Branagan Cup

Knockout Cup over 6 boards (usually; was over 5 boards for some years, and in later years had all-play-all preliminary groups followed by knockout stage), open to players who played in the Armstrong Cup or Heidenfeld Trophy in the season.

  • Roll of Honour:
  •  
  • 1974      U.C.D.
  • 1975      U.C.D.
  • 1976      Rathmines
  • 1977      Dundrum
  • 1978      Rathfarnham
  • 1979      Rathfarnham
  • 1980      Raheny
  • 1981      Raheny
  • 1982      Raheny
  • 1983      Raheny
  • 1984      Raheny
  • 1985      Dundrum
  • 1986      Kevin Barry
  • 1987   Dundrum
  • 1988   Phibsboro
  • 1989   Dún Laoghaire
  • 1990   Dún Laoghaire
  • 1991   Phibsboro
  •  
  • 1994   No competition
  • 1995   Crumlin
  • 1996   Crumlin
  • 1997   St. Benildus (A)
  • 1998   Bray/Greystones
  • 1999   Bray/Greystones (B)
  • 2000   Dublin
  • 2001   Phibsboro
  • 2002   Phibsboro
  • 2003   Dún Laoghaire (B)
  • 2004   Phibsboro
  • 2005   Rathmines
  • 2006   Phibsboro
  • 2007   Phibsboro
  • 2008   Phibsboro
  • 2009   Bray
  • 2010   Rathmines
  • 2011   Elm Mount
  • 2012   Elm Mount
  • 2013   Elm Mount
  • 2014   Elm Mount
  • 2015   Gonzaga
  • 2016   No competition
  • 2017   Gonzaga
  • 2018   No competition
  • 2019      Gonzaga
  • 2022      Dublin

Scores and Players:

1974   U.C.D.
Bernard Kernan, Stephen Meyler, A. Spillane, C. Barnwell, P. Victory, R. Nolan.
Final (First session, Dublin C.C., 20 Lincoln Place, 1974.05.??. Board 1 adjourned game completed 1974.07.??): U.C.D. 3 – 3 Phibsboro. U.C.D. won on board count. (B. Kernan ½ – ½ A. Duffy; S. Meyler 1 – 0 N. Duffy; A. Spillane ½ – ½ B. Ryan; C. Barnwell 0 – 1 (default) R. Sturdy; P. Victory 0 – 1 A. Mooney; R. Nolan 1 – 0 P. Carty). Semi-finals: U.C.D. 4 – 2 Kevin Barry; Phibsboro 5 – 1 Sandymount.

1976   Rathmines
David Dunne, Michael Keeshan, Jack Killane, M. O’Brioin, C. Hooper, T. Callan.
Final (25.02.1976): Rathmines 3 -2 Dundrum; 1 game adjourned but Rathmines winners on board count even if match ended 3 -3. (David Dunne 1 – 0 Paul Cassidy; Michael Keeshan 0 – 1 John Frain; Jack Killane ½ – ½ Michael Keane; M. O’Brioin 1 – 0 Ernie McElroy; C. Hooper ½ – ½ Eugene Curtin; T. Callan adj. John Griffin (likely Griffin win).

1977   Dundrum
Tim Harding, Eugene Curtin, John Griffin, John Frain, Jim Prendiville, Gerry McDonagh.
Final (Dublin C.C., 20 Lincoln Place, 14 Mar 1977): Dundrum 3½ – 2½ Dublin (Tim Harding ½ – ½ A. Spillane; Eugene Curtin ½ – ½ J.J. Walsh; John Griffin 0 – 1 John Brennan; John Frain ½ – ½ Seán Terry; Jim Prendiville 1 – 0 T.G. Gaden; Gerry McDonagh 1 – 0 J.W. Hackett).
Semi-final (23 Feb 1977): Dublin 5½ – ½ Kilbarrack. (Scorecard.)

Note: There are varying accounts of the score and board order. The source for the above is J.J. Walsh in the Irish Times and is tentatively preferred because it comes from a contemporary report by one of the participants. The Irish Press report also gives Dundrum 3½ – 2½ Dublin but transposes boards 5 and 6. The account by Seán Terry gives instead Dundrum 3-3 Dublin (Dundrum still winning, but on board count) and with Frain-Terry played on Board 6.

