History > South Of Ireland

About the South of Ireland Championship

Regarding the South of Ireland Championship, The Clare Journal of 26th August 1895 carried the following announcement: "The Lahinch Golf Club have arranged the meeting for the Championship of the South of Ireland to follow the Irish Championship meeting at Portrush. It is expected that many prominent players will journey down to the Western rendezvous. On Thursday, 19th September, the Open Championship for the South of Ireland will be played for by holes."
The choosing of a September date for the "South" was a wise decision. The Irish Open Championship took place on the preceding week and many of Ireland's top golfers, as well as players from the British mainland, continued on from the Irish Championship to compete in Lahinch. The prize for the winner was a Silver Challenge Cup and a Gold Medal.

1895-1900:

The first "South" Final was contested by two Limerick members of the Club - Dr. G. S. Browning and M. W Gavin. The Irish Field of 28th September, 1895, described the first South of Ireland as follows:

"The Lahinch meeting last week was unfortunate in the matter of weather. Nevertheless there was a good entry, including well-known players from some of the Midland Clubs. The Championship of the South of Ireland was won by Mr. G. Browning, who rather easily beat a fellow-clubman, Mr. M. Gavin, in the final by nine up and eight to play."

An interesting aspect of the first South of Ireland is that it is the only occasion a left-handed golfer won this Championship. Sixty-four years later another left hander, Paddy Donnelly, was a beaten finalist. Gerald Balfour, the Chief Secretary for Ireland and his wife, Betty, were at Lahinch for the first staging of the South of Ireland Championship.

The winner of the 1896 "South" was Brian O'Brien, a member of Lahinch, but playing out of Portsalon. While attending University in Dublin he was a keen "missionary" of the game but a busy medical practice curtailed his golf from 1905 on. Fred Ballingall came from Glenalmond in Scotland and won the Championship three times - 1897, 1898 and 1900. The course was regarded as a tough test of championship golf at that time. The Clare Journal of 7th September, 1897, reported that experienced golfers, who have seen many and varied results, are of the opinion that Lahinch is four or five strokes harder than any Links in the United Kingdom. In both the 1897 and 1898 finals Fred Ballingall beat his brother Henry.

The 1899 final was between J. Gairdner of Richmond and J. Livingstone of Edinburgh University. The Limerick Chronicle of 9th September, stated that A. W. Shaw and R. Plummer "made every arrangement for the comfort of the competitors and sent off the finalists at 10.30 a.m." Gairdner led by seven holes at the end of the first eighteen, having lowered the record of the green by one stroke - 77" He was a comfortable winner.

Fred Ballingall made the South of Ireland Silver Challenge Cup and the Gold Medal his own in 1900 when he won the Championship for the third time. An interesting feature of the 1900 Championship was that there were seven Scotsmen and one Irishman in the last eight. A report in the Clare Journal of 14th September, 1900, described conditions at Lahinch as follows:

"There is no wind to speak about and the wide spreading Atlantic out at Liscannor Bay, as far as the eye can reach, is a dazzling shimmering sheet, suggestive more of a Scottish Lough, than the great ocean. With such a strong Scottish presence, there is little doubt but that the title will be carried across the water by one or other of the representatives of the Thistle."

1901-1910:

In August 1901, A. W. Shaw presented a new South of Ireland trophy and the final was contested between two Englishmen, W. Dodd of Royal Liverpool and Sidney Fry of Royal Mid Surrey. Fry was a great billiard player but he had to give best to William Dodd on the 35th green. Fry got some compensation the following week when he won the Phelps Vase, at that time a most prestigious match play event in Club Week. R. Plummer was sadly missed from the organising of the 1901 meeting due to illness. Dr. George Browning did valuable work in the absence of R. Plummer.

In the 1902 "South" Dr. Browning reached the final after scoring a tie hole victory over the holder in the semi-final. William Ballingall from Carnoustie became the second member of that family to win the Championship scoring a 2/1 final victory. The 1903 "South" was previewed in the Clare Journal as follows:

"Messrs Fry, Dodd, Boyd and Castle will come from Portmarnock with H. Hanley and several others coming from Scotland. Those, with the natives, should provide good sport in the lovely village of Lahinch."

