Meghan Maclaren shot a one under 71 to lead after the first round of the Irish Women’s Amateur Open at Castle.Irish Intervarsity champion Paula Grant is the nearest home challenger to England’s Meghan MacLaren entering the final round of the Irish Women’s Amateur Open Strokeplay at Castle.

The Lisburn star shot rounds of 76 and 73 in challenging conditions at the historic Dublin venue but her five over par total left her five shots adrift of an impressive Maclaren, who added a 73 to her sensational morning 71 to lead on level par 144.

Maclaren was the only player to break par in the morning round and one over effort after lunch leaves her three strokes Scotland’s Eilidh Briggs with Grant in solo third on 149 with 18 holes to play today.

Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan shot rounds of 78 and 72 and Ballybunion’s Emma O’Driscoll added a 76 to her morning 74 to share fourth place, six off the pace on six over, one shot better than Welsh Curtis Cup star Amy Boulden.

But it was a disappointing day for Faldo Ireland Series winner and Irish Girls Open Strokeplay champion Olivia Mehaffey from Royal County Down Ladies, who finished the day 10 strokes behind the leader alongside Skerries Maria Dunne after rounds of 78 and 76.

Woodenbridge’s Louise Mernagh had also cause for celebration following her hole-in-one with a solid 7 iron at the third hole.

Ireland lies in second place in the Nations Cup, five strokes behind England, followed by Scotland and Brazil.

Irish Women’s Amateur Open Strokeplay, Castle GC (Par 72)

Sunday’s tee times

08:00 C Reynolds (Seapoint) DM Kenny (Eng)

08:10 H McCook (Sco) R Walker (Sco)

08:20 S Cunningham (Ennis) M Doyle (Portarlington) G McCarthy (Clonmel)

08:30 A Murphy (Carlow) J Ross (Donaghadee) A Lowry (Tipperary)

08:40 C Teixeira (Bra) A Coyle Diez (Elm Park) P Delaney (Birr)

08:50 N McSherry (Lurgan) G O’Leary (The Island) A Farrell (Moate)

09:00 M Doyle (The Heath) V Bradshaw (Bangor) S Sexton (Lahinch)

09:20 S Fuller (Eng) C Weir (Shandon Park) J Carty (Holywood)

09:30 D Smith (Co. Louth) L O’Shea (Shannon) R Brady (Co. Louth)

09:40 N Rodrigues da Silva (Bra) S Giles (Eng) J Wilcox (Eng)

09:50 M Dunne (Skerries) O Mehaffey (RCD Ladies) L Mernagh (Woodenbridge)

10:00 SJ Boyd (Eng) J Meek (Sco) A Boulden (Wal)

10:10 C Ryan (Castletroy) E O’Driscoll (Ballybunion) L Atkins (Sco)

10:20 M Maclaren (Eng) E Briggs (Sco) P Grant (Lisburn).

After 36 holes:

144 M Maclaren (Eng) 71 73

147 E Briggs (Sco) 76 71

149 P Grant (Lisburn) 76 73

150 C Ryan (Castletroy) 78 72, E O’Driscoll (Ballybunion) 74 76

151 L Atkins (Sco) 74 77, SJ Boyd (Eng) 74 77, J Meek (Sco) 73 78

153 A Boulden (Wal) 77 76

154 M Dunne (Skerries) 79 75, O Mehaffey (RCD Ladies) 78 76

155 L Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 81 74, N Rodrigues da Silva (Bra) 80 75, S Giles (Eng) 79 76, J Wilcox (Eng) 79 76, D Smith (Co. Louth) 77 78, L O’Shea (Shannon) 76 79, R Brady (Co. Louth) 73 82, S Fuller (Eng) 73 82

