Armagh Championship Tournament

The Armagh Championship Tournament[1] or Armagh ALTC Championship was a combined men's and women's Hard court tennis tournament staged first staged on 28 September 1878 as the Armagh Lawn Tennis Tournament at the Archery and Lawn Tennis Club, Armagh, Northern Ireland. The championship was staged up to at least 1934.[2]

Armagh Championship Tournament
Defunct tennis tournament
Event name
Founded1878; 146 years ago (1878)
Abolished1934; 90 years ago (1934)
LocationArmagh, Northern Ireland
VenueArchery and Lawn Tennis Club
SurfaceHard

History

edit

The Armagh Lawn Tennis Tournament was a late Victorian period tennis tournament that was played on hard courts (one of the earliest known). The tournament was organised by the Archery and Lawn Tennis Club in Armagh, Northern Ireland. This tournament was particularly unique, not for it just being a hard court event, it also staged combined events for men and women in both singles, doubles and mixed doubles. However they were not all held at the same time the events were spread out over a three-month period, being played July through to October.

At the inaugural 1878 tournament only a men's singles event was played, that was won by Walter Francis Templer,[3] the brother of Robert Baron Templer. On 27 July 1882, the Armagh LTC Tournament was concluded that featured a women's singles, doubles and mixed soubles event.[4] The women's singles was won by Miss J M McLintock.[5] The women's doubles event was won by Miss. G McLintock and Miss J M Mclintock,[6] and the mixed double's was won by Major Dashwood and Miss J M Mclintock.[7] In October 1882 a second Armagh LTC Tournament was held for the men's singles event that was held won by Robert Barron Templer.[citation needed]

The tournament continued to staged throughout the 1880s and 1890s.[8][9] The tournament continued to be held throughout the 1920s,[10] and into the early 1930s which by this point it was known as the Armagh Championship Tournament.[11]

Finals

edit

Men's singles

edit

(incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1878[1]   Walter Francis Templer   Robert Baron Templer 6–5, 5–6, 6–2
1879[1]   Frederick Lorance Cope (2)   Robert Shaw Templer 6-5
1880[1]   F.A. Clark (3)   Robert Shaw Templer 2–0 sets
1881[1]   Robert Baron Templer (2)   Robert Shaw Templer 2–0 sets
1882[1]   Robert Baron Templer (3)   Robert Baron Templer 3–1 sets
1883[1]   Robert Baron Templer (4)   E.J. Wolfe 2–1 sets
1885[1]   Robert Baron Templer (5)   Walter Francis Templer w.o.
1886[1]   Walter Francis Templer (2)   A. Wolfe 2–1 sets
1887[1]   Hagan Wilfred Jones   T. Dickson 2–0 sets
1888[1]   Arthur David Ash Gaussen   J. Gordon 2–1 sets
1934[12]   D'Arcy McCrea   George McVeagh 6–4, 4–6, 6–4

Men's doubles

edit

(incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1887   Charles Langham Carter
  Hagan Wilfred Jones
  Harold Hardyman
  Thomas Kelly Murphy
2–0 sets

Women's singles

edit

(incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1887[13]   Doireann Boyle   Lavinia Chambers 6–3, 6–2
1888   Lena Rice   May Langrishe 2–1 sets
1932   Hilda Wallis   Norma Stoker 6-1, 6–4
1934[14]   Irene Maltby   Hilda Wallis 6–4, 2–6, 6–3

Women's doubles

edit

(incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1891[15]   Miss. Johnston
  Miss. McClintock
  Miss.Marks
  Miss. Geer
6–1, 4–6, 6–4

Mixed doubles

edit

(incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1887   Rorry Maunsell
  Lavinia Chambers
  Harold Hardyman
  Doireann Boyle
2–0 sets

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Tournaments: Armagh Championship TournamentChampionships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  2. ^ "The Archery and Lawn Tennis Club, Championship Tournament, starts Monday, 2nd July: Open Events for the Ladie's Championship Single's and Men's Championship Single's". Belfast News Letter. Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland: British Newspaper Archives. 25 June 1934. p. 16.
  3. ^ Nieuwland, Alex. "Tournament – Armagh". www.tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  4. ^ Routledge Sporting Annual (1883) Results for 1882. George Routledge and Son's. London. England p.116
  5. ^ Routledge Sporting Annual (1883)
  6. ^ Routledge Sporting Annual (1883)
  7. ^ Routledge Sporting Annual (1883)
  8. ^ "LAWN TENNIS: THE ARMAGH LAWN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT. This tournament wan continued yesterday and will conclude on Sunday". Dublin Daily Express. Dublin, Republic of Ireland: British Newspaper Archives. 15 September 1888. p. 3.
  9. ^ "LAWN TENNIS. ARMAGH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT. This tournament concluded yesterday. The following are the results of the final round of the Ladies' Doubles. Miss Johnston and Mias Mc'Cltntock beat Miss Marks and Miss Greer, 6 to 1, 4 to 6, and 6 to 4". Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland: British Newspaper Archives. 10 July 1891. p. 3.
  10. ^ "Lawn Tennis Tournaments: The Irish Closed Championships and Ulster Championships today until Saturday 23rd June. The Armagh Championship Tournament starts first week of July". Northern Whig. British Newspaper Archives. 14 June 1923. p. 58.
  11. ^ Belfast News Letter (1934)
  12. ^ "ARMAGH TOURNAMENT". Belfast News-Letter. Antrim, Northern Ireland: British Newspaper Archive. 7 September 1934. p. 2. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  13. ^ "ARMAGH LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT". Dublin Daily Express. Dublin, Republic of Ireland: British Newspaper Archive. 18 July 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  14. ^ Belfast News-Letter
  15. ^ "LAWN TENNIS. ARMAGH TOURNAMENT". Irish Times. Dublin, Republic of Ireland: British Newspaper Archive. 10 July 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 21 August 2023.

Sources

edit
  • Belfast News Letter (25 June 1934). Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland: British Newspaper Archives.
  • Dublin Daily Express. (5 September 1888). Dublin, Republic of Ireland: British Newspaper Archives.
  • Irish Times.(10 July 1891). Dublin, Ireland: British Newspaper Archives.
  • Northern Whig and Belfast Post (14 June 1923). British Newspaper Archives.
  • Routledge Sporting Annual (1883) Results for 1882. George Routledge and Son's. London. England.