1978   Rathfarnham
Final: Rathfarnham (known then as Yellow House) 5 – 1 T.C.D. (Dublin University).

1979   Rathfarnham
Colm Barry, Tony Doyle, Denis Healy, Bernard Palmer, Eamonn Martin, Ciarán Scolard.
Final (April 1979): Rathfarnham 4 – 2 Dundrum (Colm Barry ½ – ½ Tim Harding; Tony Doyle 1 – 0 Eugene Curtin; Denis Healy ½ – ½ John Griffin; Bernard Palmer ½ – ½ John Frain; Eamonn Martin ½ – ½ Seán Coffey; Ciarán Scolard 1 – 0 Jim Prendiville).

1980   Raheny
Paul Delaney, John Delaney, Pat Carton, Ciarán Quinn, Ann Delaney, John Nolan.
Final (Sandymount CC, May 1980): Raheny 4½ – 1½ Sandymount (Paul Delaney 1 – 0 Joe Noone; John Delaney 1 – 0 Gerard O’Connell; Pat Carton 0 – 1 Guy Lyons; Ciarán Quinn ½ – ½ Paul Stanley; Ann Delaney 1 – 0 Pat O’Hara; John Nolan 1 – 0 Pat Staunton). Semi-finals: Raheny beat Rathmines; Sandymount beat Rathfarnham.

1981   Raheny
Paul Delaney, John Delaney, Ciaran Quinn, Ann Delaney, John Nolan, April Cronin.
Final: Raheny 4½ – 1½ Dalkey (Paul Delaney ½ – ½ Liam Hearns; John Delaney 1 – 0 Séamus Duffy; Ciarán Quinn ½ – ½ P. O’Tuathaill; Ann Delaney 1 – 0 John Lane; John Nolan ½ – ½ Jack Parker; April Cronin 1 – 0 P. Reilly). Raheny beat Dundrum, Rathfarnham, Rathmines and Collegians on the way the final.

1982   Raheny
Final: Raheny 3½ – 2½ Phibsboro. Semi Finals: Raheny 5 – 1 Sandymount; Phibsboro 3½ – 1½ Rathmines (1 adjourned). Quarter Finals: Sandymount 3 – 3 Dalkey (Sandymount won on board count); Raheny 4 – 2 Rathmines (B); Lucan 1 – 5 Phibsboro; Rathmines (A) 4½ – 1½ Rathfarnham (B)

1983   Raheny

1984   Raheny
Final: Raheny 3½ – 2½ Kevin Barry.

1988   Phibsboro
Colm Daly, Brendan Ryan, Stephen Brady, Hugh Cummins, M. Neville, Kevin Butler.
Final: Phibsboro 3½ – 2½ Kevin Barry (Colm Daly 1 – 0 Colm Barry, B. Ryan ½ – ½ Eddie O’Reilly, Stephen Brady ½ – ½ Eric McMahon, Hugh Cummins 1 – 0 Tony Doyle, M. Neville 0 – 1 P. O’Tuathaill, Kevin Butler ½ – ½ John Nolan.

1990   Dún Laoghaire
(22 teams)

1991   Phibsboro
Stephen Brady, Mike Neville, Kevin Butler, Hugh Cummins, Neil McMahon.
13.04-14.04.1991, Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin: 1. Phibsboro 20½/30; 2. Kevin Barry 19½; 3. Dún Laoghaire 19; 4. Collegians 18½; 5. Rathmines A 18; 6. Skerries 17½; 7. Elm Mount 16½; 8. Rathmines B 16; 9=11. Kilkenny, Ballyroan, Finglas 15; 12. Lucan 12½; 13. Dublin 12; 14. St.Benildus 11½; 15=16. Greystones, Ballyfermot 10; 17. Tallaght 8½

1994  No competition

1995   Crumlin
Colm Daly, Hugh Cummins, John Hurley, Bernard Palmer, Cormac Brady, Trevor Rufli, Derek Smith.
31.03-02.04.1995, Phibsboro CC, Ierne Ballroom, Parnell Square: 1. Crumlin 19/25; 2. Rathmines A 17½; 3. Elm Mount A 16; 4. Dun Laoire 15½; 5. St. Benildus B 15; 6=7. Collegians, Phibsboro A 14½; 8=9. St. Benildus A, Rathfarnham 14; 10=11. Rathmines B, Phibsboro B 13½; 12. Portmarnock 13; 13=14. Tallaght, Public Service 12½; 15. Phibsboro C 12; 16. Bray 10½; 17=18. Inchicore, Artane 10; 19. Elm Mount B 9; 20=21. Ballyfermot, Straffan 8½; 22. Phibsboro D 6.5

