Southern comfort for Fairweather; one of four new Irish caps
Colin Fairweather in action. Picture Pat Cashman
Colin Fairweather might have made it to the South of Ireland final but even in defeat to Stuart Grehan he was already certain of his full international debut in next month's Home Internationals defence at Royal Portrush.
It least it appears that was after the selectors met as he was beating Keith Egan in extra holes to win his place in the final against eventual champion Grehan, the East of Ireland champion, who was already a certainty to make Tony Goode's team for the August 12-14 matches, which will be sponsored by Fairstone Financial Management.
Castle's Alex Gleeson, who pushed Grehan all the way in that weather reduced East that saw Jeff Hopkins' charge come too late, was also a certainty.
While Grehan opted for Lahinch. Gleeson played in St Andrews in Boyd Quaich and won on the Old Course to copperfasten his place.
If there were any doubts at all about Paul McBride after his six out of six performance in the interpros, he dispelled them by leading the qualifiers in Lahinch.
That the South of Ireland defined the Irish team this year is unquestionable with Fairweather emerging with the big prize and players like 2014 team member Richard Bridges or Rowan Lester missing out while the absence of Kevin LeBlanc and Thomas Mulligan meant they are clearly 2016 material.
With Cormac Sharvin unavailable because he's playing in the clashing US Amateur at Olympia Fields, the Irish team is lead by Gavin Moynihan, Open Championship hero Paul Dunne and the other members of the six-man team in Jack Hume, Gary Hurley and Dermot McElroy with Warrenpoint's Colm Campbell retaining his place after a solid year alongside North of Ireland winner John Ross Galbraith.
Ireland
- Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint)
- Paul Dunne (Greystones)
- *Colin Fairweather (Knock)
- *Alex Gleeson (Castle/University College Dublin)
- *Stuart Grehan (Tullamore/Maynooth University)
- Jack Hume (Naas)
- Gary Hurley (West Waterford/Maynooth University)
- Gavin Moynihan (The Island)
- *Paul McBride (The Island)
- Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)
- John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead)
The team will be captained by Tony Goode (Lucan) and the team manager is John White (Co Armagh). The non-travelling reserves are Robin Dawson (Faithlegg/Maynooth University) and Rowan Lester (Hermitage).
Ireland will be defending their title which they won at Southerndown in 2014.
*The asterisk beside players above indicates those making their Home Internationals debut
