Irish golf suffered another major loss with the death on Wednesday of the respected golf course designer Paddy Merrigan after a battle with cancer.

Just a few days after the passing of Christy O'Connor Jnr, and coming so soon after Bobby Browne and Arthur Spring went off to design their fairways in heaven, his loss will be sorely felt in the Irish golfing family.

O'Connor Jnr, Merrigan, Spring and Browne left their imprint on some of Ireland's finest courses.

While Eddie Hackett's list of Irish course designs will never be equalled, Paddy Merrigan left his mark on more than 60 courses with Faithleff, Tulfarris, Slieve Russell and the Old Head Golf Links amongst the best.

Some of the courses designed or revamped by Paddy Merrigan:

• Castle Dargan (with Darren Clarke), County Sligo
• Delgany Golf Club in County Wicklow
• Elm Park Golf and Sports Club in County Dublin
• Faithlegg Golf Club in County Waterford
• Grange Castle Golf Club in County Dublin
• Nenagh Golf Club in County Tipperary
• Newcastle West Golf Club in County Limerick
• Old Head Golf Links in County Cork
• Oughterard Golf Club in County Galway
• Rathfarnham Golf Club in County Dublin
• Royal Curragh (redesign), in County Kildare
• Slieve Russell Hotel Golf and Country Club in County Cavan
• Sutton Golf Club in County Dublin
• Tulfarris Golf Club in County Wicklow
• Tullamore Golf Club in County Offaly
• Water Rock Golf Club in County Cork
• Woodenbridge Golf Club in County Wicklow

A funeral service for Paddy Merrigan will be held on Saturday 16th at 3.30pm in the Victorian Chapel at Mount Jerome Crematorium, Harold’s Cross Dublin 6w. (No flowers)

As for Christy O'Connor Jnr, the outpouring of positive stories about the Galway man since his sudden death in Tenerife on January 6 at the age of 67 is a testament to his popularity. 

Newstalk spoke to Roddy Carr and Paul McGinley before re-running a 2012 interview with O'Connor Jnr that was recorded to coincide with the launch of his autobiograph.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamnacha