Armagh Championship Tournament Explained

Armagh Championship Tournament
Type:defunct
Event Name:
Location:Armagh, Northern Ireland
Venue:Archery and Lawn Tennis Club
Surface:Hard

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]

History

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.

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

Men's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1878 Walter Francis Templer Robert Baron Templer6–5, 5–6, 6–2
1879 Frederick Lorance Cope (2) Robert Shaw Templer6-5
1880 F.A. Clark (3) Robert Shaw Templer2–0 sets
1881 Robert Baron Templer (2) Robert Shaw Templer2–0 sets
1882 Robert Baron Templer (3) Robert Baron Templer3–1 sets
1883 Robert Baron Templer (4) E.J. Wolfe2–1 sets
1885 Robert Baron Templer (5) Walter Francis Templerw.o.
1886 Walter Francis Templer (2) A. Wolfe2–1 sets
1887 Hagan Wilfred Jones T. Dickson2–0 sets
1888 Arthur David Ash Gaussen J. Gordon2–1 sets
1934[12] D'Arcy McCrea George McVeagh6–4, 4–6, 6–4

Men's doubles

(incomplete roll)

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

Year Champion Runner Up Score
1887[13] Doireann Boyle Lavinia Chambers6–3, 6–2
1888 Lena Rice May Langrishe2–1 sets
1932 Hilda Wallis Norma Stoker6-1, 6–4
1934[14] Irene Maltby Hilda Wallis6–4, 2–6, 6–3

Women's doubles

(incomplete roll)

Mixed doubles

(incomplete roll)

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tournaments: Armagh Championship TournamentChampionships. The Tennis Base . Tennismem SL . 21 August 2023. subscription.
  2. News: 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 . British Newspaper Archives . 25 June 1934 . Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland . 16.
  3. Web site: Nieuwland . Alex . Tournament – Armagh . www.tennisarchives.com . Tennis Archives . 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. News: LAWN TENNIS: THE ARMAGH LAWN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT. This tournament wan continued yesterday and will conclude on Sunday.. Dublin Daily Express . British Newspaper Archives . 15 September 1888 . Dublin, Republic of Ireland . 3.
  9. News: 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 . British Newspaper Archives . 10 July 1891 . Dublin, Ireland . 3.
  10. News: 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 . 58.
  11. Belfast News Letter (1934)
  12. News: ARMAGH TOURNAMENT . 21 August 2023 . Belfast News-Letter . British Newspaper Archive . 7 September 1934 . Antrim, Northern Ireland . 2. subscription.
  13. News: ARMAGH LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT . 21 August 2023 . Dublin Daily Express . British Newspaper Archive . 18 July 1887 . Dublin, Republic of Ireland . 2. subscription.
  14. Belfast News-Letter
  15. News: LAWN TENNIS. ARMAGH TOURNAMENT . 21 August 2023 . Irish Times . British Newspaper Archive . 10 July 1891 . Dublin, Republic of Ireland . 3. subscription.