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South of Ireland Open Tennis Championship

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The South of Ireland Open Tennis Championship originally called the South of Ireland Championships first established in 1876 and also known as the Limerick Cup is a grass court tennis tournament that features both men's and women's competitions that is currently an official tour event of Tennis Ireland. It is held at the Limerick Lawn Tennis Club in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland.[1] The championships is the world's second oldest surviving tennis tournament after Wimbledon[2] but the only event to have been staged continuously for the last 141 years.[3]

South of Ireland Open Tennis Championship
Tournament information
Founded1876; 148 years ago (1876)
Editions142 (2018)
LocationLimerick
Ireland
VenueLimerick Lawn Tennis Club
SurfaceArtificial Grass, outdoors
Websitehttp://www.lltc.ie/history/south of ireland championships
Current champions
Men's singlesRepublic of Ireland James Halas

History edit

A South of Ireland Championships tournament was staged in 1876, and played at the Limerick County Cricket Club, in Limerick. Records appear contradictory; the staging of this initial tournament appears to predate the founding of the Limerick LTC in 1877 by one year.

Limerick Lawn Tennis Club was first established in 1877 in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland.[4] The same year the club staged the first Open Championships in Ireland in August 1877 one month after the Wimbledon Championships were inaugurated, the results of that tournament were however not recorded.[4] It was not until 1879 that the first Irish Lawn Tennis Championships were staged at the Fitzwilliam Tennis Club in Dublin.[4] In 1877 a subsidiary tournament that played as part of the South of Ireland Championships was established called the Limerick Cricket Club Lawn Tennis Tournament or Limerick CC Lawn Tennis Tournament.[5]

In 1878 the first South of Ireland Championships also known as the Limerick Cup were founded [6] the men's event was won by Veere St Leger Goold.[6][4] The event featured both men's and women's singles and doubles competitions and was the first notable tournament in Great Britain and Ireland to feature a woman's competition seven years before the Wimbledon Championships followed suit.[4] In 1881 the reigning Wimbledon Champion William Renshaw and his twin brother Ernest Renshaw entered the doubles competition.[4] Between 1884 and 1885 no women's event were staged.[4] The 1885 and 1886 editions were won by future Wimbledon Champion Willoughby Hamilton.[4]

Between 1911 and 1912 the championships were won by Irishman Frank Cosbie.[6] With the advent of World War One the championships were still held from 1914 and 1919.[3] Post war the championships were won again by Irish Lawn Tennis Championships finalist Frank Cosbie three times consecutively 1924 to 1926.[6] The tournament was still staged during World War Two from 1939 to 1945.[3] Post war the 1953 championships were won by American player Ellis Williamson.[6] In 1975 the men's championships were won Michael. P. Hickey who played in 21 Davis Cup competitions as part of the Irish Team.[4] British player Ross Matheson won the event in 1991, 1994 and 1996.[4] Into the 2000s Brian McCarthy was probably the most successful player he won the championships in (2010,2014) and reached the finals on four occasions (2010–11, 2013–16).

The tournament was part of the pre-open era men's tennis tour from 1878 to 1967.[6] Into the Open Era it did not survive as a tour tournament on the lucrative Grand Prix tennis circuit but did remain a fixture on the International Tennis Federation circuit for a short while until the mid-1990s. The tournament was downgraded again to regional status and continues to operate within the annual tennis tournament circuit of Tennis Ireland. The championships were staged in June 2018 which was the 141st edition of this tournament it was won by James Halas.[7]

Finals edit

Notes: Challenge Round: The Final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921) [8] in some tournaments not all.

Men's singles edit

Incomplete list of past winners and results included:[6]

