The Castle’s Dara Lernihan relied on his patience to forge a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the East of Ireland Championship at County Louth.

But given the rock-hard fairways and shiny greens, it was the classic County Louth links that emerged as the real winner after two days of brutal combat that left the 156-strong field counting their lucky stars that there was no more than a steady sea breeze to trouble them.

Winner of the Leinster Youths title in 2006 and 2007, 21-year-old Lernihan added a 71 to his opening 68 to lead on five under par 139 with Walker Cup hero Jonny Caldwell rallying on the back nine to card a 72 and Knock's Nicky Grant compiling a brilliant 68 to get to three-under.

Now Lernihan wants to keep his head down and rely on his patience to rack up a maiden championship win that could earn him his first senior cap later this year.

“Things are going well so far. I’m driving it well and holing putts,” said the Dubliner after a round that featured an eagle, two birdies and three bogeys. “The greens are so good that you just have to start them on line and they’ll drop.

“The firmness of the course is a challenge because it is quite bouncy and fast. But I am trying to take it one shot at a time and see what it all adds up to at the end.”

Just seven players broke par compared to 18 on Saturday on a course burnt a shade of green-brown by the wind and sun.

Clandeboye star Caldwell struggled to the turn in one-over par but came home in one under for a 72 that leaves in lurking on three under.

But it was an even better afternoon for Grant, 21, who had an eagle and two birdies on his homeward half for a super 68.

Overnight leader Eoin Arthurs crashed to a 76 to share third place with Westport's Cathal O'Malley on two under par.

But Dunmurry's Darren Crowe raced through the field with a 68 to sit alone in sixth on one-under and later revealed that he had to make an overnight call to coach Michael Magee to short out a swing problem.
The 27-year-old international was far from happy with an opening 75 at Co Louth but he quickly sorted out his swing thanks to the Malone professional and carded a superb four under par 68 to trail the Castle’s Dara Lernihan by just four shots heading into today’s final 36 holes.

“That felt more like a 62 than a 68,” said a delighted Crowe, the reigning South of Ireland champion. “I haven’t played that well in years. I was hitting it left yesterday and I rang Michael Magee and he gave me a lesson on the phone because my swing was getting a little flat.”

After carding five birdies and just one mistake in a 68, Crowe has a chance of completing the third leg of the provincial championship crown following his wins in the North and South of Ireland championships in recent year.

However, reigning Irish Close and West of Ireland champion Shane Lowry had to play his last nine holes in level par for a 77 to make cut with just two shots to spare and fall 10 shots off the lead on five-over par.

“Noel Fox was ten behind a few years ago and shot a 64 in the third round,” Lowry said. “It can be done but I need to go low tomorrow morning to have a chance.”

There are still plenty of top class players within striking distance of the leader with internationals Niall Kearney from Royal Dublin and Portstewart’s Paul Cutler tucked in at level par alongside Ulsterman David Sutton and the Island’s Robert McCarthy.

Douglas’ Aaron O’Callaghan added a 74 to his opening 71 to lurk just six shots off the pace on one over par alongside the Curragh’s Paul O’Hanlon with Cork’s Gary O’Flaherty

East of Ireland Amateur Open, Co Louth (Par 72)
After 36 holes:

(Qualifiers)
139 D Lernihan (Castle) 68 71

141 N Grant (Knock) 73 68, J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 69 72

142 C O'Malley (Westport) 71 71, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 66 76

143 D Crowe (Dunmurry) 75 68

144 D Sutton (Lockerbie) 74 70, P Cutler (Portstewart) 71 73, N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 71 73, R McCarthy (The Island) 71 73

145 A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 71 74, P O'Hanlon (Curragh) 70 75

146 A Dowling (Hermitage) 72 74, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 69 77

147 D Ruddy (Thurles) 76 71, G Dunne (Seapoint) 75 72, M Mullen (Wexford) 73 74, G O'Flaherty (Cork) 71 76

148 R Leonard (Banbridge) 76 72, E Kennedy (Rosapenna) 73 75, N O'Connor (Elm Park) 70 78, M Buggy (Castlecomer) 70 78

149 A Hogan (Newlands) 76 73, M Shanahan (West Waterford) 75 74, B Walton (Island/NUIM) 75 74, D Carroll (Grange) 75 74, C Cunningham (Carton House) 74 75, D Morgan (Mullingar) 74 75, N Goulding (Portmarnock) 74 75, G Lawlor (Citywest) 73 76, P Buckley (Kanturk) 73 76, E Marsden (Tullamore/NUIG) 73 76, F Rafferty (Dungannon) 72 77, S Lowry (Esker Hills) 72 77, K Bornemann (Douglas) 71 78

