BY CAOMH BREEN ALLEN
Ireland's leading amateur golfers are set to make their mark on the European stage as four teams compete at the European Men’s, Women’s, Boys’, and Girls’ Team Championships.
From Greece to Switzerland, Estonia to County Cavan, 24 of Ireland’s elite amateurs will represent their country, with experienced campaigners and rising stars aiming to challenge for honours across Europe.
Home advantage could prove significant for the Irish Women's Team as the European Women's Team Championship comes to Slieve Russell Golf & Country Club.
Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle), Olivia Costello (Roscommon), Kate Dillon (Oughterard), Rebekah Gardner (Clandeboye), Katie Poots (Knock) and Jessica Ross (Clandeboye) form a strong six-woman squad captained by Gillian O’Leary, alongside manager Clodagh Walsh and coach Donal Scott.
“It's brilliant,” said team captain Gillian O’Leary.
“It's not always players get an opportunity to play at home in a European Championship. We're delighted to be in Slieve Russell, all the girls' games are in good shape. They all like the course and are looking forward to the week.”
The team arrives in excellent form. Dillon earned selection following her victory at the East of Ireland Women’s Amateur Championship while Costello impressed in both the East of Ireland and Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championships.
Ross finished runner up at the Flogas Irish Women’s, while Gardner and Poots enjoyed strong collegiate seasons in the United States, and Coulter returns following another impressive Curtis Cup campaign.
“There's lots of experience in there,” said O’Leary.
“Jess Ross has huge international experience, Beth coming back from Curtis Cup. Rebecca was great last year at women's level in both Europeans and Home Internationals. Olivia has huge experience at women's level and Kate has been doing great out in the States. Katie as well is similar. She's playing in the States, and she's played at girls' level Home Internationals and European. They're experienced. They know what it's all about. They know what to expect and I'm sure they'll have a lot of confidence in themselves going into it.”
This week will also mark one of Coulter's final appearances as an amateur before she sets her sights on the professional game. A stalwart of Irish teams throughout her career, O'Leary believes the 22-year-old's leadership will be invaluable.
“Beth has been around since she was 12 so I know her quite a long time,” said O’Leary.
“She's really well respected. She's as good a golfer as she is a person and she's a real leader in the team. She is a good person who brings everybody along with her and is really supportive of everyone in the team.”
“It'd be nice if she could have a good week in particular, but as a team and a whole and I think it's just a lovely thing for her to round off her amateur career with a home event and such a big one as the Europeans.”
In Estonia, Damien Coyne again captains the Irish Men's Team, which returns with the same six players who secured an impressive fourth-place finish in Killarney last year.
Stuart Grehan (Co. Louth), John Doyle (Fota Island), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), Matthew McClean (Malone), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) and Gavin Tiernan (Co. Louth) team up once again with hopes of building on that performance.
“It's great to have the same group together because they are a really good group,” said Coyne.
“They've had the experience of performing really well so they have that confidence that they're able to perform and they know they have the ability to go and compete at the very top end of this as well.”
The Men’s side will also be boosted by the recent form of Grehan, who claimed a memorable victory at Royal Liverpool to become the 131st Amateur Champion.
“It was great to see him do it, and it's great to go to go to European Team Championships with the Amateur Champion as part of your team,” said Coyne.
“It’s given everyone a great lift. It was fantastic to see, and hopefully he can bring that same form with him to Estonia. He'll be raring to go and have his game in really good shape so it's an exciting time for him and an exciting time for everyone involved with the tournament and with Irish golf generally.”
Brenda Craig once again leads the Girls’ Team to Zurich in Switzerland, where a young but experienced group will aim to build on last year’s bronze medal success.
Hannah Lee-McNamara (Royal Portrush), Kayleigh Mulholland (Castlerock) and Zoe McLean-Tattan (Romford) were all part of the side that claimed bronze in 2025 and are joined by Ella Cantwell (Douglas), Emma Vinarcik (Elm Park) and Jessica Reynolds (Clandeboye).
“Three girls have been there and experienced it before,” said Craig.
“This is going to be Hannah's third European experience. Kayleigh and Zoe were both part of the bronze winning team last year and then we have Ella, Emma and Jessica to join them.”
“For Ella, Jess and Emma, it's a completely new experience. They're looking forward to it. They're all playing really nice golf and it's the pinnacle of junior golf in Europe. I'm trying to tell them that you're allowed to be nervous but enjoy it and relax and you've earned your spot and at this stage.”
Having secured Ireland's first Girls' Team Championship medal since 2009, Craig hopes the squad can once again challenge for the podium.
“We have three girls there that experienced that and will want to experience it again,” said Craig.
“It was an amazing experience last year, and even to equal that, that would be brilliant, but you know what? One or two better, we wouldn't say no.”
The Boys’ Team travels to Costa Navarino in Greece with a team determined to secure promotion back to Division One following last year’s relegation.
Captain John Carroll will again call upon John William Burke (Ballyhaunis), Adam Fahey (Portmarnock) and Isaac Oliver (Glasson), while Flogas Irish Boys’ Champion Luke Furlong (Wexford), John Moran (Portmarnock) and Harry O’Hara (Clandeboye) are all set to make their European Team Championship debuts.
“We had a decent team last year, but we were a bit unlucky,” said Carroll.
“The target this year is to get promotion back to Division One. The top two are guaranteed to come up, but we're going out there to win it, to get the gold medal and to get back to the big one for the following year.”
The goal for Carroll and his team is simple, earn their way back to the top division and dine at the top table of European Boys’ golf in 2027.
“The two lads who will be gone next year, Adam Fahey and Isaac Oliver, they should be going there with the mentality of going out and finishing off their boys’ career with a gold medal and helping Ireland to get promotion,” said Carroll.
“For the other four lads there's a huge incentive for them because 2027, for a lot of them will be their final year and I'm sure they would love to be finishing off in Division One playing against all the top countries. The sole focus for Greece is to come in the top two as a minimum. We'd like to win it and get a gold medal, but coming in the top two is the absolute minimum.”
