History of Skerries Chess Club

Introduction

Skerries Chess Club began, to the best of our knowledge, in the late 1970s, with a break between 1995 and 2012 before starting up again. The account that follows comes from the recollections of former and current members. If you wish to contribute please contact us.

1950s

The earliest record of organised chess in Skerries is the Whitsun Congress, which was held in Skerries in the 50s so there may have been a club here at that time. Two editions took place, in 1956 and 1957 [1].

1970s

Skerries Chess Club was founded in 1978, says Gerry Smith, or in the early 1970s according to Jim Kenny. The chairman was Jim McDonagh, lived opposite the rugby club, a strong player and brother of Noel. Gerry’s first game  for Skerries  was in 1978. It was against POESSBA on the Second team run by John Bracken.  He was playing for the first team by the end of his first season. Anthony Dunne and Tony Dunne were on the team as well.  Seán McDonagh (later with Dundalk) was also playing, as well as Grahem Tiernan who ended up in Australia, and Padraig O'Toole.

Padraig was a local teacher in St. Patrick’s NS who taught chess after school. Along with another teacher in the same school, Mr. Gray, he was responsible directly or indirectly for a number of young people learning chess including John Loughran. Paul Ruigrock and Fred Harte joined the Skerries club when Rush Chess Club folded.  Rush CC was in existence for a few years.

1980s

Bob Laird also played. Gerry moved into Dublin in 1984 and did not play again with Skerries until about 1993/94.  Jim Kenny remembers meeting Mick Kelly (RIP) in the Home and Away pub, upstairs and arranging a friendly match over 7 or 8 boards between Skerries CC and Aer Lingus CC, of which Jim is a member.

Murray Chandler’s visit to Ireland in January 1984 saw him play four large simuls in as many days, in Dundrum, Trinity, Skerries, and Cork [4]. Gerry remembers a tournament held in the Rugby Club with multiple sections, inaccurately named the Inaugural Skerries Congress [5].

In 1987 when 1987 John Loughran joined, the club played upstairs and downstairs in the Home and Away pub in Holmpatrick, which was later renamed the Meeting House, then Caffe Italiano. Members then included Robbie Hand (died 2024), John Delaney, John Costello, Mick Kelly (RIP), Brian Leonard, Brian O’Sullivan, Niall O’Sullivan, Fred Harte, Paul Ruigrok, Emmet Ryan, Fred Harte. Some who were members then, continued playing after the club disbanded, joining Balbriggan CC [7] including Gerry Smith, Peter Whearity (died 2022) and Pat Hogan, as well as Joe Dunne who returned to Skerries CC soon after 2012. Robbie was the club secretary or chairman and the driving force. He organised everything, including the teams and many tournaments in Dublin, e.g. the one in Eolas/Forbairt/Fás, near Met Éireann in Glasnevin.

In 1988 Skerries came 11th in the Armstrong and were relegated [6].

1990s

Skerries got back into the Armstrong Cup in the 90s for a brief period, coming 5th in 1991, according to IRLchess [6]. For some reason they disappeared from the Armstrong then until 1997 when they came joint 6th-8th and were relegated [6]. Gerry remembers John Delaney, Ann Delaney and Gerry Quinn playing for us then as well as Tom Clarke who used to travel down from Belfast and stay with Robbie Hand in Lusk.

2000s

The club stopped meeting regularly around 1995 says Gerry, but continued playing in the leagues. The club’s last season before disbanding was in the O'Hanlon in the 2000/2001 season.

2010s

The club was started up again by John Loughran, Fred Harte and Paschal O’Shea in 2012. Enda Joyce and Gerry Smith and about 15 in all were at the first meeting in September 2012. Tuesday night was decided upon. Our growth and progress through the leagues is charted below and also on chessleague [8]. The first premises was upstairs in Joe Mays, where we stayed for five and a half years until February 2019. We spent a month or so in the Black Raven just before it closed and then moved to St. Patrick’s Senior NS around March/April 2018. We entered the National Club Championships (NCC)that year coming 8th (last). In 2019 we were promoted to the Heidenfeld, where we stayed for a year, just before Covid struck [9].

2020s

When Covid hit on 13 Mar 2020 over the board play was suspended. The club continued to meet online on Zoom every Tuesday, with some outdoor meetings attended mostly by junior players and some adults during the warmer months. We even competed in the Hibernian Online Chess League, where we came second in Division 1 [10].

The club reopened in Sept. 2021 in Skerries Amalgamated Bridge Clubs. We hosted the Cup finals on 27 July 2024 in St. Patrick's Senior NS.

Notes and Links

  1. Skerries Tournaments, IRL Chess History.
  2. 1956, Skerries Whitsun Congress, 19-21 May, =1st-2nd: Jim McDonough, K. O’Riordan [4.0/5 ], 3rd: R. Fricker. There were three sections with entrants placed according to playing strength.
  3. 1957, Skerries 2nd Annual Congress, Whit weekend, 8-10 June.
  4. Murray Chandler Simul, IRL Chess History.
  5. 1984, 'Inaugural' Skerries Congress, Skerries Rugby Club, Rush Road, Skerries, Co Dublin. 19-20 May. 1: P. Carton 5.0/5, =2-4: Tom M. Clarke, E. O’Reilly, Gerry Quinn 3.5.
  6. Balbriggan Chess Club History, icu.ie.
  7. Armstrong Cup, IRL Chess History.
  8. Club History of Teams in Leinster Leagues on chessleague.net. Choose Skerries.
  9. Skerries Chess Club's opening, Fingal Independant, 7 Sep 2019, from Irish Independent website.
  10. Hibernian Online Chess League, Division 1, chessleague.net.

Trophies, Promotions, Relegations, Major Events

Abbreviations explained

Cup = LCU Knockout Cups held after the Leagues, followed by the number of the tier;
Cup1 Branagan = Branagan Cup, the first tier of the LCU Knockout Cups;
Cup2 Killane = Killane Shield, the second tier of the LCU Knockout Cups;
Cup3 Brennan = Willie Brennan Cup, the third tier of the LCU Knockout Cups;
D = division in Leinster Leagues, followed by the number of the division. Followint letters A, B etc. denote a non regionalised section of that division, while N, S, W or C (Central) denote regionalised sections;