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OPPORTUNITY of creating history knocked for the Irish ladies golfers in Dundalk last week as they at- tempted to win a hat trick of Home International titles. However, for the team that included Tricia Mangan and Heather Nolan it wasn’t to be as the Irish team went from double cham- pions to wooden spoonists within the space of three days.

Victories at Cruden Bay and Royal Portcawl may in hindsight have had a degree of luck attached on the final day each year, but with such an expe- rienced team, few would have envis- aged that their performance this time out would have been so much below par.

For Irish Champion Tricia Mangan, it was a mixed week – three comfort- able foursomes victories when playing with Martina Gillen was outstanding work, but her only return from singles play was a halved match with Scot- land’s Jenna Wilson on the opening day.

Indeed, Tricia 1/2 point was the only return from the singles on day one — Ireland lost the remaining five singles matches.

The rot had set in at this stage and Ireland went down to Wales on day two. The day started on a bright note when Tricia Mangan and Martina Gil- len scored decisive foursomes win.

It was downhill from there on as the team went down by 5 1/2 to 3 1/2.

Tricia was beaten by Sarah Jones in the singles — a girl she had decisively beaten in the British Championship ley: (e qn rome e lon

In the final game against England, Tricia maintained her 100 per cent record in foursomes play when her partnership with Martin Gillen scored a fine win over Felicity Johnson and Emma Duggleby. However, Johnson got some measure of revenge in the singles, beating the Ennis golfer by 5 and 3.

Munster Champion Heather Nolan teamed up with a totally out of sorts Claire Coughlan in two matches, los- ing on the 18th on the opening day to the Welsh pair of Sahra Hessan and Breanne Loucks. She had no re- turn from her three matches while Mangan, the European number nine, scored 3 1/2 points out of 6.

FINANCIAL guru, Eddie Hobbs has turned his at- tention from rip-off Ireland to letting smokers know how much they are being ripped off by their bad habit.

The average Irish smoker spends nearly €2,300 a year on cigarettes and for a top rate taxpayer this takes €4,000 off their gross income.

The newly launched Nicorette Freshmint Gum Minting It Guide – which Hobbs compiled – reveals that while the health benefits of giving up smoking are significant, the financial benefits cannot be ig- nored.

Aside from the direct cost of smoking, life cover insurance, life assurance and serious illness cover can often be more than double the price for a smoker versus a non-smoker.

The Guide gives advice and tips for smokers and non-smokers on how to manage their finances, save money and provide for the future.

Hobbs suggests keeping a diary of your spending and taking the necessary steps if you are overspend- ing.

He also advised consumers to “reduce your outgo- ings by shopping around. If you don’t pay your credit card balance off in full each month, move to a credit

card offering zero per cent interest for the first six months, and keep moving until you pay it off!”

Other cash-saving hints include: ¢ transferring your mortgage to an institution offer- ing a lower rate, which could save thousands of euros over the lifespan of the loan.

e Take advantage of competition in the mobile, land- line and internet market by changing providers to avail of better offers.

¢ Claim tax relief, which is available for things like renting a room, being a carer, certain medical ex- penses and contributing to a pension. Make sure you are getting all you are entitled to by checking out Www.revenue.ie.

The guide has been developed to support the launch of the new nicotine replacement therapy Nicorette Freshmint Gum.

According to Hobbs, “It’s hard enough to make ends meet in Ireland’s hugely over-priced economy besides blowing a huge sum of money through your lungs on cigarettes. Consider a pack of twenty a day, pretty close to the daily average of Irish smokers, is now costing nearly €2,300 a year. You put two smok- ers in one household and the combination would fund a small mortgage or a fantastic annual vacation”.

Copies of the guide can be obtained in pharmacies and GP’s surgeries nationwide.

VANDALS have caused serious damage on the grounds of Ennis Rugby Club. The vandalism was carried out late on Saturday night, when a support railing that runs along the edge of the pitch was up- rooted and dragged across a section of the pitch. Concrete slabs that had held the six uprights and the crossbar in position were pulled two feet out of the ground, before being pulled over the pitch. Three large scar marks have been left on the pitch as a result. “It’s not so much the expense, it’s the mindless attitude of the people that did it” said Tony Guillfoyle, President of Ennis Rugby Club. He went

on to add that the club has suffered from anti-so- cial behaviour on a continuing basis over the past few weeks. “There must have been a large number of people in it and they would needed a tractor to do the damage they did,’ he said. There are problems with trying to build on the current boundary wall that borders the Cahercalla estate, as it may be a pro- tected structure. The club are hopeful of coming to some solution but, until then, there are concerns that anti-social problems will persist. The incident is the second act of vandalism to occur at a rugby ground inside a week. On Wednesday, damage caused to the pitch in Thomond Park in Limerick forced the grounds to close for a month.

