As G-Mac prepares for wedding, McIlroy plays Killeen Castle and Portmarnock

Rory McIlroy at the Dublin Wine Rooms. Manager Antoin Dempsey said: “I couldn’t speak more highly of him, he was an absolute gentleman and his father too. He was very friendly, humble and genuine. He kindly posed for a photo with us and also a lucky customer who was celebrating her birthday with colleagues.”Rory McIlroy might be skipping this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and next week’s Seve Trophy but that hasn’t stopped him playing a rare game of golf on European soil.

The Holywood star — down to world No 6 from No 1 in January after a nightmare season — teed it up with “friends” at Killeen Castle on Tuesday before heading to classic links Portmarnock for another game yesterday.

Spotted toting his own clubs into Dublin’s plush Westbury Hotel just off Grafton Street, his presence at Killeen Castle will undoubtedly set tongues wagging about the Jack Nicklaus course in Co Meath as a future Irish Open venue though Carton House is favourite to host it on the O’Meara Course next year.

It also appears unlikely that he will be attending former World Cup and Ryder Cup partner Graeme McDowell’s low-key wedding to partner Kristin Stape in the Bahamas on Saturday.

McIlroy was in Dublin with his father Gerry last Friday and had lunch at the Dublin Wine Rooms in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) with what the owners described as “regular clients.”

The two-time major winner wants to form his own management company but is believed to be still untangling the legal knots tying him to Dublin-based agency Horizon Sports Management.

On Thursday night he was snapped heading into music venue Whelan’s to watch The Script play a gig during the Arthur’s Day celebrations organised by Guinness.