The Castle's Dara Lernihan shot a four under par 69 to top the 64 qualifiers in the Irish Amateur Close at Enniscrone.

After an opening 81, last season's runner up finished one shot clear shot of Matthew McAlpin from Royal Portrush on four-over 150

First round leader Jonathan Gourley from Holywood added a three over par 77 to his opening 75 to qualify easily on 152 alongside Dunmurry's Stephen Crowe who shot a 74.

Michael Durcan (Co. Sligo) and Paul Dunne (Greystones) who have been selected on the team of six to represent Ireland in the European Boys Team Championship in the Netherlands next month, both recovered from disappointing opening rounds to comfortably secure their places in the match play stages.

Durcan, in particular, was outstanding. Faced with a daunting task after a first round of 85, he sparkled in the second round with a five under par 68 for 153. His round included seven birdies – at the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 14th and 16th, but dropped shots at the 4th and 15th.

Dunne, who fired a good 79 in the tough conditions on day one, returned a one over par 74 which included birdies at the 2nd, 3rd and 6th holes, however  he dropped shots at the 5th, 12th and double bogeyed the 15th.

Michael Sinclair (Knock) was also on 153.

Newly crowned East of Ireland champion, Paul Cutler (Portstewart) added a second round of three over par 77 and easily qualified on 154. Also on  the same score were Connor Doran (Banbridge), Simon Ward (Co. Louth), Darren Crowe (Dunmurry) and Kelan McDonagh (Athlone).

First round draw

1 07.00 Cian Curley (Newlands) v Ryan Symington (Lisburn)
2 07.07 Stephen Webster (Castle) v J P Hughes (Douglas)
3 07.15 Eddie McCormack (Galway) v Patrick Sheehy (Lahinch)
4 07.22 Michael Durcan (Co. Sligo) v Matthew McAlpin (Royal Portrush)
5 07.30 Nicky Grant (Knock) v James Monaghan (The Island)
6 07.37 Mark Shanahan (West Waterford) v Darragh O’Sullivan (Strandhill)
7 07.45 Michael Sinclair (Knock) v Declan King (Tramore)
8 07.52 Connor Doran (Banbridge) v Ross Oliver (Carrickfergus)
9 08.00 Paul Dunne (Greystones) v Mark Collins (Mahon)
10 08.07 Jason McIntyre (City of Derry) v Stephen Crowe (Dunmurry)
11 08.15 Stephen Moloney (Castletroy) v Ciaran McAleavey (Banbridge)
12 08.22 Paul O’Kane (Moyola Park) v Dave O’Donovan (Muskerry)
13 08.30 Kelan McDonagh (Athlone) v Byron Campbell (Malone)
14 08.37 Alex McCloy (Ballymena) v Daniel Beattie (Whitehead)
15 08.45 Niall Gorey (Lee Valley) v David Reilly (Westmanstown)
16 08.52 Paul Cutler (Portstewart) v Andrew McCormick (Scrabo)
17 09.00 Simon Ward (Co. Louth) v Garreth Bohill (Co. Louth)
18 09.07 Fergal Rafferty (Dungannon) v Gary McDermott (Co. Sligo)
19 09.15 Kenneth Irwin (Castlebar) v Aaron O’Callaghan  (Douglas)
20 09.22 Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park) v Ciaran O’Connor (Athlone)
21 09.30 Rory McNamara (Headfort) v Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)
22 09.37 Jonathan Gourley (Holywood) v Richard Bridges (Stackstown)
23 09.45 Simon McConnell (Ballyclare) v David Kelleher (Portmarnock)
24 09.52 Andrew Hogan (Newlands) v Darren Crowe (Dunmurry)
25 10.00 Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little) v James Patterson (Knock)
26 10.07 Liam Mulligan (Stackstown) v Stephen Loftus (Lahinch)
27 10.15 Robert Cannon (L’town & B’town) v Joe Lyons (Galway)
28 10.22 Pat Murray (Limerick) v James Fox (Portmarnock)
29 10.30 Reeve Whitson (Mourne) v Gary O’Flaherty (Cork)
30 10.37 Rory Leonard (Banbridge) v Thomas O’Flynn (Fota Island)
31 10.45 Craig Martin (Kilkenny) v Stephen Dwyer (Newlands)
32 10.52 Dara Lernihan (Castle) v Kieran Canty (Douglas)

