Although the Irish women's team may have endured some barren years - it is 1986 since they last won the Home Internationals and 1983 since the European title was annexed - the influence of past players in terms of captaincy is impressive.

Claire Dowling's re-appointment as captain of the British and Irish team for next year's Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe in Venice next July, although not unexpected, is well merited. "Playing for Britain and Ireland has always been the pinnacle for every amateur golfer and the same applies to the captaincy," insisted Dowling, who was captain of the Curtis Cup team that lost so narrowly to the United States earlier this year.

"I really enjoyed captaining the Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy teams and found that I got highly involved with the players, many of whom I have known since they were playing girls' golf for their countries. They are a fabulous bunch to deal with," she said.

Dowling, a five-times Irish close champion, played on six Vagliano Trophy teams from 1981 to 1991. Five of those were winning teams and Dowling is anxious that Britain and Ireland can reclaim a trophy which was lost to the continentals by a two point margin at North Berwick last year.

Two Irish players, national champion Alison Coffey and Elaine Dowdall, have been selected on the 12-strong elite squad who will undergo a squad session in Birmingham later this week under the guidance of Dowling and team coach Maureen Madill, another former Irish amateur international.

Coffey, meanwhile, heads over to the squad session in Birmingham as winner of the Irish Ladies Golf Union's order of merit. Coffey, who was a reserve on the Curtis Cup team earlier this year but who was on the Britain and Ireland team which finished in third place in the world team championship in Berlin in September, was a comfortable winner over Curtis Cup player Suzanne O'Brien, who has since retired from international team competition.

The Warrenpoint player finished with a total of 1,560 points (from a maximum of six tournaments): Coffey picked up a maximum 500 points in the Irish Close - 200 as leading qualifier and 300 for winning the matchplay phase - and, in the end, finished 485 points clear of O'Brien, on 1,075, with Yvonne Cassidy in third place on 785.

Heather Nolan captured the Junior order of merit title, although her battle with Martina Gillen - who is now in the United States on a golfing scholarship - was far closer. Nolan had 600 points, just 20 to spare over second-placed Gillen.

Coffey will receive her award at the ILGU Northern District annual general meeting in Shandon Park on November 9th, while Nolan will be presented with her junior award at the ILGU Southern District agm at Limerick Golf Club on October 31st.

Meanwhile, Irish champion Graeme McDowell is unavailable to represent Ireland in the annual Juan Carlos Tahilade Cup and International Team Competition to be played at the Los Lagartos Country Club in Buenos Aires from October 27th-29th.

McDowell, a student at the University of Alabama, is required for inter-collegiate competition at that time and, so, the twoman Irish team comprises Portmarnock's Noel Fox, winner of the Irish strokeplay championship and East of Ireland championship, and Michael Hoey, the North of Ireland champion.

Since its inception, the event has attracted players of the calibre of Australian Aaron Baddeley and Mikko Ilonen, the Finn who won the British amateur championship this year.