AIB Ladies Irish Open update:Martina Gillen was the leading Irish player on the opening day of the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Portmarnock Links and is just two shots of the joint lead held by France's Julie Greciet, Sweden's Maria Hjorth.

Team Ireland’s Gillen carded no less than five birdies but dropped shots with bogeys at the 11th and 15th before signing for an opening three-under 69 at the north Dublin links venue.

Greciet was in fine form to be five-under for her round after 15 holes. The Frenchwoman picked up five birdies and one bogey in a front nine of 32. From there she mixed three birdies with another two bogeys and held the lead from a large part of the day on her own.

Later she was joined by Hjorth, who closed with a pair of birdies at the difficult par three 17th and long par four 18th for her 67. The Swede carded eight birdies and three bogeys in all.

Carlow's Tara Delaney was next of the 10-strong Irish contingent after she got to two-under with three holes to play. At present Delaney and Gillen were the only Irish players under par.

Many of the home crowds focused on the group with legend Laura Davies and one half of Ireland's prodigious talents, Leona Maguire, who along with her twin sister Lisa are competing as amateurs in this week's €500,000 event on the Ladies European Tour.

Leona opened with a two-over 74 but that was still one better than her more illustrious and experienced playing partner Davies, who could manage a 75. It means the English golfer has much work to do if she is to achieve her goal of winning three Irish Open titles and the winner's cheque for €75,000 this weekend.

Leona was joined on two-over by Danielle McVeigh after the Irish international and Royal County Down golfer also shot 74. The Team Ireland pair of Marion Riordan and Rebecca Coakley, Spawell’s Hazel Kavanagh plus Cork’s Claire Coughlan-Ryan were next on three-over. Coughlan still had three holes left to play.

Leona’s sister Lisa was further down the field after she opened with a 76, one better than Stephanie Meadow, the Antrim-born US resident. The 17-year-old flew in from the States, where she is a student at the Hank Haney Academy, to accept her invite.