Fota Island's Jack Howard blasted five birdies in a one under 70 to grab a share of the first round lead with Laytown and Bettystown's Thomas Mulligan in the Leinster Boys Amateur Open Championship at Kilkenny.

Detailed scoreboard

Mulligan, who was the leading Irish player in last week's Irish Boys Amateur Open at Thurles. had an eagle and five birdies on his card. But he bogeyed his last four holes in a rollercoaster round to finish the day alongside Howard, just one stroke clear of Ring Of Kerry's Tommy O'Driscoll and Knock's James McVicker.

Kilkenny's Brian Crowdle shot a 74 to lead the challenge from the host club with Kevin Power still in touch after a 75 and Mark Power posting a 76.

Leinster Boys Amateur Open Championship at Kilkenny GC (PAR 71 - CSS 73)

First round

70 Jack Howard (Fota Island), Thomas Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown)

71 Tommy O'Driscoll (Ring Of Kerry), James McVicker (Knock)

73 Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush), Jamie Knipe (Royal Portrush), Cameron Mills (Shandon Park), Alan Fahy (Bray), James Lennon (Carlow), Alastair McQuillan (Cushendall)

74 Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu), Luke Cummins (West Waterford), Jack Brown (The Heath), Ryan Long (Cairndhu), Brian Crowdle (Kilkenny), John Molyneaux (Ballybunion), Marc Boucher (Carton House)

75 Kevin Power (Kilkenny), Barry Fitzpatrick (Castle), Sean Walsh (Carton House), Gareth Carr (Mullingar), Caolan Kennedy (Forrest Little.), Cameron Raymond (Newlands), Eoin O'Hehir (Naas), Ted Collins (Dun Laoghaire), Karl Eccles (Clandeboye)

76 Michael Cooke (Waterford), Declan Kelly (Hermitage), Mark Power (Kilkenny), Liam Grehan (Mullingar), Craig Bolger (Carlow), Tommy Doran (Balbriggan), Anton Brennan (Athenry)

77 Glenn Fry (Greystones), Daniel Molloy (Castle Barna), David Hill (Roscommon), Charlie Hendrick (Grange), Spencer Adamson (K Club), Jason Conway (Donegal), John Bolger (Courtown), Cathal Butler (Kinsale), Ross Steedman (Courtown), Sean McParland (Greystones), Oisin Devereux (Carton House), Darragh Walsh (Carton House), Greg Milne (Faithlegg), Harry Duggan (Kilkenny), Eric Rumley (Kinsale), David Carey (Carton House), Rob Brazill (Naas), Robert Browne (Castle)

78 Adam McCormick (Scrabo), Jack Madden (Dungannon), Darragh Smith (Castle), Cathal Nolan (Galway), Paul Kelly (Glasson), Neil McKinstry (Cairndhu), Rory Williamson (Holywood), Conor Wynne (Co. Sligo), Conor Ryan (Dun Laoghaire), Ross Mohan (The Island), Charlie Denvir (Milltown), John Cleary (Elm Park), Devin Morley (Oughterard)

79 Andrew Magee (Powerscourt), Sean Doyle (Athlone), Rory Murphy (Dun Laoghaire), Jack Dempsey (Newbridge), Ryan Corry (Clandeboye), Michael Ryan (New Ross), Ciaran Smyth (Greenore), Mark Travers (Carton House), Jonathan Doherty (Ballina), Patrick Brennan (Belvoir Park), Cian Hutchinson (Carton House), Charles McGoldrick (Enniscrone), John Murphy (Kinsale), Gary Ward (Kinsale), Shane McGagh (Claremorris), Bill Murray (Waterford Castle), Marc McCormack (Ashbourne), Daire Creavin (Killeen Castle), Jack Healy (Westport)

80 Stephen Kelliher (Killarney), Jack Doherty (Westmanstown), David Travers (Carton House), Eoin Kelly (Co. Meath), William Small (Tandragee), Ronan Whelan (New Ross), Alan Riordan (Blarney), Stewart McCaw (Royal Belfast), Ben Graham (Scrabo), Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick), Scott Campbell (Greenacres), Peter Cummins (Lurgan), Henry Clark (Shandon Park), George Morgan (Grange), Mark Doogue (Baltinglass), Bill Hannan (Carton House), Dylan Burke (Cahir Park), Conor Harte (Castle), David Clince (Craddockstown)

81 Mark MacGrath (Limerick), Louis O'Hara (Athenry), Cian Feeney (Co. Sligo), Nick Moore (Monkstown), Lee Birrell (Newbridge), Evan Hughes (Thurles), Marc Norton (Belvoir Park), Harry Walsh (Waterford Castle), Jack McGarry (Rosslare), Paul Tobin (Cork)

82 Sam Sweeney (Seapoint), Eric Byrne (Birr), Ben Murray (Castle), Eoin Conway (West Waterford), Niall Hearns (Mountrath), John Corbett Jnr (Thurles), Danny Leahy (Curragh), Jamie Dunne (Borris), Fergus Mc Cambridge (Cushendall), Luke Donnelly (Callan), Conor Flanagan (Tullamore), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock)

83 Stephen Sharpe (Balbriggan), Jack Johnston (Clandeboye), Lee O'Meara (Castle Barna), Michael Culhane (Limerick), Mark Rea (Donaghadee), Edward Kennedy (Woodbrook), Conor Keown (Greystones)

84 Peter Rolston (Shandon Park), Garreth Hogan (St. Anne's)

85 Paul Murphy (Rosslare), Sean O'Regan (Edmondstown), Aaron Bagnall (Millicent), Jake Vickers (Balbriggan), Paul Twohig (Fota Island), Dayle Donohoe (Enniscorthy), A.j. McCabe (Malahide)

86 Brendan O'Neill (Citywest Resort), Eoghan Collins (Laytown & Bettystown), Aaron Ryan (Thurles), Jamie Larkin (Naas)

88 Joe Joslin (Castle Barna), Cillian Moloney (Fota Island)

89 Jason O'Reilly (Tramore)

94 Daniel Curry (Coollattin)

WD Niall Kennedy (Tramore), Dylan Brophy (Castleknock)