Leading qualifier Mairead Martin beat Doneraile's Paula Walsh 3 and 2 to make it into the last 16 at the Irish Women’s Close Championship at Mullingar.
 
Maria Dunne (Skerries), Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) and Mary Dowling (New Ross) are also through while Hermitage's Ciara Casey produced a short game masterclass over the closing few holes to beat Tramore's Anna Dawson 4 and 3. 

Fourteen-year-old Dawson, a sister of men’s international Robin Dawson, was delighted to make her first cut at the Irish Women’s Close. 

“I really enjoyed this morning’s match, I was two up after eight but Ciara got up and down so many times on the last few holes and that was hard to beat!" Dawson said. "I am looking forward now to competing in the Plate matches.”

Junior Vagliano Trophy team member Sara Byrne (Douglas), and girls’ Internationals Valerie Clancy (Killarney) and Rachel Thompson (Cork) will also compete in tomorrow’s last 16 matches while Paula Grant (Lisburn) and Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) also safely negotiated their first-round matchups.
 
Grant, who came up against her good friend and college mate Roisin Brady (Co. Louth) spoke about how it wasn’t their first encounter.

“I think we’ve played each other three times in the last four Irish Close’s, which is funny!” Grant said, still on a high after leading the qualifiers at the British Ladies Amateur last week.

 “Last week was great, it gave me the confidence that I can compete with the best and while I lost out to Leona in the quarter-finals you really can’t be disappointed when she goes on to win it out! 

"Finishing third was a good start in the qualifiers yesterday and I am just going to keep doing what I am doing over the weekend.”
 
First round losers progressed to the Plate flight and compete for the Ita Wallace Trophy and the two flights of matchplay will continue until Sunday afternoon when the Championship and Plate winners will be crowned.

Irish Women's Amateur Close, Mullingar

First Round

1. Mairead Martin (Kanturk) beat Paula Walsh (Doneraile) 3&2
2. Maria Dunne (Skerries) beat Clodagh Walsh (Castlewarden/MU) 4&3
3. Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) beat Chloe Ryan (Castletroy/UCD) 4&3    
4. Mary Dowling (New Ross) beat Louise Coffey (Malone) 6&5
5. Ciara Casey (Hermitage) beat Anna Dawson (Tramore) 4&3   
6. Sara Byrne (Douglas) beat Alice Hutchinson (St. Anne's) 2&1   
7. Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe/MU) lost to Valerie Clancy (Killarney) 3&1  
8. Aine Donegan (Woodstock) lost to Eleanor Metcalfe (Laytown & Bettystown) 22nd     
9. Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) beat Emma Forbes (Royal Portrush) 2&1    
10. Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington/MU) lost to Maeve Cummins (Lurgan) 4&3   
11. Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) lost to Rachel Thompson (Cork) 2&1  
12. Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) beat Kate Dwyer (Rossmore) 3&2   
13. Paula Grant (Lisburn) beat Roisin Brady (Co. Louth) 5&4
14. Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) lost to Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny) 3&1
15. Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) beat Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) 19th
16. Lisa O'Shea (Shannon) beat Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 19th

Championship Last 16 (24.06.17)

1. 08:30 Mairead Martin (Kanturk) vs. Maria Dunne (Skerries)
2. 08:39 Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) vs. Mary Dowling (New Ross)
3. 08:48 Ciara Casey (Hermitage) vs. Sara Byrne (Douglas)
4. 08:57 Valerie Clancy (Killarney) vs. Eleanor Metcalfe (Laytown & Bettystown)
5. 09:06 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) vs. Maeve Cummins (Lurgan)
6. 09:15 Rachel Thompson (Cork) vs. Niamh McSherry (Lurgan)
7. 09:24 Paula Grant (Lisburn) vs. Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny)
8. 09:33 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) vs. Lisa O’Shea (Shannon)

Plate Last 16 (24.06.17)

1. 09:42 Paula Walsh (Doneraile) vs. Clodagh Walsh (Castlewarden/MU)
2. 09:51 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) vs. Louise Coffey (Malone)
3. 10:00 Anna Dawson (Tramore) vs. Alice Hutchinson (St. Anne’s)
4. 10:09 Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe/MU) vs. Aine Donegan (Woodstock)
5. 10:18 Emma Forbes (Royal Portrush) vs. Meadhbh Doyle (Portarlington/MU)
6. 10:27 Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) vs. Kate Dwyer (Rossmore)
7. 10:36 Roisin Brady (Co. Louth) vs. Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle)
8. 10:45 Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) vs. Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)