Details of the Armstrong Cup 1949-50 season have been added to the Armstrong page here.
Eight teams competed: Colmcille ‘A’ & ‘B’, Dublin, Dublin University, Eoghan Ruadh, Sackville (holders), U.C.D., and Wellington Quay Workmen’s Club. Of these, Colmcille ‘B’ and Wellington Quay Workmen’s Club were new: Colmcille ‘B’ won the Ennis Shield in 1948-49, after a playoff with Dublin ‘B’; perhaps Dublin ‘B’ declined promotion. (Dublin University ‘B’ and Setanta seem to have been relegated after the previous season.)
Matches were over six boards, each team played each other once, and only match results counted.
Sackville, the holders, suffered an early setback by losing their first match to Eoghan Ruadh. (I believe this match also saw the Armstrong début of J. J. Walsh, for Eoghan Ruadh; as a substitute.) In the following round, Dublin beat Eoghan Ruadh, seemingly narrowly. These three teams dominated, winning all matches against the remaining five, except for Eoghan Ruadh’s 3-3 draw against Colmcille ‘A’ in round 4.
Thus it all came down, as so many times over the years, to the Dublin – Sackville match, played on February 10, 1950 at Sackville C.C., 51 Parnell Square, where Sackville needed to win to force a playoff match. No match scorecard seems to survive, but Dublin won the match, and went on to defeat Wellington Quay Workmen’s Club in the final match to record a clean sweep of the season.
The Dublin team was Michael Schuster (1919-1989; later Irish champion, in 1952), John J. O’Hanlon (1874 or 1876-1960; nine times Irish champion, between 1913 and 1940), T. Fitzgerald, P. W. (Patrick) Whelan (ca. 1892-1975; Leinster champion 1947 and 1949), Norman H. Wallace (1882-1971, Leinster champion 1920), T. G. (Thomas) Cranston (1877-1954, Irish champion 1922 and 1931), J. T. (John) Gerrard (1876-1954, Leinster champion 1924 and 1930), J. J. (James) Doyle (Leinster champion 1925), and H. A. Hartford (who played one match). In addition Mrs. Dwyer appeared in one match, but received a walkover, so played no game.
An excellent photo of the winning team, except for H. A. Hartford and Mrs. Dwyer, appeared in the Sunday Independent, April 2, 1950, p. 8. (Not shown here as I don’t have permission.)