bad as it could have been.
His hand was encased in plaster for four weeks before and after the period around Easter; and on Sunday at a gloriously sunny Co Louth Golf Club, the recuperated Cutler demonstrated just how good a player he is as he produced a final round 71 for 284, four under, to claim the East of Ireland championship title.
For sure, it was an impressive day’s golf from the Ulsterman who retained his composure at a juncture midway through the final round when it seemed as if Luke Lennox, another prodigious talent, was about to make Cutler’s passage to a maiden “major” an even more difficult proposition.
As it transpired, Cutler was able to answer all of the hard questions asked of him, both by the course and his challengers.
With this win, Cutler – a member of Ireland’s European championship-winning team last year – has not only confirmed his well-being but will have made the Walker Cup selectors sit up and take note as they pencil in names on the Britain and Ireland team for the match with the United States at Merion in September.
“I know I will have to do more, but this should help. Hopefully this will get the attention of the selectors because the Walker Cup is a big target,” said Cutler.
A win of this sort was far from Cutler’s thoughts a mere two months ago when he sustained that hand injury. Cutler was out of action for a month – missing the West of Ireland in the process – but since returning has steadily improved, including posting an eighth-place finish in the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin last month.
“I knew I’d a chance (to win), the way I’d been playing,” admitted Cutler, “but this is just great, especially in a Walker Cup year.”
On a day when the bone-hard links forced players to use their imagination in crafting shots, especially on approaches to the greens, Cutler started the morning in a share of the lead with Portmarnock’s James Fox. However, Fox endured a miserable time in the third round – falling off the pace with a 79 – and, at the 54-holes mark, Cutler was joined instead in a share of the lead by Lennox.
Lennox produced a third round 72 to join Cutler on 216 going into the final round and, from an early stage, it became a duel between the two young Ulstermen. Fox, who had started the morning with high hopes, remained in the final group but was reduced to a bit part in the drama as Cutler and Lennox traded shots.
By the turn, it had become Cutler’s to lose, or so it seemed. Lennox bogeyed the ninth, having driven into a fairway bunker, to fall back to two-over on his round (one under for the championship) and trail Cutler, who’d picked up birdies on the third and sixth, by four shots at that stage.
On the 11th, Lennox’s wild tee shot was 20 yards right of the fairway. But he produced an outstanding approach shot from the rough to eight feet and he holed the birdie putt. Then, on the 12th, Cutler’s approach was pushed high in to the dunes and he ran up a double-bogey. Lennox, in contrast, made a great up and down from the greenside rough for par.
So, as they walked to the 13th tee, only one shot separated the pair. On the par-four 13th, Lennox pushed his tee shot into the rough on the way to suffering a bogey five. Cutler made par.
Then, on the 167-yard par-three 15th, Cutler hit a delightful eight-iron in to six feet and holed the birdie putt. Having opened the door on the 12th, he had well and truly slammed it shut again.
Cutler’s advantage was three strokes with three holes to go, and he was not for relinquishing his grasp on the famous trophy. A par on the 18th to Lennox’s birdie meant a two-shot winning margin.
Kelan McDonagh, one of the Paddy Harrington scholarship students at NUI (National University of Ireland) Maynooth, produced a final round 71 for 288 to claim third place on his own. Meanwhile, Cutler, who had been entered into the St Andrews Links Trophy next week, has decided instead to play in the Irish Close at Enniscrone.
HOW THEY FINISHED IN EAST OF IRELAND
CHAMPIONSHIP AT CO LOUTH, BALTRAY
284 P Cutler (Portstewart) 69 72 72 71.
286 L Lennox (Moyola Park) 72 70 71 73.
288 K McDonagh (Athlone) 76 69 72 71.
290 C Curley (Newlands) 73 72 74 71.
291 D Morgan (Mullingar) 71 74 71 75.
293 P Dunne (Greystones) 76 73 72 72, C Doran (Banbridge) 74 71 78 70, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 73 70 75 75, N Grant (Knock) 72 75 69 77.
294 J Carvill (Warrenpoint) 75 75 73 71, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 74 69 73 78, J Monaghan (The Island) 72 72 72 78, J Fox (Portmarnock) 69 72 79 74.
295 A Dunbar (Rathmore) 75 69 75 76.
296 G O’Flaherty (Cork) 77 73 74 72, D Beattie (Whitehead) 76 72 72 76, R Cannon (Laytown Bettystown) 75 72 75 74, N Kearney (The Royal Dublin) 74 75 72 75, D Crowe (Dunmurry) 71 77 72 76
297 D Lernihan (Castle) 76 71 75 75, A Morris (Belvoir Park) 70 78 75 74.
298 G Kelly (Co Louth) 73 74 77 74, D Reilly (Westmanstown) 73 72 76 77.
299 F Rafferty (Dungannon) 73 76 76 74, J Hopkins (Skerries) 72 74 76 77.
300 G McGee (Malone) 78 72 71 79, C Hughes (Royal Portrush) 75 75 75 75, A McCormick (Scrabo) 73 73 79 75.
301 R McConnell (Belvoir Park) 74 73 76 78, S Power (West Waterford) 74 72 74 81, G McGrane (Royal Dublin) 73 77 79 72, N Beirth (Co Louth) 71 76 79 75.
302 D Finn (Mallow) 76 74 78 74.
303 N Goulding (Portmarnock) 75 73 79 76, S Loftus (Lahinch) 74 76 77 76, D Carroll (Grange) 73 75 75 80.
305 K Egan (Curragh) 74 75 75 81, C Drumm (Rosslare) 73 76 74 82.
306 C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 74 75 80 77, G Bohill (Co Louth) 73 74 78 81, M Brett (Portmarnock) 72 78 78 78.
307 J McGinn (Laytown Bettystown) 78 71 79 79, K Canty (Douglas) 74 74 80 79.
308 K Condren (Greystones) 74 76 79 79.
309 L Brady (The Royal Dublin) 77 74 76 82, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 74 76 81 78.
310 R Weldon (Luttrellstown Castle) 80 70 78 82, D Leathem (Lisburn) 77 73 78 82, A Smith (The Island) 77 72 77 84.
+This article appeared in the print edition of the Irish Times