Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club

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Coordinates: 53°19′40″N 06°14′56″W / 53.32778°N 6.24889°W / 53.32778; -6.24889
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Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
Formation1877 (1877)
TypePrivate Members Club
Location
Coordinates53°19′40″N 06°14′56″W / 53.32778°N 6.24889°W / 53.32778; -6.24889
Region served
Dublin
Official language
English
WebsiteOfficial website

Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club is a tennis, squash and padel tennis 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 Tennis Championships annually since the late 19th century.

History[edit]

Tennis at Fitzwilliam Square in 1903.

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 at 24-25 Upper Pembroke Street, near to Fitzwilliam Square, 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 Fitzwilliam Square which remained the host location of that event until 1903.[6] Significantly, the year 1879 also saw the holding by Fitzwilliam of the world's first National Ladies' Tennis Championship, an event which was marked in 2023 by the installation at Upper Pembroke Street of a Dublin City Council commemorative plaque. The ladies' event was held there rather than at Fitzwilliam Square in order, it was reported in The Field magazine, "to keep the matches as private as possible".

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]

Appian Way[edit]

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]

Current tournaments[edit]

  • AIG Irish Open Championships (2017–present).[19][20]

Former tournaments[edit]

The Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club has organised many notable tournaments throughout the years.

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Fitzwilliam tennis club elects first woman president in 140 years". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  2. ^ "About". www.fltc.ie. Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club. 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  3. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  4. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  5. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  6. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  7. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  8. ^ "6 Wilton Place, Dublin 2, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  9. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  10. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  11. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  12. ^ Curtis, Maurice (7 August 2017). The Little Book of Ranelagh. History Press. ISBN 9780750985123. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Wesley College Dublin - History". www.wesleycollege.ie. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  14. ^ "CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, WINTON ROAD, EPWORTH HALL (FORMERLY TULLAMAINE) Dictionary of Irish Architects -". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  15. ^ "1870s – Epworth Hall, Winton Rd., Ballsbridge, Dublin". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  16. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  17. ^ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
  18. ^ "Princess Grace of Monaco at 1965 the Irish Open Tennis Championship | Irish Photo Archive". www.irishphotoarchive.ie. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  19. ^ "M25 Dublin: AIG Irish Open". www.itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  20. ^ "AIG To Sponsor Irish Tennis Open". sportforbusiness.com. Sport for Business. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  21. ^ "Dublin University Review". Dublin University Review. 1 (1–6). Dublin: Dublin University: 181. December 1885. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  22. ^ Dublin University Review
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