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1876   William Henry Darby   Mr. W. Bruce 11-3.[9]
1878   Vere St. Leger Goold[10]   William Henry Darby 6-0,6-4
1879   Heffernan J. F. J. Considine [10]   Henry Evelyn Tombe 6-4, 6-3 [6]
1880   Edward Brackenbury [10]   Edward Monitford Longfield 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 [6]
1881 [a]   Edward Brackenbury [10]   Edward M. L. Lysaght 0-6, 6-3, 7-5, 8-6 [6]
1882   Edward M. L. Lysaght [10]   Edward Brackenbury w.o.[6]
1883 [11]   Eyre Chatterton[10]   Edward M. L. Lysaght 6-1 6-0 6-0 [6]
1884   Eyre Chatterton[10]   William Henry Darby 6=0 6-4 [6]
1885   Willoughby J. Hamilton[10]   Eyre Chatterton 6-4, 12-10, 6-0 [6]
1886   Willoughby J. Hamilton[10]   Thomas Harrison Griffiths 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 [6]
1896   Captain Bredin [6]   E.J.L. Golding 6-3, 6-3
1897   J. Hirst ? ?
1898   Jahial Parmly Paret   J. Hirst 2 to 0 sets
1899   E.P. Graham   J. Hirst 2 to 0 sets
1900   William Perrott   E.P. Graham 6-1, 6-3, 9-7
1901   William Perrott   Robert Malcolm Graham 3 sets to 0
1902   Maurice Fitzmaurice Day   William Perrott 1-6, 6-1, 4-6, 8-6, 6-2
1904   J.S. Talbot   L. Tennis w.o.
1909   Sydney Lawrence Fry   T.M. O'Callaghan 6-0, 6-3, 6-4
1910 Championships were held [3]
1911   Frank Cosbie [6] ? ?
1912   Frank Cosbie [6] ? ?
1914–1923 Championships were held [3]
1924   Frank Cosbie [6] ? ?
1925   Frank Cosbie [6] ? ?
1926   Frank Cosbie [6] ? ?
1928–1951 Championships were held [3]
1952   A. Duncan Taylor [10] ? ?
1953   Tom Cleary   Harry Crowe 7-5, 1-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 [10]
1954   Alan Haughton   Tom Cleary 6-4, 6-3 [10]
1955   Harry Barniville   Harry Crowe 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1957   Frank Furney   Alan Haughton 9-7, 6-1 [10]
1958   Ellis Williamson   Patrick Murphy 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 [10]
1960   Dudley Moxon   John O'Brien 7-9, 6-1, 6-4 [10]
1961   Dudley Moxon   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1962 Championships were held [3]
1963   John O'Brien   Dudley Moxon 6-3, 6-4 [10]
1964–1974 Championships were held [3]
Open era
1975   Michael. P. Hickey [4] ? ?
1976   Michael Sleep   Don O'Connell ? [10]
1978   Jim McCardle   Alan Haughton 9-7, 6-1 [10]
1981   Tommy Burke   ? ? [10]
1982   Doug Stone   ? 7-9, 6-1, 6-4 [10]
1983   Michael Daly   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1984   Michael Daly   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1985   Liam Croke   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1986   Michael Nugent   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1988   Peter Wright   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1989   G. Henderson   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1991   Ross Matheson[4]   ? ?
1992   Ulli Nganga   ? 7-9, 6-1, 6-4 [10]
1993   Keir Wood   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1994   Ross Matheson[4]   Redmond O'Hanlon 6-2, 6-3
1995   Owen Casey [10] ? ?
1996   Ross Matheson[4] ? ?
1997   Scott Barron   Owen Casey 6-2, 6-3 [10]
1998   Owen Casey [10] ? ?
1999   Joe Greene   David Mullins ? [10]
2000   Owen Casey   Steven Nugent 6-1, 6-2 [10]
2001   John Doran   Conor Niland 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 [10]
2002   Nicky Malone   Conor Niland 7-5, 6-3 [10]
2003   Conor Niland [4]   Conor Taylor 6-2, 6-1 [10]
2004   Barry King   James McGee ? [10]
2005   Kevin Rea   Travis McDonnagh 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 [10]
2007   T. Farron-Mahon   Daniel Glancy 6-2, 6-2 [10]
2010 [12]   Barry McCarthy   Kevin Rea 6-3, 7-6 [10]
2011 [13]   Paul Fitzgerald   Barry McCarthy 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 [10]
2012 [14]   Darragh Glavin   George McGill 6-3, 7-5 [10]
2013 [15]   Kevin Rea   Barry McCarthy 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 [10]
2014 [16]   Barry McCarthy   George McGill 6-4, 6-4 [10]
2015 [17]   Frank O'Keefe   Niall Casey 6-1, 6-4 [10]
2016   C. J. Kelly   Barry McCarthy 6-1, 6-4 [10]
2017 ? ? ?
2018   James Halas   Andrew Jones 7-5, 6-1

Other tournaments edit

Limerick CC Tournament edit

The Limerick Cricket Club Lawn Tennis Tournament was founded in 1877 and was played along with the South of Ireland Championships until 1883

Men's singles

(Incomplete roll)

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1880   Edmond Bennet Brackenbury   Edward M. L. Lysaght 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
1883   Ernest Browne   William E. Dawson 6-3, 6-2, 6-5

Venue edit

The Limerick Lawn Tennis Club currently operates 12 artificial (synthetic) grass turf outdoor tennis courts and 3 squash courts.[18]

Notes edit

  1. ^ The 1881 to 1886 editions included a challenge round

References edit

  1. ^ "History - Limerick Lawn Tennis Club". www.lltc.ie. Limerick, Ireland: Limerick Lawn Tennis Club. 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Official Bid Book for the 2018 GGX: 10th Gay Games" (PDF). igrugby.org. Organising Committee of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Sports Limerick. 2018. p. 93. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Tennis Ireland - Hartmann Optometrists 141st South of Ireland Tennis Championships 2018 - Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland. 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "History - Limerick Lawn Tennis Club". www.lltc.ie. Limerick, Ireland: Limerick Lawn Tennis Club. 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  5. ^ Higgins, Tom (2006). "Southern Ireland: Tournaments". The History of Irish Tennis Volume 2. Dublin: Tennis Ireland. ISBN 9780948870040.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Nieuwland, Alex (2017). "Tournament – South of Ireland Championships - Limerick Cup". www.tennisarchives.com. Harlingen, Netherlands: Idzznew BV. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Tennis Ireland - Hartmann Optometrists 141st South of Ireland Tennis Championships 2018 - General". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland. 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Abolition of Challenge Rounds". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 MARCH 1922. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Edition – South of Ireland Championships 1876". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av SOI Winners 1878 to 2016. Limerick LTC
  11. ^ "South of Ireland Championships". The Freeman's Journal. Dublin, Ireland: newspapers.com. 25 July 1883. p. 3.
  12. ^ "Tennis Ireland - Senior South Of Ireland Open Tennis Championship 2010 - Draw and Results". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Tennis Ireland - Senior South of Ireland 2011 - General". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Tennis Ireland - Senior South of Ireland 2012 - Draw and Results". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Tennis Ireland - Senior South of Ireland Open Tennis Championship 2013 - Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland.
  16. ^ "Tennis Ireland - Senior South of Ireland Open Tennis Championship 2014 - Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland. 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Tennis Ireland - 138th South Of Ireland Open Tennis Championships - Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland. 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  18. ^ "About us". www.lltc.ie. Limerick Lawn Tennis Club. Retrieved 1 August 2018.

Sources edit

  • "Abolition of Challenge Rounds". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. EVENING POST, VOLUME CIII, ISSUE 65, 20 MARCH 1922.
  • "History - Limerick Lawn Tennis Club". www.lltc.ie. Limerick, Ireland: Limerick Lawn Tennis Club. 2013.
  • Nieuwland, Alex (2017). "Tournament – South of Ireland Championships - Limerick Cup". www.tennisarchives.com. Harlingen, Netherlands: Idzznew BV. Retrieved.
  • Tennis Ireland, (2011). "Senior South of Ireland 2011 - General". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland.
  • Tennis Ireland, (2013) "Senior South of Ireland Open Tennis Championship 2013 - Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland.
  • Tennis Ireland, (2014). "Senior South of Ireland Open Tennis Championship 2014 - Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland.
  • Tennis Ireland, (2015). "138th South Of Ireland Open Tennis Championships - Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Tennis Ireland.
  • Tennis Ireland, (2018). - "Hartmann Optometrists 141st South of Ireland Tennis Championships 2018"- "Organization". ti.tournamentsoftware.com. Official lawn Tennis Governing Body of Ireland.
  • SOI Winners 1878 to 2016. Limerick LTC.
  • "South of Ireland Championships". (1883). The Freeman's Journal. Dublin, Ireland: newspapers.com.
  • https://ti.tournamentsoftware.com/Tennis Ireland:Clubs:Tournaments of Limerick Lawn Tennis

Further reading edit

  • Ayre's Lawn Tennis Almanack And Tournament Guide, 1908 to 1938, A. Wallis Myers.
  • British Lawn Tennis and Squash Magazine, 1948 to 1967, British Lawn Tennis Ltd, UK.
  • Dunlop Lawn Tennis Almanack And Tournament Guide, G.P. Hughes, 1939 to 1958, Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd, UK
  • Lawn tennis and Badminton Magazine, 1906 to 1973, UK.
  • Lowe's Lawn Tennis Annuals and Compendia, Lowe, Sir F. Gordon, Eyre & Spottiswoode
  • Spalding's Lawn Tennis Annuals from 1885 to 1922, American Sports Pub. Co, USA.
  • The World of Tennis Annuals, Barrett John, 1970 to 2001.

External links edit

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