Dear Members,
Welcome to the June edition of ‘The Tennis Captains Newsletter’! I hope you are all playing lots of tennis and enjoying the longer evenings! Here is a quick summary of events over the past month and some upcoming events you might like to be aware of. Please contact me if you have any questions or want to know more about any of these events. Club events are also published on our website and on Facebook and Instagram.
Quote of the month; “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” Arthur Ashe
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Friday Night Social Tennis
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Munster Tour 1000 Senior Open
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Winter league Phase 2 Finals
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Spring League 2025
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Summer Cup 2025
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Interprovincial Honours
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International Honours
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Members Achieving New Grades
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Junior Tennis Update
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Ladies Wednesday Morning Tennis Lunch
1. Social Tennis
Social tennis is ongoing most Fridays! Friday the 9th of May was a record evening with 35 players across the grades signing up and turning up to play in beautiful sunshine. Thanks to Anne Keane for running it so efficiently. Do consider coming in and encouraging your friends also, it’s a lovely social evening where you might meet some members you haven’t seen in a while or haven’t met before. All grades are welcome to attend, €5 for tennis and pizza! This is the sign up link
Alternatively, you can sign up using the link on the club website or you can use the QR code on the Social Tennis poster on the main notice board in the clubhouse. There is a tennis committee member on site every Friday to run the evening.
The next dates are;
June 6th
June 13th
June 20th
June 27th
July 4th
2. Munster Tour 1000 Senior Open
Well what can I write?!! Our annual Munster Senior Open was held from Tuesday, May 13th until Saturday, May 24th in glorious sunshine. Possibly the sunniest Open we have ever run! We had over 500 players from 33 nationalities participating across 30 events, making it one of the largest Open’s in the country this year … .and it was a tremendous success!!
Heartiest Congratulations to our many members who won and came runner up in events across all the grades. We are all so proud of you!
Grade 1;
Lisa Friess..Women’s Winner.
Tommy Fitzgerald…Men’s Runner-up
Lisa Friess & Susie Fitzgerald..Women’s Doubles Winners.
Jess Carley & partner Margherita…Women’s Doubles Runners-up.
Johnny Fitzgerald & Tommy Fitzgerald..Men’s Doubles Runners-up
Grade 2;
Paul Barry & Kevin Quirke Jnr…Men’s Doubles Winners.
Louise Twomey & partner Lisa…Women’s Doubles Runners-up.
Grade3;
Diarmuid Hurley…Men’s Singles Runner-up.
Louise O’Mullane & Feena Toibin…Women’s Doubles Winners.
Kevin O’Regan & Feena Toibin….Mixed Doubles Winners.
Grade 4;
Doris Murphy…Women’s Singles Winner.
Zita O’Dwyer…Women’s Singles Runner-up.
Grainne Curran & Brendan Curran…Mixed Doubles Winners.
Zita O’Dwyer & partner Cian…Mixed Doubles Runner-up.
Willie Carey & Brendan Curran…Men’s Doubles Runners-up.
Grade 6;
Siobhan Campbell…Women’s Singles Runner-up.
A HUGE thank you to our sponsor O’Connor’s Pharmacies, your continued sponsorship of this event is phenomenal and is very much appreciated by us all.
A tournament as big as ours requires a lot of work over the many weeks leading up to and including the tournament and I would like to say a very special thank you to our Tournament Director Bernie Kenny and our Tournament Referee Ger Flynn. Ladies, you played a blinder!! Also, to the small…actually medium sized army of volunteers who manned the office, put players on court, took scores, put up and took down singles sticks, cut red tape, baked cakes, took photographs, posted on social media and greeted all our visiting competitors to our beautiful club with charm and a smile…. Thank You!
Thank you to all the office staff in particular Dave who answered all my questions with patience and grace. To Jackie in the bar to whom nothing is a problem and even added my favourite cocktail to her menu! To David who served in the bar and delivered beautiful courts for the 12 days. And to all the bar staff who worked so hard for the tournament….thank you all so much!. A big shout out to Liam & Bernie from Brook for providing delicious food and a fantastic service to the players.
3. Winter League Finals Phase 2
The finals of the Winter League Phase 2 were held in Douglas Lawn Tennis Club in early May. Well done to our Grade 1 team captained by Deirdre Swinburne, who beat Limerick Lawn to win the League. The team who won on the day was Jessica Carley, Lisa Friess, Aylmer Barrett Jnr. (captain) and Johnny Fitzgerald. Tommy Fitzgerald deserves a mention also as he played super tennis in the semi finals. This is the second year in a row that we have won this competition! Well done to you all and many congratulations!
4. Spring League
Spring League is underway. Our Grade 1,2,3 team is captained by Emily O’Donoghue. Our Grade 4,5,6 team is captained by Catherine O’Riordan. There was some great tennis played in the club last Thursday and Friday nights. Both teams are now into the knockout stage, best of luck to you all. Our 1,2,3 team will be playing at home on Friday 13th June at 7pm…come and support if you can.
5. Summer Cup
We are waiting for Tennis Munster to open the registration for this competition. I believe it will be in the next week or so. Matches are expected to commence in early July with finals in mid September. There will be a men’s, women’s and mixed in grades 2-6 with a grade 1 and a novice group also. I will be sending out a sign up link over the next few days.
6. Interpros
Congratulations to members Deirdre Swinburne, Deirdre McSharry, Jennifer Haugh, Joe Donovan, Sandra Higgins, Ann Naughton, Maura McCarthy, Marie Duffy, and John Porter who have been selected on the Munster Interpro teams which will be held in Carlow 50/55 age group and Sligo 60/65 age group from the 13th to the 15th of June. Many congratulations to you all, enjoy the experience. Munster Abu!
7. International Honours
Joe Donovan and Eileen Daly recently represented Ireland in the over 65’s at the ITF Masters World Championships held in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Eileen had a super win against the Turkish No.2 player in a singles match in over 30 degree heat! The score was 6/1, 6/2…huge congratulations Eileen!
National competition; congrats to Owen Braun and Joe Donovan who won the ITF 200 Irish Masters Open (O 60’s) in Dublin last weekend. They beat the number 1 seeds! Congrats also to Deirdre McSharry who won in both the singles and doubles in the O 50’s category! Great performances by you all!
8. Members Achieving New Grades
Congratulations to the following members who have been upgraded to the following new grades. Well done!
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Hugh Robins….Grade 5
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Mark Furlong…. Grade 4
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Grainne Curran…. Grade 4
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Brendan Curran….Grade 3
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Willie Carey…Grade 3
9. Junior Tennis Report
Junior Open – Our Junior Open will be held from June 28th – July 5th. There are 3 separate events this year..T200, T500 and a T1000. Entry is currently open.The deadline for entry is Wednesday, June 18th.
This is a big event and lots of help will be needed, so if any member would like to help out during the Open please contact either Ger Flynn or myself.
Thanks to our sponsors Fitzgeralds Family Bakery, Court Care and Davy for their support this year.
A special mention to our juniors who competed in our Senior Open. Jessica Carley, Johnny Fitzgerald & Tommy Fitzgerald. Well done to you all on your great performances…you made us all proud!
Thank You to Fiona O’Keeffe who ran a very successful Adult & Child tournament on Sunday May 24th. I believe everyone enjoyed themselves and the kids were delighted with their eliminator victory!
Good luck to all our junior members who are sitting the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert…we are rooting for you all.
10. Ladies Wednesday Morning Tennis Lunch
Just a reminder to the Wednesday Morning Ladies that the annual end of season lunch will take place on Wednesday 11th of June. Sign up in the office.