Team Ireland 2010 - Season Update

The Team Ireland Golf Trust scheme, which was established to assist Irish professional golfers in the early stages of their careers, provided financial and non-financial support to professional tour golfers, both male and female, wishing to achieve success at an international level.

A total of €217,000 was granted to seventeen aspiring golfers in 2010.

Among those receiving the top award of €20,000 were Simon Thornton who graduated to the European Tour in 2010 from the Challenge Tour, Tara Delaney and Martina Gillen who are both playing on the Ladies European Tour this season.


A grant of €15,000 was awarded to former Walker Cup player, Niall Kearney, to support his first year on the professional circuit following a successful amateur career. Niall had planned to play mainly on the Challenge Tour in 2010 - but was hampered by injury - and join Jonathan Caldwell and Gareth Shaw, who received grants of €15,000. 

All three players were members of the victorious GUI European Championship Team in 2008. 

Rebecca Coakley and Hazel Kavanagh received grants of €15,000 to assist their campaigns on the Ladies European Tour in an effort to qualify for the European Solheim Cup Team next year.

2010 Results and Perfomance

Simon Thornton 
2010 Race to Dubai – 136th*** 

Grant - €20,000

Martina Gillen 
Henderson Money List – 110th*
Grant - €20,000

Alison Walshe
Re-declared for USA

Tara Delaney 
Henderson Money List 122nd*
Grant - €20,000

Niall Kearney
European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2
Grant - €15,000

Jonathan Caldwell 
Challenge Tour Ranking 106th
Grant - €15,000

Gareth Shaw 
European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2
Challenge Tour Rankings 143rd
EUROPRO Tour Rankings 32nd
Grant - €15,000

Rebecca Coakley 
Henderson Money List 35th*
Grant - €15,000

Hazel Kavanagh 
Henderson Money List 121st*
Grant - €15,000

Colm Moriarty 
European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2
Challenge Tour Rankings 43
2010 Open Championship 37th
Grant - €10,000

Michael McGeady 
European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2
Europro Tour Rankings 67th
Grant - €10,000

Brian McElhinney 
Europro Tour Ranking 38th
Grant - €7,000

Peter O’Keeffe 
European Tour QS Stage 1**
Grant - €7,000

Richard Kilpatrick
Alps Tour Ranking 18th
European Tour QS Stage 1
Grant - €7,000

Niall Turner 
European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2
USPGA QS First Stage **
Grant - €7,000

Paul O’Hanlon
Europro Tour Ranking 27th
ET Qualifying School Stage 1**
Grant - €7,000

Barrie Trainor 
Europro Tour Ranking 61st 

European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2
3 Irish Open 66th place
Grant - €7,000

Note: * Ladies European Tour season still in progress
** QS School event finished.
*** European Tour season still in progress