Category Archives: Players

Barney O’Sullivan

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Sean Coffey

Bill Egan’s email, cited in the last post, said that the sketch shown there is the only known extant image of Barney O’Sullivan. Thankfully, this is not the case, and there are several other pictures available. One picture has very … Continue reading →

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Bill Egan, Barney O’Sullivan

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Sean Coffey

Barney O’Sullivan (1899-1978) was Irish champion in 1939 and 1946. A version of the drawing above appeared on Mark Orr’s TICA (The Irish Chess Archive) website, and is in one of the ICU pages on him. As noted in the … Continue reading →

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Paul Carey 1964-2025

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Sean Coffey

I was very sorry to hear the news of Paul Carey’s passing, last Tuesday. Sincere condolences to his family. He was one of the organisers of the spectacularly successful and long-running Bunratty tournament from its founding throughout its existence. His … Continue reading →

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Henry Higgins 1941-2025

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Sean Coffey

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 … Continue reading →

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Three new FMs

Posted on October 26, 2025 by Sean Coffey

The European Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece, finished yesterday. Six Irish teams competed, with Blanchardstown achieving the highest placing, finishing 74th, with 6 match points. Ennis and Master C.C. finished 79th and 83rd, respectively, with 5 match points. Malahide, U.C.D., … Continue reading →

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Austin Bourke: Margate 1935

Posted on September 25, 2025 by David McAlister

From 1935 to 1939 the Kent County Chess Association staged five Congresses at or near Easter, until the Second World War put an end to the series. Many of the elite players of the period played in the Premier section, … Continue reading →

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Austin Bourke: First Steps

Posted on September 25, 2025 by David McAlister

Bourke, Patrick Martin Austin (1913–95), meteorologist and historian, was born 10 May 1913 in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, second son of Patrick M. Bourke, stationmaster, and Clare Bourke (née O’Sullivan). He was educated at Mount Sion CBS, Waterford, and UCC, where he was … Continue reading →

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Two small miracles

Posted on September 17, 2025 by David McAlister

Philidor Cup, Hyères 1928 A total of 45 games were played in the tournament but unfortunately we have so far succeeded in finding only one brilliant game from the 2nd round, when M. Duchamp crushed the last player E.H. Smith. … Continue reading →

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De Búrca or Cranston again, and other Warsaw reverberations

Posted on August 30, 2025 by David McAlister

“At the time I was 22 years old and easily the youngest member of the Irish team. Cranston, Creevey and O’Hanlon were already veterans of the chess-board; so that Ireland’s team had the doubtful distinction of being the oldest, in … Continue reading →

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Sonja Graf – Part 4: A Bewitching Visit to Cork

Posted on August 22, 2025 by David McAlister

The Evening Echo for Saturday 9th February 1935 gave Sonja Graf the big build-up, with some impressive evidence to back it up. TO VISIT CORK. FRAULEIN SONJA GRAF. Up to recently, Fraulein Wally Henschel (Hamburg) was the sole, and none … Continue reading →

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