The 1903 "South" saw a tremendous quarterfinal match between D. Forster of Frinton and H. G. Castle of Chiswick. Forster went round in 75, the lowest round to date in the Championship at Lahinch, including a back nine of 33. He won 1 up. He was beaten at a tie hole in the semi-final by J. B. Ballingall, who thus became the third member of that illustrious family to win the title.

By now the "South" had established for itself a fine reputation. It was securing a top class entry, generating a great atmosphere amongst the players and attracting enthusiastic gatherings of spectators. The Lahinch Links was proving to be a unique test of golf. The Tom Morris lay-out was more than holding its own against all comers and its condition was highly commended. Willie MacNamara and his men were praised in contemporary newspapers "for bringing the course to an admirable state of perfection".

The 1904 final was a great contest between D. Forster and H. G. Castle, with Forster winning on the 36th green. In 1905, the Championship no longer succeeded the Irish Open and it was thought that the quality of entry might suffer. Such was not the case. Top quality players entering included Horace Castle, S. H. Fry, A. C. Lincoln, D. Forster, S. Easterbrook and W. Dodd from the British mainland with the Irish Open Champion H. A. Boyd and H. M. Cairnes from Portmarnock. Once again, great crowds watched the Championship and Horace Castle of Chiswick beat A. C. Lincoln, South Herts. in the final.

Lord Glenawley from Royal Co. Down beat A. E. Browning, a Lahinch member, in the 1906 final. Conditions for golf were difficult all week with torrential rain and strong winds.

The 1907 final was between J. J. Hurley and Harold Gillies who went on to become one of the leading plastic surgeons of his era. J. J. Hurley emerged victorious, adding to the Gold Medal he won at St. Andrew's earlier in the year. Over forty years later Harold Gillies returned to Lahinch. It was winter and the course was quiet. The Caddie Master, Johnny Barrett, had gone home for lunch as had the Considine sisters who worked at the bar. There was no one to meet and greet the famous Harold Gillies. He left a note on the Club House door which read: "Unlucky in 1907, unlucky again to-day.

Archie Aitken, a young golfer from Prestwick, won the 1908 "South". He also had St. Andrew's connections, winning the Scratch Medal and the St. Andrew's Cross over the famous Old Course. Another Scotsman, J. D. Little, won the 1909 Championship. The Irish Field recorded that Mr. Little was entertained to dinner by his Edinburgh golfing friends in January 1910, to celebrate his achievement of winning the South of Ireland title the previous year.

In the Irish Field report on the Championship, J. D. Little was said to have "come out with as good a game as I have ever seen played at an Irish Championship". The three new sea holes, designed by Charles Gibson of Westward Ho, were now in play and the result was a more challenging course.

The winner of the 1910 Championship was G. R. Girdlestone, a medical doctor by profession. That year's event featured two holes in one, almost simultaneously, by Dr. Girdlestone at the 13th and by William Dodd at the famous Dell. That was the first time such an occurrence took place at an Irish Championship. The Clare Journal saluted the victory of Dr. Girdlestone: "By his splendid victory over the crack London golfer Sidney Fry, G. R. Girdlestone was hailed the winner of the Southern Championship of the Green Isle".

1911-1920:

One of the finest golfers of his era, Lionel Munn, came from the Northwest Club to Lahinch and won the 1911 "South". He was the first player to win the Irish Amateur Championship four times and his presence at Lahinch added significantly to the status of the tournament. Delightful weather favoured the 1912 finalists, G. V. Boyd of Troon and T. Jennings of Cork. Jennings was 4 up after ten holes, but Boyd fought back, went ahead for the first time at the 35th and won by 1 up. A record entry of sixty-three players took part in the 1912 "South". They came from all parts of the world, from as far as South Africa, British Columbia and India.

The old brigade of loyal supporters always returned to try their luck in the "South." The Clare Journal report of 12th September 1912 summed up the unique attractiveness of the event:

"Some cavil at the title, but what matters as long as it brings together good golfers in such a cheery spot as Lahinch. Grand air is sufficient justification for an imposing title to the championship, which is not worried by a rota. There is something go-ahead about the September meeting, something that makes everyone there feel that he, or she, is the centre of things and good things too. Then there is the sweet informality of the place; the familiar names all experiencing windy days. Such is the call of the West Clare golfing mecca."

