The last post mentioned M. O’Nolan, saying that he was very probably a brother of Brian O’Nolan. Indeed the name is very uncommon in all of Ireland, let alone in Blackrock. And Brian O’Nolan had many brothers: he was from a family of twelve children.
It struck me later that Brian O’Nolan was born in 1911, and I gather he was one of the older children; given that there were far fewer young players in that era than there are now, perhaps M. O’Nolan was not a brother but Brian O’Nolan’s father?
And indeed that turns out to be the case. Michael Victor O’Nolan was a Revenue Commissioner, and the family lived at 4 Avoca Terrace, Blackrock.
From his obituary in the Evening Herald, September 25, 1937:
Publication of the second number of the new monthly, “Irish Chess”, has been overshadowed by the regretted demise of its principal patron, Mr. M. V. O’Nolan, Commissioner of Revenue and Customs, the result of a sudden seizure on July 29. Greatly respected, apart from his high position, he was in manner kindly and unobtrusive. He played a first-class game of chess, and supported both Blackrock and Dublin clubs, the former possessing prior claims on his service for match play.
He was a member of the Blackrock team that won the Armstrong Cup in 1935-36, bridging a 33-year gap to the previous Blackrock victory and also breaking the longstanding Dublin & Sackville monopoly on the cup. He played on various boards from 4 to 8, with overall record either +4 = 1 -3 or +5 =1 -2 (records are contradictory for one match), with one adjournment and one walkover.
A picture of the winning team appeared in the Irish Independent. Michael O’Nolan is seated in front, at left:
