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| Formation | 1877 |
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| Type | Private Members Club |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 53°19′40″N06°14′56″W / 53.32778°N 6.24889°W |
Region served | Dublin |
Official language | English |
| Website | Official website |
Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club is a tennis and squash club in south Dublin, Ireland. Established in 1877, Fitzwilliam is one of the oldest tennis clubs in the world. [1] It has held the Irish Open annually since the late 19th century.
In November 1877 ten men met to found the Dublin Lawn Tennis Club. [2] This club was to initially consist of 30 members each paying an annual subscription of three pounds. [3] They next met on 23 November 1877 and discussed leasing grounds in Upper Pembroke Street near to Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, Ireland owned by Sir Francis Brady a judge on a lease of ten years for a rent of twenty five pounds per year. [4] On 6 December 1877 another meeting was convened and the committee assembled and agreed to adopt the name Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club as recommended by one of its members. [5] In 1879 the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club staged its first Irish Lawn Tennis Championships at Wilton Square which remained the host location of that event until 1903. [6]
In 1880 the club had reached the point where there was not enough room for expansion at its current location. [7] The club therefore purchased available land at Wilton Place and a building No. 6 Wilton Place that was converted to serve as the club's premises, in addition tennis courts were also constructed. [8] In 1902 the club decided to build a pavilion at the club grounds which was financed through the sale of No 6 Wilton Place. [9]
In 1903 the Irish Championships venue was moved from Fitzwilliam Square to Wilton Place. [10]
In 1969 the members of Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club met to discuss a move to a site at Appian Way, Dublin which was concluded that year. [11] During the move the club replaced a Victorian building named Epworth Hall (previously Winton House), which was sold by Wesley College Dublin. [12] [13] [14] [15] The Irish Open Tennis Championships continued to be played at Wilton Place until 1972, [16] when they moved to the new venue at Appian Way, Dublin 6. [17]
Famous visitors to the club have included Princess Grace of Monaco in 1965. [18]
The Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club has organised many notable tournaments throughout the years.
Wesley College is an independent co-educational secondary school for day and boarding students in Ballinteer, Dublin, Ireland. Wesley College is under the control of a Board of Governors, appointed each year by the Methodist Church in Ireland.
Harold Segerson Mahony was a Scottish-born Irish tennis player who is best known for winning the singles title at the Wimbledon Championships in 1896. His career lasted from 1888 until his death in 1905. Mahony was born in Scotland but lived in Ireland for the majority of his life; his family were Irish including both of his parents, the family home was in County Kerry, Southwestern Ireland. He was the last Scottish born man to win Wimbledon until the victory of Andy Murray at the 2013 championships.
Willoughby Hamilton was a co-world No. 1 Irish male tennis player, a footballer and international badminton player.
The Irish Open and originally known as the Irish Championships or Irish Lawn Tennis Championships, and for sponsorship reasons also known as Carroll's Irish Open Championships was a men's and women's tennis tournament held at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin, Ireland. Before the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913, it was considered by players and historians one of the four most important tennis tournaments to win. the others being Wimbledon, the U.S. National championships and the Northern Championships. The men's event was part of the pre-open era tour from inception until 1967. It was then part of the open era non-aligned independent tour (1968–69). From 1970 to 1974, it was an event on the Grand Prix tennis circuit. The women's event was on the same tours as the men except for when it became part of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour from 1971 to 1973. The men's edition was played until 1979, and the women's ended in 1983.
Ruth Durlacher was an Irish tennis player. She played in the Wimbledon championships between 1897 and 1907.
Mary Isabella "May" Langrishe (1864–1939) was an Irish tennis player. In the most important tennis tournaments of the late 19th century she won the singles title at the presitigous Irish Championships held at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club three times in 1879, 1883 and 1886, the Northern Championships in 1880, and was a semi finalist at the Wimbledon Championships in 1891. She was active between 1879 and 1892 and won 20 career singles titles.