The 1913 title once more went across the Irish Sea when it was won by A. Murray of Purley Downs, with T. Jennings of Cork again the beaten finalist. The First World War put a temporary halt to the staging of the event and when it was next played in 1920, many of the old "South" faces were missing. It was won by Capt. Carter of Royal Portrush, a fine golfer who made a great impression on John Burke.

1921-1931:

In 1921 and in 1923 the title was won by a Corkman, Fitzjames Murphy, who was a great supporter of Lahinch. Two Dublin golfers contested the 1924 final with J.H. Crabbe of Foxrock beating W.G. McConnell of Portmarnock 1 up. Sutton member, M. Crowley, won in 1925 when the Championship was played in August for the first time. He was favourite to repeat his success when he met R. M. Simcox in the 1926 final. However, he suffered a loss of form in the afternoon round and R. M. Simcox won the first of his two titles.

Simcox was deprived of three in a row by John Burke who played in the Championship for the first time in 1928 and won it four times in a row and eleven times in all. (He did not compete from 1932 to 1937 at the request of some local business interests who felt that Burke's dominance of the championship was keeping many golfers away from Lahinch).

Mick O'Loughlin putting at the Dell in the 1930 South of Ireland Championship
The arrival of John Burke marked a new era for the Championship. Prior to that, the "South" was dominated by visitors to Lahinch. Burke was to change all of that. There was tremendous local interest in his achievements and many, who were never before inside a golf course, came to watch Burke in the "South" finals. His dominance of the Championship was once colourfully illustrated in paint on the notice board in the clubhouse. The Championship was at the quarterfinal stage and on arrival at the Club that morning the painted slogan on the Championship draw read: "Snow White and the seven dwarfs".

1932-1940:

J. C. Brown of Tramore won the first of three South of Irelands in 1932. He had a rounded flowing swing and was a star of Irish amateur golf for three decades. R.M. Saunders from Killiney, who stayed in a house built by Willie MacNamara, (now the home of the O'Brien family), won in 1934 and 1935. The only Tipperary winner of the Championship, T. F. Ryan, beat R. M. Simcox in the 1936 final. Mick O'Loughlin won in 1937 and in 1938. In the 1938 semi-final Mick scored a shock victory over John Burke. Mick was a most underrated golfer and was always a formidable competitor over Lahinch. John Burke was a surprise loser to Paul Murray in the semi-final of the 1940 Championship. During the game, John got most annoyed and this probably cost him the match. Paul Murray went on to win the title in 1940.

1941-1950:

John Burke came back to win the title six times in a row. During those years he had many narrow escapes. In the 1943 final he was 5 down to Brud Slattery after 18 holes. By the 29th hole he was 1 up but twice subsequently fell behind and was 1 down with two to play. He won both holes for a narrow win. In a howling gale, accompanied by rain, he played the afternoon round in 73 shots - magnificent golf.

South of Ireland Championship 1937. Standing: Mick O'Loughlin (winner), Tony Brindley (Captain), Des Torrens (finalist), Frank Dowling (Secretary).Seated: Stanley Martyn and Jack Beazley (semi-finalists).
In the 1944 final, he beat J. C. Brown, in 1945, he beat Cecil Ewing and in 1946, he scored his most famous victory of all. Then, approaching the veteran stage, he beat the rising star of Irish golf, Joe Carr, on the 39th hole in a memorable final.

The 1946 final on 15th August was watched by one of the largest crowds ever to gather for a game of golf in Ireland. It was a glorious day with just the hint of a breeze from the Atlantic Ocean. There were four chief stewards: Mick O'Loughlin, Justice Gleeson, Sergeant Daly and Guard Hayes. After eighteen holes Burke was 1 up and looked a likely winner in the early part of the final round. However, Carr had three birdies in a row and an eagle, winning all four holes. He was 2 up with three to play. At that stage he was a strong favourite to add the "South" title to the East and West of Ireland titles he had won earlier in the year. Burke won the 34th and was one down standing on the 36th tee. Both hit fine drives, with the younger Carr's the longer and better positioned on the fairway.

The Dell: 1946 Burke/Carr Final

As Burke walked towards his ball he had his driver in his hand. When he arrived at the ball he put the driver back into the bag and a few moments later he took out the same club and hit a tremendous shot to the edge of the green. Paddy Skerritt, who was caddying for Carr on that fateful day, believes that Burke's second shot with the driver was one of the finest he ever saw. Carr's second shot ended up short of the green. Burke played a beautiful chip from the edge of the green and won the hole with a birdie four and it was sudden death.

