And this time it came in glorious four-stroke style without the agonies of 12 months ago when he double-bogeyed the last and had to go into a play-off with Sergio Garcia.

Instead, on a Royal Birkdale course and in winds that tested everybody to the limit, two birdies and an eagle in the last six holes made Harrington the first European to make a successful defence of the Claret Jug since James Braid in 1906.

He can also now call himself the first Irishman ever to win two majors – and the world number three.

Ian Poulter had made a terrific late bid – he covered the last 10 in three under – to become Britain's first major champion since Paul Lawrie in 1999.

But, having been caught, Harrington went into overdrive with birdies on the 13th and 15th before hitting a glorious second to four feet on the downwind 572-yard 17th that effectively clinched victory.

There were only nine other eagles there all week.

Since the Second World War the only men to have retained the title have been Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson (he did three in a row), Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.

Oh yes, Tiger Woods. He was not here this week, but if he had been he too might have struggled to beat Harrington's three over par total of 283.

A closing one under 69 gave the 36-year-old Dubliner his commanding win over Poulter – comfortably his best-ever performance in a major - with Greg Norman and Henrik Stenson third.

Norman, the 53-year-old 54-hole leader had set out with the dream of becoming the oldest winner in major history.

He lost the lead with a terrible start, got it back by the turn, but was chasing a losing battle when he bogeyed the 13th and 14th.

Harrington was fully deserving of centre stage by the end.

Having not been in an automatic top 10 place in Nick Faldo's Ryder Cup side he now tops the standings.

Norman, a part-time golfer these days, had unquestionably left his mark on the week, though, and had captured the imagination of the sporting world by doing what he did on the opening three days.

It was the eighth time he had taken a lead into the final day of a major, but the first since that unforgettable round at Augusta in 1996 when, six clear, he collapsed to a 78 and Faldo pounced with a 67 to win by five.

Harrington parred the first six before his smooth progress came to a halt when he had three successive bogeys and turned one behind.
They were back level, though, when Norman bogeyed the 10th and at seven over by then, the chasers still had hopes.

Poulter, six behind at the start like Harrington was last year, had bogeyed the first and third, but it then became one of the rounds of his life.

After a birdie on the 414-yard ninth to turn in 35 he struck a glorious approach to five feet at the 11th and made that.

He was still only fourth at that stage while compatriot Simon Wakefield had moved into a tie for second, but as Wakefield, without a European Tour win in 210 starts, felt the heat as did Norman with further bogeys at the 12th and 13th, Poulter sensed a great chance.

In went a 15-footer on the 16th to tie Harrington and, after the disappointment of three-putting the long 17th for par and then coming up short right of the final green, leaving himself an awkward chip, he sank a 15-foot par-saver.

Harrington had regained the outright lead with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 13th by then, so with him six over and Poulter in on seven over the task was clear – play the last five in level par.

Norman birdied the long 15th, but Harrington matched that and so led by two from Poulter and three from the Australian.

A par on the next and he was almost there. Two holes later he was.
And this time he had been able to enjoy the walk down the 72nd.

Ends