The 1877 men's tennis season was composed of 5 tournaments for the second edition pre-open era lawn tennis season. Before the birth of Open Era (tennis), most tournaments were reserved for amateur athletes. In 1874 British Major Walter Clopton Wingfield patented with the House of London Crafts the invention of a new game, which consisted of a shaped field hourglass, divided in the middle by a suspended net. The game was packaged in a box containing some balls, four paddles, the net components and the signs to mark the field. The game was based on the rules of the old real tennis and, at the suggestion of Arthur Balfour, was called lawn-tennis. The official date of birth of the court would be February 23, 1874. In 1877 all were amateur tournaments, among them was the first 1877 Wimbledon Championship, the inaugural event was held from 9 to 19 July and saw as the inaugural winner Spencer Gore. The tournament would remain for a period of 35 years the sole major tennis tournament in the world until the International Lawn Tennis Federation introduces its three World championship series events in 1913 that continue until 1923, when the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association only agrees to join the ILTF on the basis of two compromises: the title 'World Championships' would be abolished and wording would be 'for ever in the English language'. Wimbledon would still retain its prestigious and historical status, and become one of the four Grand Slam tennis events from 1924.
The 1878 men's tennis season was composed of the third annual pre-open era tour. It now incorporated 15 tournaments staged in Great Britain and Ireland the Wimbledon championships was won by challenger Patrick Francis Hadow defeating the defending champion Spencer Gore.
Thomas Chaytor was an Irish tennis player. He was Irish Lawn tennis Championships finalist in 1894 losing to Joshua Pim. He was a semi finalist at the 1894 Wimbledon Championships in the men's singles event and a quarter finalist in the men's doubles event. He won seven career titles out of fifteen finals.
The 1884 men's tennis season was the ninth annual tennis season consisting of 70 tournaments. The season began in April in Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon and ended in December in Melbourne, Australia.
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. The championships is the world's second oldest surviving tennis tournament after Wimbledon but the only event to have been staged continuously for the last 141 years.
The County Kildare Open Tennis Championship, originally known as the County Kildare Tennis Tournament (1879–1880), then County Kildare Championship, is grass court tennis tournament held initially at Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland, established on 2 August 1881.
The 1877 Women's Tennis Season was mainly composed of national, regional, local amateur tournaments. This year 3 tennis events were staged in Dublin, Limerick and Waterford, Ireland between April and September 1877
David Grainger Chaytor KC. was an Irish tennis player and later lawyer. In major tournaments of the time he was a singles quarter finalist at the 1890 Wimbledon Championships, a three time quarter finalist at the Irish Championships, and finalist at the 1887 Northern Championships. Between 1885 and 1900 he won 21 career titles.
The 1879 Women's Tennis season was mainly composed of national, regional, county, local regular amateur tournaments. This year seven tennis events for women were staged four of the them in Ireland and two events in England between April and October 1879
The All Ireland Lawn Tennis Championships. or simply called The Irish Championships was a Victorian period combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament first staged July 1876. This event was organised by the All Ireland Lawn Tennis Club that was under auspices of the Irish Champion Athletic Club (I.C.A.C.). The tournament was held at Champion Ground, Lansdowne, Dublin, Ireland. The championships ended around 1878.
The Irish Hard Court Championships was an early combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament founded in 1924. The first championships was played at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. The tournament ran annually for fifteen editions until 1973.
1880 Women's Tennis season was mainly composed of national, regional, county, local regular amateur tournaments. This year 13 tennis events for women were staged one is in India, three of the them in Ireland and nine events in England between May and October 1880
The Fitzwilliam Club Championships also known as the Fitzwilliam Club Tennis Championships was a combined men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1884. The championship was an open club event organised by the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The tournament ran until 2003.
The 1876 men's tennis season was the first edition of the pre-open era men's tennis seasons consisting of just 2 tournaments. It began on 22 July in Dublin, Ireland and ended on 15 September in Limerick, Ireland.
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