World No 1 Leona Maguire says her goals for 2016 are to play in the Olympic Games in Brazil and the Curtis Cup at Dun Laoghaire.

Her presence in Rio appears almost certain and bar a move into the professional ranks before the June 10-12 Curtis Cup matches with the USA, her presence at the Ballyman Road venue looks all but guaranteed.

Whatever happens next year, the Slieve Russell star and Royal County Down's Olivia Mehaffey are among the eight top players from Great Britain and Ireland who have accepted an invitation to take part in a Curtis Cup familiarisation session at Dun Laoghaire from December 18-19 next.

The players who will visit the Curtis Cup host club are:

• GEMMA CLEWS Delamere Forest 21 
• ALICE HEWSON Berkhamsted 18 
• MEGHAN MacLAREN Wellingborough 21
• LEONA MAGUIRE Slieve Russell 21
• OLIVIA MEHAFFEY Royal Co Down Ladies’ 18
• INCI MEHMET Royal Mid Surrey 19
• ROCHELLE MORRIS Woodsome Hall 20
• CHLOE WILLIAMS Wrexham 20

Unavailable: BRONTE LAW Bramhall 20; CHARLOTTE THOMAS Moonah Links, Australia 22

The Great Britain & Ireland team of eight will be announced on Thursday 28th April 2016 at 14:00hrs.

Six players will gain automatic selection – the top four GB & Ireland players in the world golf rankings and the top two in the Ladies' Golf Union Order of Merit. Two other players will be chosen by the Selection Panel to complete Captain Elaine Farquharson-Black’s line-up.

The players will get the chance to look round the wonderful course and facilities of Dun Laoghaire Golf Club under the watchful eye of their Captain Elaine and Team Manager, Helen Hewlett.

A uniform fitting will also be built into the visit courtesy of team sponsor Green Lamb.

Captain Elaine, who has herself been a member of a winning Curtis Cup team, said: “I am really looking forward to getting these players together and to start preparing for the Curtis Cup. I have been over to Dun Laoghaire Golf Club already and it is a fantastic course with great facilities."

Next June's match at Dun Laoghaire GC will be only the second time the biennial Curtis Cup contest has been staged in Ireland. The first was at Killarney in 1996 when GB and I scored an 11.5 to 6.5 victory, one of their biggest in the series which began at Wentworth in 1932."

In advance of the visit, Derek Montgomery, Chairman of the Dun Laoghaire Golf Club Curtis Cup Committee said, “We are all so excited that the Curtis Cup matches are only six months away. The forthcoming visit by Captain Elaine and Team Manager, Helen Hewlett with some of their available players, makes it even more imminent.

“As we are fond of saying here in our club, ‘the only thing more exhilarating than the spectacular views is the golf.’

"Since 1910, our facilities, the course and the views have changed, but the welcome is as warm as ever. We look forward to meeting up with our Curtis Cup friends later this month.”