I was very sorry to hear of the recent passing of Henry (Harry) Higgins, via an obituary by Kevin Burke on the ICU web site yesterday.
He organised the Dundrum International Opens in 1975 and 1976, which were at the time the largest chess competitions ever held in Ireland. I was brought as a ten-year-old to the 1975 event at Wesley College and still vividly recall my awe at the entire spectacle. “A Triumph of Organisation” was the headline of J. J. Walsh’s review of that event in the Irish Times.
He was a founding member of Dundrum C.C., my own club, and was part of the team that was promoted rapidly from Ennis Shield in 1973-74 to the Heidenfeld Trophy, and then immediately to the Armstrong Cup for the 1975-76 season. I can’t definitely recall if I ever played him myself, but we were teammates in some Armstrong matches at the end of that decade. He was still playing for St. Benildus, which had merged with Dundrum in 1991, up to the 2013-14 season.
Deepest sympathies to his family.
Henry Higgins, b. 19 February 1941, d. Dublin, 12 August 2025.
I was saddened to hear of Harry’s passing. My condolences to his family and friends.
Harry was a founding member of Dundrum CC. When I was just a young junior playing for Dundrum, he kindly gave me every encouragement.
I only played Harry once, in a club game. As Black, I ventured the highly dodgy Englund Gambit ( 1d4 e5?! ) against him. After he duly slaughtered me I vowed to never play the Englund Gambit ever again!
Rest in Peace Harry.