A report on the Irish Championship 2017, held July 29-August 6, 2017 in Ennis, has (belatedly) been added to the archives here.
It was the strongest Irish championship for many years—the average rating jumped 150+ points over the previous edition—and drew in many stronger players who have not been regulars in the event. There were very many interesting games, more than usual it seems to me: unbalanced and hard-fought, with crushing wins and amazing escapes.
Philip Short had a slow start, and was lost in his first game, but went on to win five games in a row, against the top five remaining finishers, before ending with two draws to finish equal first, becoming Irish champion for the fifth time. In doing so he incidentally achieved his first IM norm, and the first ever achieved in an Irish championship.
He was joined in first place by Alex Lopez, who lost to Short in round 4, but finished with five straight wins, starting with a dramatic escape in round 5 against Rory Quinn, when he was against the ropes.