At the 37th, Burke's second shot went over the green and he was faced with a difficult pitch on to a hard green. He played it delightfully and the hole was halved in fours. The 39th hole was a wonderful sight. That hole was designed by John Burke himself. A huge crowd watched from every vantage point as Burke put his tee shot on to the heart of the green. Carr was short and in the bunker and failed to match Burke's three. Burke thus won his eleventh and last "South" title. The Irish Independent report of 16th August, 1946, stated:

1946 winner John Burke

"John Burke experienced many anxious moments and played much good golf in winning his ten previous titles, but I doubt if he ever found himself in as precarious a position as in yesterday's final."

In 1947 Brud Slattery was a popular winner. He played outstanding golf all through the Championship. In the final he met John Burke and in the afternoon he played sensational golf. He had six threes in succession from the 8th to the 13th to win by the astonishing margin of 6/5. The Irish Independent wrote on 15th August 1947:

"The defeat of Burke by such a huge margin and by a local player is astonishing. Slattery steps right into the picture as a national golf figure with this display".

Joe Carr finally put his name on the cup in 1948. He had an interesting path to the final, beating Mick O'Loughlin in the last 16, J. C. Brown in the quarterfinal, Brud Slattery in the semi-final and his clubmate Jimmy Carroll in the final. Jimmy Carroll was successful in 1949. He beat Peadar Skerritt at the 22nd in the semi-final and Brud Slattery in the final on the last green. Brud lost two holes due to two stymies in the match but credit is due to Carroll who beat two fancied local players to win.

Mick Power was a great supporter of the "South" and he won in 1950 and in 1952, beating Norman Drew in the '52 final. In between, Limerick man, Gerry Gilligan was a surprise winner beating Tom Egan from Cork in the final.

1947 winner Brud Slattery and finalist John Burke
1951-1960

The 1950's saw the arrival of Paddy Leyden as a major South of Ireland personality. He won the Championship four times. In the 1950 final he was beaten 12/10 by Mick Power and he returned to Spanish Point dejected, wondering if he would ever play golf again. The following spring he resumed practising and was a quarter-finalist in the 1951 Championship. He went on to beat Mick Power in three subsequent finals. He was a tigerish match player, possessed a fine rhythmic swing and had an excellent touch with the wedge.

Paddy Bugler of Ennis, whose family had a long association with the Club, won in 1954, beating Tony Mahon in the final.

South of Ireland Championship 1955

Paddy Leyden congratulated by Brud Slattery (finalist) In the 1958 final J. C. Brown beat a player who hadn't been born when he won his previous Championships - Gerard McGlennon. The 1959 "South" was won by Southport and Ainsdale school teacher G. F. Roberts. In the final against Paddy Donnelly, Roberts overcame the handicap of playing with glasses in heavy rain, which caused many of the greens to flood. New holes had to be cut. Paddy O'Sullivan came from Kinsale to beat Oxford student, Peter Morrison, in the 1960 final.

1953 winner P.J Leydon
1961-1970

Michael Guerin, in the 1960's, joined a select group of players who won the Championship three times. He beat lan Bamford, Michael Skerritt and Walker Cup player, David Sheehan, in three successive finals. The 1964 final was the last to be played over 36 holes. It was a wonderful final. John Nestor was around in 68 to Bill Kelleher's 69 in the morning. Kelleher, the eventual winner, needed a four on the 18th in the afternoon for a round of 65. That round represents the lowest scoring ever achieved in a South of Ireland final.

South of Ireland Championship 1968

Greg Young (finalist),Derry Culliagan (Captain), J.D. Smyth (winner).
Rupert de Lacy Staunton, of Castlerea, won the first of two "South"s in 1965. He beat Greg Young in both finals. In 1966, Joe Carr, after an absence of eighteen years, returned and was successful. The Championship of that year featured Walker Cup players Peter Townsend, Ronnie Shade and Finlay Black. In 1967, Noel Fogarty from Royal Dublin beat Scotsman, Scott McDonald in the final.

John Smyth from Ennistymon was the last local to win the title when he beat his great friend, Greg Young, in the final of 1968. Greg was beaten in five South of Ireland finals. To reach five finals is a singular achievement. He was unluckiest in his last final of 1972. He went around in 70 shots and finished with a great four at the 18th. However, Rupert Staunton sank a difficult twelve foot putt on the 18th to save the match and went on to win at the 20th. In 1969, Joe Carr narrowly beat Noel Fogarty in an excellent final. John O'Leary was a popular winner in 1970.

