Category Archives: Players

Sam Ferris, ca. 1937-2018

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Sean Coffey

The UCU web site has a recent news item announcing the death of the veteran Belfast South / Fisherwick player Sam Ferris. Sam Ferris Fisherwick C.C., 2006 (Photo from David McAlister, for which many thanks.) He made headlines when he … Continue reading →

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Philip Short 1960-2018

Posted on September 2, 2018 by Sean Coffey

Philip Short, August 2018 I’m reeling, as is anyone remotely linked with Irish chess, at the sudden and unexpected loss of Philip Short. He was Irish champion five times—1981 (joint), 1986 (j.), 1988, 2015 (j.), and 2017 (j.)—and finished joint … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish champions, Photos, Players | 4 Comments

Mulcahy-Bouwmeester, Munich Zonal 1954

Posted on March 24, 2018 by Sean Coffey

Today, March 24, marks the 50th anniversary of the Viscount air disaster. One of the 61 people on board was Noel Mulcahy, one of Ireland’s strongest players. He was Irish champion in 1953, and equal second or better in five … Continue reading →

Posted in Games, Irish champions, Players | 1 Comment

Irish championship players, updated

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Sean Coffey

The lists of Irish championship players have been updated: see the full list in descending order of number of championships played, and the same in alphabetical order. Compared with the lists originally posted last July, full names are given for … Continue reading →

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O’Hanlon-Cox 1936 Challenge Match revisited

Posted on August 18, 2017 by David McAlister

In my article on the 1936 O’Hanlon-Cox Challenge Match I was able to present six of the seven games played in the match. I have now unearthed the game-score of Game 1, the one that had previously eluded me. It is … Continue reading →

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Irish championship players

Posted on July 4, 2017 by Sean Coffey

John O’Hanlon’s long-standing record of nine Irish championship wins has been equalled by Stephen Brady, but O’Hanlon still holds one record: he competed in 29 championships. Even here his record is in some danger, with many currently active players nipping … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish championships, Players | 7 Comments

Michael V. O’Nolan

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Sean Coffey

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 … Continue reading →

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Brian Tomson, series helpmate in 26

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Sean Coffey

We’ve written previously here about the Irish player and problemist Brian Tomson. He played in the Glorney Cup, Armstrong Cup (for T.C.D.), finished equal 4th in the Irish championship in 1965, and represented Ireland in the Student Olympiad in 1967, … Continue reading →

Posted in Players, Puzzles | 1 Comment

Dick Grogan 1938-2016

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Sean Coffey

Dick Grogan, who died earlier this month, was a nationally prominent journalist. Most of his career was spent with the Irish Times, where among other assignments he served as Northern Editor. His Irish Times obituary is subtitled “Journalist whose career … Continue reading →

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Gerry McCurdy 1946-2016

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Sean Coffey

I’d posted here a couple of years ago about Gerry McCurdy, originally from Belfast, who was a strong player in Ireland in the 1960’s, and who had recently returned to chess after a gap of decades with much of his … Continue reading →

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