Qualifying Scores:
150: D Lernihan (Castle) 81 69
151: M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 81 70
152: S Crowe (Dunmurry) 78 74, J Gourley (Holywood) 75 77
153: M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 85 68, P Dunne (Greystones) 79 74, M Sinclair (Knock) 76 77
154: C Doran (Banbridge) 82 72, S Ward (Co Louth) 82 72, D Crowe (Dunmurry) 79 75, K McDonagh (Athlone) 79 75, P Cutler (Portstewart) 77 77
155: P Murray (Limerick) 81 74, P O'Kane (Moyola Park) 81 74, S McConnell (Ballyclare) 80 75, C Curley (Newlands) 80 75, R McNamara (Headfort) 78 77
156: J Fox (Portmarnock) 87 69, E McCormack (Galway) 83 73, J Lyons (Galway) 81 75, N Grant (Knock) 81 75, D Beattie (Whitehead) 81 75, M Shanahan (West Waterford) 80 76, C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 79 77
157: J McIntyre (City of Derry) 84 73, C O'Connor (Athlone) 84 73, A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 83 74, N Gorey (Lee Valley) 82 75, R Bridges (Stackstown) 81 76, S Loftus (Lahinch) 77 80
158: D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 85 73, F Rafferty (Dungannon) 83 75, C Martin (Kilkenny) 80 78, B Campbell (Malone) 79 79, R Symington (Lisburn) 78 80, L Mulligan (Stackstown) 78 80
159: T O'Flynn (Fota Island) 87 72, R Leonard (Banbridge) 83 76, G O'Flaherty (Cork) 82 77, R Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown) 81 78, M Collins (Mahon) 80 79, S Dwyer (Newlands) 78 81
160: R Oliver (Carrickfergus) 86 74, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 86 74, J Hughes (Douglas) 81 79, C McAleavey (Banbridge) 79 81
161: A McCloy (Ballymena) 88 73, S Webster (Castle) 87 74, D McElroy (Ballymena) 84 77, A McCormick (Scrabo) 82 79, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 82 79, K Canty (Douglas) 81 80, D O'Sullivan (Strandhill) 80 81
162: G Bohill (Co. Louth) 85 77, S Moloney (Castletroy) 84 78, J Patterson (Knock) 80 82
163: D Reilly (Westmanstown) 85 78, J Monaghan (The Island) 85 78, P Sheehy (Lahinch) 82 81, D King (Tramore) 82 81, D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 81 82
164: R Whitson (Mourne) 87 77, K Irwin (Castlebar) 86 78, A Hogan (Newlands) 86 78

Non-qualifiers:
164: G Barry (Muskerry) 86 78, K Crowley (Lee Valley) 83 81, S Barry (Lee Valley) 83 81, J Tobin (Carrick-on-Suir) 82 82, S Morrison (City of Derry) 82 82, D Boyle (Cruit Island) 82 82
165: G McGrane (The Royal Dublin) 88 77, P O'Hara (Kilkenny) 86 79, G Kelly (Co. Louth) 86 79, A Morris (Belvoir Park) 86 79, D Coghlan (The Royal Dublin) 85 80, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 82 83
166: S Healy (Claremorris) 87 79, B Walton (The Island) 84 82
167: T McGowan (Strandhill) 90 77, A Moran (Tuam) 87 80, R O'Sullivan (Fota Island) 85 82, E Maguire (Seapoint) 84 83
168: G Dunne (Seapoint) 91 77, E O'Connor (Ballybunion) 87 81, J Timony (Headfort) 87 81, C O'Malley (Westport) 86 82, M Mullen (Wexford) 85 83, A Harty (West Waterford) 83 85, F O'Sullivan (Tralee) 83 85, L Reilly (Galgorm Castle) 83 85, D Keating (Kinsale) 79 89
169: D Moran (The Island) 92 77, D Ruddy (Thurles) 91 78, D McInerney (Lahinch) 87 82, D Morgan (Mullingar) 87 82, D Winters (Seapoint) 86 83, K Sheehy (Athlone) 84 85
170: C Carvill (Belvoir Park) 97 73, B Loftus (Ennis) 90 80, J Ward (Westmanstown) 88 82, E Long (Monkstown) 88 82, D Coyne (Tuam) 88 82
171: R McKeown (Enniscrone) 94 77, T Fay (Rush) 85 86, R Finn (Curragh) 84 87
172: J Cullen (Tuam) 93 79, L Ashby (Killerig Castle) 92 80, M Hammond (Moyola Park) 89 83, G Boyd (Donaghadee) 87 85
174: G O'Connor (Malahide) 94 80, G McGee (Malone) 93 81, C McCarthy (St. Anne's) 91 83, D O'Neill (Carton House) 89 85
175: J O'Sullivan (Co. Louth) 97 78
176: D O'Neill (Newlands) 92 84, S Coyne (Athenry) 90 86, D O'Sullivan (Youghal) 88 88
179: N Woods (East Clare) 99 80
180: B Fennelly (The Royal Dublin) 93 87
NR:  D Ryan (Grange), J Hopkins (Skerries), T Cleary (East Clare), M Ryan (Grange), B Keating (Clonmel), C Drumm (Rosslare), F O'Hagan (Edenmore), A Taylor (City of Derry) 96 NR, C Moulds (Lisburn) 92 NR, G Lawlor (Newbridge) 96 NR, A Dooley (Glasson) 89 NR, B Fitzpatrick (Headfort) 83 NR
DQ:  L Lennox (Moyola Park), D Byrne (Douglas), R Forsythe (Ballyclare), C Molloy (Ardee) 91 DQ
RTD:  D Lally (Tuam), D McCusker (Moyola Park), N Molloy (East Clare) , K Metcalfe (Mullingar) 81 RTD