NINE Irish golf courses will have a rather special interest in the success of NASA's forthcoming Columbia Space Shuttle mission, scheduled for April 3rd. Their coats of arms will be on one of two Irish mementos in the shuttle's payload to be brought into space by Lieut Jim Halsell, an astronaut of Irish descent.

A pennant, measuring five feet by two, features the coats of arms of the Ballybunion, Tralee, Lahinch, Killarney, Waterville Dingle, Dooks, Dromoland and Shannon clubs. It also carries the logos of SWING, the Kerry Group, Delta Air Lines, Waterford Crystal the Bank of Ireland and Shannon Development.

The other memento bound for the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida is a medallion featuring the famous Irish 19th century emigrant ship, the Jeanie Johnston (1847-1858). Both items will be placed on display at Iveagh House today by the Tanaiste, Dick Spring, in the presence of the US Ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith.

The sterling silver medallion has, on its face, a representation of the emigrant barque which had the distinction of never losing a passenger in 16 voyages from Tralee to Baltimore, New York and Quebec during the Famine years.