1996   Crumlin
Crumlin: Cormac Brady, Hugh Cummins.

1997   St. Benildus (A)
Ryan, Daly, O’Connell, McCarthy, Lyons.
12.04-13.04.1997: 1st St. Benildus A 21/25, 2nd Gonzaga 19 (8 teams).

1998   Bray/Greystones
Final: Bray 4-1 Crumlin. Bray/Greystones: Stephen Brady, Hayden Barber.

1999   Bray/Greystones (B)
Joe Ryan, Pat Reynolds, Séamus Duffy, Eric Bennett, Jim Joyce, John Phelan, Tom Conlon.
Final: Bray B 3-2 Phibsboro A. Semi-final: Bray B 3½-1½ Malahide. Quarter-finals: Bray B 4-1 Dún Laoghaire; Phibsboro A 3½-1½ Bray A. First round: Bray B 5-0 Phibsboro B.

2000   Dublin
Final: Dublin 3-2 Dún Laoghaire.

2001   Phibsboro
Final (Dublin CC, 25.07.2001) Phibsboro 4 – 1 Bray B . Semi-finals: Phibsboro 5 – 0 Dublin A; Bray B 3½ – 1½ Elm Mount A

2002   Phibsboro

2003   Dún Laoghaire (B)
Anthony Fox, John Lane, Andrew Lynch, Liam Hearns, Peter Jackson.
Final (Dublin C.C., 17th July 2003): Dún Laoghaire B 3 – 2 Phibsboro B (Anthony Fox 1 -0 Paul Dempsey; John Lane ½ – ½ Brian Fitzpatrick; Andrew Lynch 1 -0 Thomas Brezing; Liam Hearns ½- ½ Colm Fitzpatrick; Peter Jackson 0 – 1 Kieran English).

2005   Rathmines

2006   Phibsboro
Phibsboro: Stephen Brady.

2007   Phibsboro
Final: Phibsboro v. Dublin University. Dublin University ruled disqualified on the basis of ineligible players.

2009   Bray
Final: Bray 3-3 Rathmines (Bray won on tie-break).

2010   Rathmines
John Delaney, Peter Cafolla, Killian Delaney, Darren McCabe, Michael Kennedy, Tony Scannell, Mindaugas Janusaitis, Jack Killane.
Final (21.06.2010): Rathmines 3½-2½ Phibsboro. Semi-final (14.06.2010): Rathmines 3½-1½ St. Benildus. Quarter-finals: (05.31.2010) Rathmines 4-2 Drogheda; St. Benildus 4½-1½ Celbridge; Gonzaga 4½-1½ Bray; Phibsboro 4-2 Elm Mount. First round: (05.15.2010) Bray 4½-Curragh 1½; Elm Mount 5-1 Rathmines B.

2011   Elm Mount
Final (Teacher’s Club, 28.05.2011?): Elm Mount 5½-½ Gonzaga.

2012   Elm Mount
David Fitzsimons, Zygis Jakubauskas, Ciarán Quinn, Gerard MacElligott, Oliver Dunne, Bernard Boyle, Terry Creighton, Pat Fitzsimons, John Loughran, Fred Armstrong.
Final: Elm Mount 3½-2½ Phibsboro. (David Fitzsimons ½ – ½ Stephen Brady; Zygis Jakubauskas 1-0 Juri Firstov; Ciarán Quinn 1-0 John Nolan; Gerard MacElligott 0-1 Richard O’Donovan; Oliver Dunne ½- ½ David Salter; Bernard Boyle ½ – ½ Herbert Scarry.)

2013   Elm Mount
David Fitzsimons, Zygis Jakubauskas, Ciarán Quinn, Gerard MacElligott, Oliver Dunne, Liam Porter.
Final (2013.07.03): Elm Mount 4½-1½ Bray/Greystones.