150 P Murray (Limerick) 78 72, E McCormack (Galway) 77 73, B Fennelly (Royal Dublin) 77 73, E O'Sullivan (The Island) 77 73, W Kelly (Killeen) 76 74, K Crowley (Lee Valley) 75 75, S Ward (Co Louth) 73 77, C Doran (Banbridge) 71 79, R Forsythe (Ballyclare) 71 79

151 R Weldon (Hermitage) 77 74, J McGinn (L & B) 76 75, R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown) 76 75, A McCormick (Scrabo) 75 76, J Waldron (Muskerry) 74 77, C Curley (Newlands) 74 77

(Non-qualifiers)
151 R Boal (Castle) 73 78, G Kelly (Co Louth) 73 78, M Brett (Portmarnock) 73 78, P McGrath (Lahinch) 72 79

152 D Beattie (Whitehead) 79 73, A McGrath (Greenore) 75 77, S Smyth (County Louth) 74 78, K Canty (Douglas) 74 78, D Downie (Sutton) 72 80, S Gannon (Co. Louth) 71 81

153 B Campbell (Malone) 82 71, N Gorey (Lee Valley) 78 75, D Coghlan (Royal Dublin) 77 76, P Byrne (Killeen) 77 76, S Keelan (Douglas) 76 77, A McAllister (Portmarnock) 76 77, G Flynn (Delgany) 76 77, B Keenan (The Heath) 76 77, R McNamara (Headfort) 76 77, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 75 78, R Kenny (Woodlands) 75 78, J Carvill (Warrenpoint) 75 78, M Sinclair (Knock) 75 78, D McInerney (Lahinch) 74 79, J Fox (Portmarnock) 74 79, G Bohill (Co Louth) 73 80, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 71 82

154 C O'Connor (Athlone) 80 74, M Ryan (Grange) 80 74, A Kerr (Clandeboye) 77 77, D Reilly (Westmanstown) 77 77, D McCusker (Moyola Park) 76 78, D Cantrell (Woodbrook) 75 79, B O'Connor (Hermitage) 74 80, B Cashman (Belvoir Park) 73 81

155 G Hall (Edenderry) 82 73, D Finn (Mallow) 81 74, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 79 76, R Oliver (Carrickfergus/UU) 78 77, R Neville (Donabate) 78 77, T O'Flynn (Fota Island) 77 78, M McGinley (Grange) 77 78, S Webster (Castle) 75 80, N Beirth (Co Louth) 74 81, J Patterson (Knock) 74 81

156 K Shannon (Greenore) 82 74, D Joyce (Curragh) 78 78, S Healy (Claremorris) 78 78, C Bowe (Tramore) 78 78, D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 78 78, C Deegan (Castle) 77 79, J Lyons (Galway) 76 80, A McCloy (Ballymena) 74 82

157 J Moore (Laytown & Bettystown) 81 76, J Owens (Bangor/UU) 81 76, G Dillon (Heath) 81 76, G Carew (Edenderry) 79 78, M Hammond (Moyola Park) 79 78, I Keane (Malahide) 78 79, B Reddan (Co. Louth) 78 79, V Smyth (Co Louth) 78 79, S Dwyer (Newlands) 75 82, D Lewis (Woodbrook) 75 82

158 K Lewis (Skerries) 78 80, J Murray (Mourne) 77 81, C Brown (Royal Portrush) 77 81, D Hogan (Killeen) 75 83, M Poucher (Limerick) 74 84

159 J Monaghan (The Island) 85 74, S Loftus (Lahinch) 80 79, A Dooley (Glasson) 79 80, T Neenan (Lahinch) 79 80, D Coyne (Galway) 78 81, D King (Tramore) 77 82, J Mulready (Castle) 77 82

160 B O'Malley (Royal Dublin) 85 75, D Rawluk (The Island) 82 78, D Vaughan (Ardglass) 81 79, W McCully (Donaghadee) 79 81, S Barry (Lee Valley) 79 81, A Meharg (Scrabo) 78 82, A Duffy (Royal Tara) 77 83, D O'Brien (L & B) 76 84, E McAnoy (Knock) 76 84, D Coyle (Co. Louth) 75 85

161 R Branigan (Co Louth) 82 79, M O'Rourke (Royal Tara) 82 79, A Harty (West Waterford) 76 85

162 M Welsh (Knock) 80 82

163 P McCabrey (Lurgan) 80 83

164 R Cannon (Laytown & Battystown) 81 83, D Lally (Tuam) 80 84

165 D Simpson (Malone) 84 81, D Glynn (Galway) 83 82

166 D McNeill (Rosapenna) 84 82, K McDonagh (Athlone) 82 84

169 B O'Brien (Headfort) 85 84

170 D Leathem (Lisburn) 83 87

NR M Crowe (Elm Park) 81 NR, R Behan (St Anne's) 78 NR

DQ G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 82 DQ, G Donaghy (Island Country Club, Fla.) 82 DQ

RT R Bridges (Stackstown) 78 RT WD N Lavin (Royal Dublin) WD