Amateur Scene News round-up: Youth will certainly be to the fore when the European Team Championship gets under way at the Hillside Golf Club in Southport next week (June 28th-July 2nd).

Ireland give a first senior cap to the brilliant Rory McIlroy, while England also include a 16-year-old in Oliver Fisher in their line-up.

McIlroy, who turned 16 in May, has already captured the imagination of golfers in Ireland with his two major successes in the West of Ireland championship and last week's Irish Close Championship at Westport Golf Club.

Add the Boys and Youths Close titles from last year and McIlroy, who says he will join the paid ranks next year, is one of the finest prospects to emerge in Irish golf in recent times. His selection for Hillside completes a meteoric rise for the boy from Holywood, Co Down.

Ireland and England have a good blend of youth and experience in their sides for Hillside. Brian McElhinney of North West, winner of the British Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale, heads a strong Irish team.

Jim Carvill (Warrenpoint), recently reinstated to the amateur ranks after a spell as a professional, and winner of the East of Ireland Championship at Co Louth Golf Club, is also included in the six-man team that also comprises Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), Michael McGeady (North West) and Seán McTernan (Co Sligo).

Carvill is well versed in European golf and first played in the championship in 1989 when he took 10 points from the six matches he played.

Fisher, who reached the British Amateur Championship semi-finals last week at Royal Birkdale, where he was beaten by McElhinney, is the only new cap on the England team. The other members are Gary Lockerbie, Jamie Moul, Matthew Richardson, Steven Tiley and Gary Wolstenholme. Fisher also finished joint runner-up in the Brabazon Trophy this year.

Wolstenholme (44), will be playing in his sixth European Team Championships and is the only survivor of the side that lost in the final to Spain in the Netherlands two years ago. England's most capped player of all time and twice British Amateur champion - he lost in the fourth round this year - Wolstenholme has been part of the international scene since 1988 and has tasted victory in 2005 in the New South Wales Medal in Australia.

Meanwhile, McIlroy has another international engagement this week when he leads the Irish Youths team in the annual match against Scotland at Portumna Golf Club tomorrow. He is joined by: Keith Crowley (Lee Valley), Nicholas Grant (Clandeboye), Cian McNamara (Limerick), Aaron O'Callaghan (Douglas) and Gareth Shaw (Lurgan). Michael Burns is the non-playing captain.

Kilkenny will have home advantage when they begin the defence of their Suzuki All Ireland Women's Senior Cup (Midland District) title with a second-round fixture against the winners of The Heath and Courtown on Friday, July 1st. In all, 10 teams have been drawn to play in the first round, with the five winning sides joining The Curragh (seeded one), Kilkenny (seeded two) and Carlow (seeded three) in the second round.

The Curragh will have internationals Maura Morrin and Sinead Keane in action, while unknown quantity Carlow will present a serious threat in the form of recently-crowned Midland Champion Karen Delaney, joined by current international sister Tara.

Killeen's Maurice Kelly held his nerve over the closing five holes at Rosses Point last week to secure a one-shot victory over Killarney's Seán Coyne in the Connacht Seniors Championship.

Coyne had posted a clubhouse lead of 147 after a second round 76 in the wet and blustery conditions, and it held until the final threeball came in, with Kelly's 76 to go with his first round 70 leaving him one ahead of Coyne at 146.