2014   Elm Mount
David Fitzsimons, Zygis Jakubauskas, Ciarán Quinn, Matthias Rahneberg, Gerard MacElligott, Oliver Dunne, Bernard Boyle, Adam Spirek.
Final (Ierne Sports and Social Club, 12 Grace Park Road, Drumcondra, July 21, 2014): Elm Mount 3½ – 2½ Gonzaga. (David Fitzsimons 0 – 1 Sam Collins; Zygimantas Jakubauskas ½ – ½ Killian Delaney; Ciarán Quinn 0 – 1 Conor O’Donnell; Matthias Rahneberg 1 – 0 David B. Murray; Gerard MacElligott 1 – 0 Peter J. Hayes; Oliver Dunne 1 – 0 John McMorrow.)

2015   Gonzaga
Sam Collins, Conor O’Donnell, Carl Jackson, Gordon Freeman, Killian Delaney, David B. Murray.
Final (Elm Mount C.C., 12 Grace Park Road, Drumcondra, June 27, 2015): Elm Mount ½ – 5½ Gonzaga. (David Fitzsimons ½ – ½ Sam Collins; Gerard MacElligott 0 – 1 Conor O’Donnell; Zygimantas Jacubauskas 0 – 1 Carl Jackson; Ciarán Quinn 0 – 1 Gordon Freeman; Oliver Dunne 0 – 1 Killian Delaney; Liam Porter 0 – 1 David B. Murray. (Elm Mount White on odd boards.))

2017   Gonzaga
Sam Collins, Conor O’Donnell*, Killian Delaney, Henry Li, Eoghan Casey, Marc Lincoln, Gordon Freeman, John McMorrow, Ben Cullen*, Carl Jackson*, David Murray*, Andy Keenan*.
Final: Gonzaga 4 – 2 Bray/Greystones. (Sam Collins 1 – 0 Colm Daly; Conor O’Donnell 1 – 0 John Joyce; Henry Li ½ – ½ Michael Waters; Killian Delaney 1 – 0 John Cairns; Eoghan Casey 0 – 1 Robert Pye; Marc Lincoln ½ – ½ Garrett Curran (board order approximate)). (Gonzaga White on odd boards.))

2019      Gonzaga A
Sam Collins, Killian Delaney, Henry Li, Carl Jackson, Gordon Freeman, David Murray, Eoghan Casey, Ray Byrne, Max Tempany, Daniel Dwyer, Emmet McGlade.

2022      Dublin
Jonathan O’Connor, John P. A. Kennedy, Martin Schmidt, Mark A. Collins, Robert Murtagh, Mohammad Mahbub Parouare, Uffe Balslev*, Daniel Martinez Otero, Eddie O’Connor, Shahram Nikrow*.
Final (June 18): Dublin 4 – 2 Gonzaga A.

