Mullingar’s Dessie Morgan made the perfect start in his bid for a maiden championship victory when he opened with a five under par 67 to lead after the first round of the East of Ireland Amateur Open at County Louth.

The midlander leads by a stroke from defending champion Paul Cutler, last season’s Irish Close runner up Cian Curley of Newlands and Galway’s Eddie McCormack.

Cork’s Ian O’Rourke and Dunmurry’s Darren Crowe are two shots back in a share of fifth place after three under par 69s.

West of Ireland champion Rory Leonard posted a disappointing, three over par 75.

After 18 holes

67 D Morgan (Mullingar)

68 C Curley (Newlands), E McCormack (Galway), P Cutler (Portstewart)

69 D Crowe (Dunmurry), I O’Rourke (Cork)

70 D King (Tramore), J Fox (Portmarnock), S Devey (Skerries), C Martin (Kilkenny), D McIlroy (Ballymena), S Walsh (Baltinglass/UCD)

71 R McNamara (Headfort), D Moran (The Island), G McGee (Malone), P Murray (Limerick), P Dunne (Greystones), A Dowling (Hermitage), R Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown), R McCarthy (The Island)

72 D Coyle (Co. Louth), W Kelly (Killeen), P Purdy (Shandon Park), A Kelly (Charleville), C Selfridge (Moyola Park), D Lernihan (Castle), L Harnett (Milltown), G McDermot (Co. Sligo), E Arthurs (Forrest Little), J Hanby (Castle), B Anderson (Co. Sligo), G Lenehan (Portmarnock), P O’Kane (Moyola Park)

73 M Shanahan (West Waterford), R Knightly (The Royal Dublin), D Kernohan (Galgorm Castle), S Gannon (Co. Louth), M Brett (Portmarnock), D Downie (Sutton), A Kearney (Castlerock), J Waldron (Muskerry), R O’Donovan (Lucan), D O’Donovan (Muskerry)

74 C Doran (Banbridge), N Beirth (Co. Louth), D McCusker (Moyola Park), P O’Leary (Lucan), A McCloy (Ballymena), E Power (Kilkenny), D Ruddy (Thurles), M Sinclair (Knock), G Lawlor (Newbridge), D Coghlan (The Royal Dublin), J Lyons (Galway), J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown), C Glynn (Carton House), J Monaghan (The Island), T O’Connor (Athlone), M McAlpin (Royal Portrush), M McGinley (Grange), S McCarthy (Black Bush), R Newman (Brookman’s Park), S McConnell (Ballyclare), B Walton (The Island), H Diamond (Belvoir Park)

75 A Dignam (Skerries), G O’Flaherty (Cork), E Maguire (Seapoint), J Dillon (Headfort), B Hobson (Shandon Park), G Carew (Edenderry), D Kelleher (Portmarnock), G McGrane (The Royal Dublin), N Grant (Knock), M Turley (Elm Park), N Gorey (Lee Valley), G Boyd (Donaghadee), J Carvill (Warrenpoint), G Bohill (Co. Louth), D Murray (Skerries), R Leonard (Banbridge), G Smyth (Clonmel)

76 D Holland (Castle), S Smyth (Co. Louth), R Grehan (Curragh), J Hopkins (Skerries), S Crowe (Dunmurry), T O’Flynn (Fota Island), S McGlynn (South County), J Mulready (Castle), W Telford (Rathmore), S Brady (Co. Sligo), A Condren (Greystones), S Bryan (Delgany), R Kenny (Hermitage), D Mallon (Dungannon), R Burke (Castle), L Lennox (Moyola Park)

77 P Bulfin (Carlow), I Keane (Malahide), S Reidy (Dundalk), S Ryan (The Royal Dublin), C Geraghty (Carton House), C Carvill (Belvoir Park), K Murray (Charlesland), M Durcan (Co. Sligo), S Doherty (Malone), G Dunne (Seapoint), G Dillon (The Heath), C Boggan (Co. Meath), B Casey (Headfort)

78 S Morrison (City of Derry), A Hogan (Newlands), L Reilly (Galgorm Castle), C Moulds (Lisburn), T Flanagan (New Forest), S O’Flaherty (Hermitage), J Hume (Rathsallagh), K Bornemann (Douglas), B Campbell (Malone), E O’Connor (Ballybunion), R Weldon (Killeen Castle), A Lynch (Royal Tara)

79 M Sheridan (Old Conna), M Feane (Lahinch), A McGrath (Greenore), D Winters (Seapoint), D Coyne (Tuam), J Greene (Carlow), D Loftus (Swinford), P Errity (European), M Buggy (Castlecomer), E O’Sullivan (The Island), S Healy (Claremorris), P Sheehy (Newcastle West), K Lewis (Skerries)

80 J McCarthy (Forrest Little), L Doran (Ardee), M Mullen (Wexford), S O’Connor (Skerries), B Ronan (Co. Louth)

81 C Drumm (Rosslare), K McGarry (Bandon), M Hammond (Moyola Park), L Ashby (Killerig), R Whitson (Mourne), M Duffy (Naas), A Kiernan (Forrest Little)

82 R Walsh (Kilkenny), D O’Neill (Carton House)

83 K Egan (Curragh), B Corcoran (Roganstown)

84 R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown)

87 D Reilly (Westmanstown)

DQ C Daly (Castletroy)

RT A Byrne (Westmanstown)

WD R Carter (Lansdown)