156 C Weir (Shandon Park) 83 73, J Carty (Holywood) 79 77, M Doyle (The Heath) 77 79

157 V Bradshaw (Bangor) 79 78, S Sexton (Lahinch) 76 81, N McSherry (Lurgan) 76 81

158 G O’Leary (The Island) 79 79, A Farrell (Moate) 78 80

159 C Teixeira (Bra) 78 81, A Coyle Diez (Elm Park) 77 82

161 P Delaney (Birr) 81 80

162 Á Murphy (Carlow) 80 82, J Ross (Donaghadee) 80 82

163 A Lowry (Tipperary) 85 78

163 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 80 83

166 M Doyle (Portarlington) 82 84

167 G McCarthy (Clonmel) 87 80, H McCook (Sco) 82 85, R Walker (Sco) 82 85

168 C Reynolds (Seapoint) 85 83, DM Kenny (Eng) 83 85

Non-Qualifiers

169 G McMullen (The Island) 80 89

170 K Delaney (Carlow) 87 83

171 S Burke (Ballinrobe) 88 83, N Ward (Lurgan) 84 87

172 J Maguire (Foxrock) 90 82, H Robinson (Co. Sligo) 88 84, S Boden (Kilkeel) 86 86, V Craig (Clandeboye) 83 89

173 L Doherty (Howth) 87 86

174 M Beaton (Castle) 88 86, D MacVe (Eng) 83 91

175 K Beckwith (Eng) 87 88

176 L Hanratty (Mannan Castle) 93 83, C Keating (Killarney) 84 92

177 C McCarthy (Stackstown) 89 88, S Harrison (Sutton) 87 90

181 R Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown) 92 89

182 H Mackay (Eng) 92 90

190 R Maguire (Corrstown) 100 90

WD L Coffey (Malone) 86 WD

NATIONS CUP

294 ENGLAND: Sarah Jane Boyd [74] 77 Samantha Fuller 73 [82] Meghan Maclaren 71 73

299 IRELAND: Paula Grant 76 73 Olivia Mehaffey 78 [76] Chloe Ryan [78] 72

302 SCOTLAND: Lesley Atkins 74 77 Hannah McCook [82] [85] Jessica Meek 73 78

308 BRASIL: Nathalie Rodrigues da Silva 80 75 Clara Teixeira 78 75

First round

71 Meghan Maclaren (ENG)

73 Jessica Meek (SCO)

73 Samantha Fuller (ENG)

73 Róisín Brady (Co. Louth)

74 Sarah Jane Boyd (ENG)

74 Lesley Atkins (SCO)

74 Emma O’Driscoll (Ballybunion)

76 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)

76 Niamh McSherry (Lurgan)

76 Paula Grant (Lisburn)

76 Eilidh Briggs (SCO)

76 Lisa O’Shea (Shannon)

77 Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park)

77 Amy Boulden (WAL)

77 Mary Doyle (The Heath)

77 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth)

78 Amy Farrell (Moate)

78 Clara Teixeira (BRA)

78 Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies)

78 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy)

79 Jessica Carty (Holywood)

79 Samantha Giles (ENG)

79 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor)

79 Jessica Wilcox (ENG)

79 Maria Dunne (Skerries)

79 Gillian O’Leary (The Island)

80 Áedín Murphy (Carlow)

80 Nathalie Rodrigues da Silva (BRA)

80 Jessica Ross (Donaghadee)

80 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis)

81 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge)

82 Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington)

82 Rachel Walker (SCO)

82 Hannah McCook (SCO)

83 Daisy Macve (ENG)

83 Chloe Weir (Shandon Park)

83 Victoria Craig (Clandeboye)

83 Daisy-May Kenny (ENG)

84 Niamh Ward (Lurgan)

84 Claire Keating (Killarney)

85 Carla Reynolds (Seapoint)

86 Louise Coffey (Malone)

86 Sarah Boden (Kilkeel)

87 Kirsty Beckwith (ENG)

87 Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel)

87 Laura Doherty (Howth)

87 Sophie Harrison (Sutton)

87 Karen Delaney (Carlow)

88 Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo)

88 Maria Beaton (Castle)

88 Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe)

89 Clíodhna McCarthy (Stackstown)

90 Jenny Maguire (Foxrock)

92 Hayley Mackay (ENG)

92 Rachel Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown)

93 Louise Hanratty (Mannan Castle)

100 Ruth Maguire (Corrstown)