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THE State has applied to the District Court to secure the medical records of the man charged in connection with the death of Ann Walsh in Kilrush last month.

Raymond Donovan, of New Houses, Co- oraclare, is charged with intentionally or recklessly causing harm to the 23-year-old woman at Toler Street, Kilrush, on August 24. He is currently in custody at Limerick Prison.

His solicitor, Tara Godfrey, had previously expressed concern that he had not seen a psychiatrist at the prison, after he had spent

more than a week there. However, the court was told last Friday week that he had been assessed, but the report on that assessment was not available to the court at that stage.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told Ennis district court last Friday that Kilrush Supt Joe McK- eown — who is leading the investigation in the death of Ms Walsh — 1s seeking to ob- tain the records in respect of Mr Donovan.

Ms Godfrey said, “I would have to ask, be- cause of the seriousness of this case, why the State is seeking such records?”

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the ap- plication until Friday, when the accused is again due before the court.

THE Shannon Airport Au- thority (SAA) has told Shan- non Development that it will no longer contribute towards the funding of future tour- ism marketing campaigns.

In a policy shift for the low-cost airport, Director of Shannon Airport, Martin Moroney, said this week, “we are now delivering the Seats; the tourism bodies should be delivering the pas- sengers.”

Mr Moroney revealed that the SAA Board recently re- jected a concept put forward by Shannon Development, to continue pooling financial resources to market the West of Ireland.

This year, the SAA con- tributed <€100,000 towards a €1 million fund to market the West of Ireland in the UK. Shannon Development contributed €100,000 to the JaUU ATO Dmr-W(Oyetcammr‘sleMe)H elo) mm-bexes 0c cies along the western sea- board. “We shouldn’t be expect- ed any longer to contribute financially to these cam- paigns. They are campaigns for tourism and should be confined to tourism. Any request from any organisa- tion in the future will be re- jected on the basis that it is the tourism sector’s job to promote tourism. “We contributed €100,000 to the campaign this year. But our model now is getting in the airlines, building our facilities and over the future, driving down our charges. Mit lmehmeltlamessrletdmeerieec oLULSCOyO MUM Aaomner-DENE “If anything, they should be offering money to help us develop the airport and get- ting more airlines in. “We're saying no, we’re not contributing, we shouldn’t be expected to. It might have made sense before when we were a bit weaker, but not now, when we are providing all the seats.” Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said, “I was disturbed to hear that Shannon Development was in with the Board of Shan- non Airport looking for money the other week. That is not the way tourism busi- ness is going to be developed in this region. If that is what Shannon Development is up to, the sooner they are dis- banded the better.” At spokesman for Shannon Development said that the company was disappointed at Mr O’Leary’s reported comments and said _ they didn’t reflect the company’s tourism promotion efforts.

A 42-YEAR-OLD Dutch profes- sional musician involved in an air-rage incident on a Ryanair flight into Shannon has_ been fined €1,000.

Harry Gustaaf from Nymegen in Holland pleaded guilty to be- ing drunk and a danger to him- self or others, on board a Ryanair Dusseldorf-Shannon flight on Saturday, September 3.

Mr Gustaaf also pleaded guilty to offensive behaviour, despite been asked by a crew member to desist. Inspector Tom Kennedy told the Shannon District Court that the State was withdrawing the summons charging Mr Gus- taaf with engaging in threaten-

ing, abusive and insulting nature with intent to cause a breach of the peace.

Garda Brian McCarthy told the court that on charging Mr Gus- taaf, the accused said: “I took a plane from Germany to Ireland.

““T had a few drinks and didn’t hassle anyone.”

According to a statement from Ryanair air hostess, Elizabeth Lynch, Mr Gustaaf had become ageressive on board, punch- ing the headrest in front of him, making advances towards the exit and swearing at her, when he was asked to sit down during the flight.

Defending solicitor Catriona Carmody said Mr Gustaaf was a professional musician with the Royal Symphonic Orchestra in

Holland and had been involved in establishing a shelter for the homeless and prostitutes in Hol- land.

She said he had no previous convictions and the incident was completely out of character.

She said the flight had been de- layed and the accused had a few drinks in the airport while wait- ing.

He was travelling to Ireland to visit his mother in Mayo and he didn’t remember the full extent of the incident.

“He is extremely embarrassed and very worried over what hap- pened and apologises profusely for his actions,” she said.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed fines of €500 for each of the two summonses, payable forthwith.