1971-1980:

Pat Mulcare fulfilled his rich promise by winning the 1971 title.

Little Mark Gannon came from Baltray and won the first of two titles in 1973, beating David Long in the final. David Long became the first Northern player in fifty four years to win the title when he returned in 1974 and won the final on the 19th hole. Brian Malone scored a last green victory over Michael Skerritt in the '75 final. Vincent Nevin, now reaching the end of a great golf career, won in 1976 and 1978. Almost twenty years earlier he came close to winning. It was fitting that he should embellish a fine record, including victory in the Irish Close Championship and the West of Ireland, with a couple of "South" titles. The steady Liam MacNamara, with Clare ancestry, won in 1977.

Jackie Harrington of Adare Manor played with distinction in the "South" for over thirty years. He never won the title but he played many great matches and was a semi-finalist on three occasions.

Padraic O'Rourke won the title three times and was an effective campaigner with a fine temperament. Michael Burns following in the footsteps of his clubmate, J. C. Brown, won the title in 1980.

1981-1991:

Mick Morris, an All Ireland football medal winner with Kerry, won in 1982. The 1983 Championship was played in heat wave conditions and was won by Adrian Morrow.

South of Ireland Championship 1972 Rupert de Lacy Staunton (winner), John McInerney (Captain), G.A.Young (finalist)
Neil Anderson, with David Long as his caddie, won the 1984 final against Mick Morris on the 19th green. He shed tears of joy on the same green where David Long won the title ten years earlier. John McHenry became the first Corkman in twenty-two years to win the title in 1986.

First to congratulate him was Mick Power. Barry Reddan beat his clubmate Mark Gannon at the 20th in the 1987 final just a few yards from where his mother lost the 1946 Irish Ladies' Championship final to Phil Garvey on the 39th green.

Stephen Keenan became the first Galway winner in 1989. In the final he beat Jody Flanagan, a grandson of Paul Murray the 1940 winner of the Championship. The following year Darren Clarke from Dungannon added the "South" to the North of Ireland, East of Ireland and the Irish Close titles, all won in 1990. He was the seventh northern golfer to win the title.

The eighty-ninth South of Ireland Championship in 1991 attracted, perhaps, the finest quality entry ever to compete in any amateur championship in this country. Three top class golfers from Australia and a number of others from the United States joined the best amateur golfers in Ireland to try and win the oldest and most famous Provincial Golf Championship .

Magnificent weather contributed to a wonderful atmosphere at Lahinch and the final was of the highest quality between Philip Johns, from Sunshine, Melbourne, Australia and Walker Cup player, Paul McGinley of the Grange. Both players went around in 67 strokes and Paul McGinley won on the last green.

Many factors contribute to the popularity of Lahinch Golf Club, but pride of place must be given to the "South". When Alexander Shaw and Richard Plummer got the first "South" under way in September 1895, their wish was to bring the best amateur golfers of the era to Lahinch. Their solid foundations ensured the Championship survived the ravages of World War 1 and went on to become one of the most prestigious amateur events in Ireland.

Jackie Harrington won many amateur trophies in a distinguished career in golf. His son, Brian, observed that he would trade all of those trophies for one "South" title. Another factor that contributes to the mystique of the "South" is that, with the exception of 1895 when it was first played, the Championship has never been won by any player on his first visit to Lahinch. (John Burke as a local won the title at his first attempt in 1928.)

Since 1977, Garth McGimpsey has won every possible honour in the amateur game, including all the major championships, with the exception of the "South". For many years he has made the long journey from Bangor, Co. Down, to Lahinch to try and win the title. He has played wonderful golf over the Lahinch Links, particularly during the Home Internationals in 1987 when he won all his five matches. But victory in the "South" has so far eluded him.

Year after year golfing spectators make their way to Lahinch to see another "South" chapter unfold. Their presence in such large numbers gives the "South" a unique atmosphere. The Championship, since its earliest days, has attracted a number of overseas challengers, many of whom have made a significant contribution to the event. Above all else there is the record of John Burke, "King of Lahinch" - 11 times South of Ireland Champion. That record is unlikely to be equalled.