  • Sources:
  • Irish Times, February 26, 1974.
  • Irish Times, May 7, 1974, p. 11.
  • Irish Press, July 18, 1974, p. 13.
  • Irish Times, March 25, 1975, p. 15 (re U.C.D. 1974; U.C.D. or Rathmines 1975).
  • Sunday Independent, February 29, 1976, p.19 (re 1976).
  • Seán Terry, Disinformator 6, October 1996 (re 1977).
  • Seán Coffey, DisinformatorTM, IRLchess, 24th December 2011 (re 1977).
  • Irish Times, March 16, 1977, p. 16 and Irish Press, March 16, 1977, p. 12, (re 1977).
  • ICU Yearbook 1977-78 (re 1978).
  • Sunday Independent, May 28, 1978, p. 11 (re 1978).
  • Cyril Hardiman, “Branagan Cup for Rathfarnham,” Sunday Independent, April 29, 1979, p. 20.
  • Sunday Independent, May 11, 1980, p. 14, Irish Press, May 13, 1980, p. 13 and Irish Times, May 14, 1980, p. 8 (re 1980).
  • Sunday Independent, April 26, 1981, p. 12 (re 1981).
  • Irish Press, February 18, 1982, p. 15, Irish Press, March 5, 1982, p. 19, and Sunday Independent, May 9, 1982, p. 12 (re 1982).
  • Irish Times, June 22, 1984, p. 10 (re 1983, 1984).
  • Irish Chess Journal Vol. 1 No. 4, 1988, p. 7 (re 1988).
  • Irish Chess Journal Vol. 3 No. 3, 1991, p. 21 (re 1990 and 1991).
  • Irish Chess Journal Vol. 7 No. 3, 1995, pp. 13-17 (re 1994 and 1995).
  • John Hurley, CHESS IRELAND – NEWS, Jan 1997-Feb 1998 (re 1997).
  • Hugh Cummins, “Cormac Brady: 1956-2003”, 2003 (re 1995, 1996).
  • Bray/Greystones C.C. web pages, A brief history (via the Wayback Machine) (re 1998).
  • John Hurley, CHESS IRELAND – NEWS, May-Jun 1998 (re 1998).
  • John Hurley, CHESS IRELAND – NEWS, Jan-Mar 1999 (re 1999).
  • John Hurley, CHESS IRELAND – NEWS, Jun-Aug 2000 (re 2000).
  • Irish Chess Journal Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 20 (re 2001).
  • Email from Ciarán Quinn, 8 June 2013 (re 2001, 2004, and 2008).
  • Kieran English, A brief history of Phibsboro Chess Club, Phibsboro C.C. web pages 2003 (via the Wayback Machine) (re 2002).
  • Email from Anthony Fox, April 22, 2012 (re 2003).
  • Rathmines C.C. web pages, Roll of Honor (re 2005).
  • Phibsboro C.C. web pages, News: Archive (2007) (re 2006).
  • Phibsboro C.C., Report on the Annual General Meeting Monday 11th September 2006 (re 2006).
  • Phibsboro C.C., Annual General Meeting, Monday 10th September 2007 (re 2007).
  • John Healy, Annual General Meeting of the Leinster Chess Union, June 2007 (re 2007 final).
  • Pawel Madynski, Branagan Cup, LCU Blog, May 18, 2010, plus comments, (re 2010).
  • Rathmines C.C. web pages, Branagan Cup win for Rathmines, June 15, 2010 (re 2010).
  • Rathmines C.C. web pages, Branagan Cup Triumph, June 22, 2010 (re 2010).
  • Peter Cafolla, Branagan Cup Final, LCU Blog, June 22, 2010 (re 2009, 2010).
  • Elm Mount C.C. web pages, Cup 2010 (re 2010).
  • Elm Mount C.C. web pages, Updates 30/5/2011 (re 2011).
  • Team knockouts 2012, LCU web pages, June 2012.
  • Gerard MacElligott Facebook page, July 4, 2013 (re 2013).
  • Oliver Dunne, via email, July 4, 2013 (re 2013).
  • Killane Shield runners-up, Elm Mount C.C. web pages, July 17, 2014 (re 2014).
  • Gerard MacElligott Facebook page, July 22, 2014 (re 2014).
  • Oliver Dunne, via email, July 22, 2014 (re 2014).
  • “En Passant”, Boards.ie, July 22, 2014 (re final venue, 2014).
  • Comment by Pat Reynolds, this page, August 21, 2014 (cup winners from inscriptions on trophy) (comment disappeared from system somehow: cf. archived copy of the page (via the Wayback Machine)
  • Email from Oliver Dunne, June 28, 2015 (re final, 2015).
  • LCU Branagan Cup 2017, ICU ratings web site (re 2017).
  • Branagan Cup 2019, Chess-Results.com.
  • Dublin CC wins Branagan Cup, Dublin C.C. web pages, June 20, 2022 (re 2022; score and date of final); final and semi-finals, ICU ratings web site. Tables, Chess League web site.
  • Tweet, Jonathan O’Connor, 18 June 2022; tweet, John P. A. Kennedy, June 18, 2022 (photo of team).

Last updated: December 6, 2022.

3 Responses to Branagan Cup

  1. Pingback: Branagan Cup 1977 | IRLchess

  2. Sean Coffey says:

    Pat,

    Great information! I’ve updated the page.

    One entry surprised me: the one listing Dundrum as winners in 1985. The reason is that I was playing for Dundrum that year (my last season, in fact) and we won the Armstrong Cup for the first and only time. I thought I’d have remembered it if we had achieved the double. I remember that Dundrum didn’t win the National Club Championship that year, Kevin Barry or Raheny did. I had the impression they were there as Branagan winners?

    Anyway, thanks again for the information, which clears up quite a few gaps!

    Sean

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