Charity tees up US v Europe golf corporate battle

The Irish Youth Foundation (IYF) is doing its best to upset the collegiality between indigenous businesses and the US multinationals located here. The charity is launching a Ryder Cup-style golf fundraising event pitting US firms here against their European counterparts.

IYF was founded by Norma Smurfit, whose former husband Michael brought the real Ryder Cup to the K Club in 2006. The charity event is due to take place at the same venue on American Independence Day, July 4th, with teams of four costing €1,500.

The foundation, whose directors include the Leinster and Ireland rugby player Eoin Reddan, has already signed up some stellar members of the European squad.

Dermot Desmond's International Investment and Underwriting has agreed to take part. It is unclear whether whether the man himself will play, but he's an avid golfer. According to an interview he gave last year, Desmond plays off a respectable handicap of 11. Others taking part include Denis O'Brien's Communicorp, the Smurfit Kappa group, the broadcaster Sky and property investor Signature Capital. No word yet on who will line up for the US team, but surely there must be a few golfers among the geeky hipsters at Google, Facebook et al.

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Anyone who has been to a real Ryder Cup will tell you that it is a far from friendly event. The American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland should consider sending peacekeepers to Straffan on the day.