LANSDOWNE LTC NEWSLETTER Tennis Committee

LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
 President’s Welcome by John Sexton
 Men’s Captain Report by John Dowling
 Ladies Captain Report by Fiona Brady
 Junior Tennis Report by Gabriel Staunton
 Social Highlights by Tennis Committee
 Club Tennis Report by Olivia Chicheportiche
 Other Tennis Events by Tennis Committee
 Snapshot of Lansdowne LTC by Marie Harvey
 Fitness & Societies @ Lansdowne LTC
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LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
John Sexton
Dear fellow members,
As my term as president comes to an end, we are going to tender this month for the construction of the new clubhouse. A lot of work went into
this process and I would like to thank our development committee for their dedication and commitment in getting to this point. The club is now
at an important new phase and I would ask you to make the build phase as much fun as possible by organising mini events among members in
our temporary accommodation. It is important to maintain the Lansdowne ‘spirit’ during this period and I have no doubt the members will rise
to the challenge! All courts will be available during this period so from a tennis point of view it will be business as usual.
On the tennis courts, we continued our successes of the previous year. Well done to our men’s over 45s who completed a three in a row in
Class 1, ably led by Bernard McCormack. Congratulations also to Manus Sweeney and the over 55s who won class 2. Hats off to all the teams
who got promoted this year and also to all our promoted teams across all leagues from 2013 who maintained their status.
We were successful in our application to the Sports Council for funding for 4 new tennis courts. The application was prepared and submitted by
our tennis director Olivia Chicheportiche. I would like to thank Olivia for this and for all her other achievements to date in her role as director.
Sadly for us but happily for her, Marie Harvey has retired as club administrator after many years of dedicated service to Lansdowne. In honour
of all she has done for us, she has been awarded honorary life membership by the members.
I would like to take the opportunity to wish Emma Doyle well in her new role as club administrator. We are fortunate to have someone of
Emma’s calibre and experience to fill this role.
We are very lucky as a club to have such a young dynamic committee. I have always enjoyed our committee meetings where new and
innovative ideas flowed freely. I thank them all and I wish Tom O’Reilly every success in his new role as President. My deepest gratitude goes to
our bar staff who always stepped up to the plate when we needed them, particularly for the Captain’s ball and the Senior League Finals. My
thanks go to our coaching staff who had to endure some very difficult weather this year, particularly in January and February. Despite this,
classes continued.
This year marked the sad loss of one our great characters, Ronnie McDonald. Ronnie was a past President and was a very active member and
fund raiser. When I am on the balcony, I almost expect to see him standing there as he often did.
Sadly, Joan Morton passed away this year. Joan served as a trustee for many years. She was also a top class player, playing for our ladies first
team for many years.
May Ronnie and Joan Rest In Peace.
Finally I would like to thank you all for your support throughout my tenure. I take the opportunity now to wish you and your family a happy and
peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Best Wishes,
John Sexton
President Lansdowne LTC
COMMITTEE 2015
President – Tom O’Reilly
Vice President – Suzanne Tyrrell
Treasurer – Linda Donoghue
Subs Treasurer – Mary-Clare Cathcart
Ladies Captain – Fiona Brady
Ladies Vice Captain – Deirdre Conneely
Men’s Captain – John Dowling
Men’s Vice Captain – Brian Curtin
OTHER COMMITTEES
Bar & Pavilion – Genevieve Marren
PR – Marc Douglas
Grounds & Veterans – Manus Sweeney
Junior – Gabriel Staunton
Health & Safety – Mairead Dockery
Social – Maeve Regan
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
John Dowling
It has been an honour to have represented Lansdowne LTC as men’s tennis captain for 2014 and
what a great year it has been! We entered 23 Men’s teams in League tennis this year and the
highlights were no doubt the success of the Men’s O45 team who again successfully defended their
Class 1 title, the 3rd year in a row they have won it, and the victory and subsequent promotion of the
Men’s O55 team in the Class 2 competition, in only the 2nd year we have had a team in the event.
Congratulations to both teams, who were very ably led by their respective captains Bernard
McCormack & Manus Sweeney. Additional highlights came by way of the other 3 promotions won by
the Men’s teams this year, the Class 5 & Class 6 Summer League teams captained by Thomas Allen
and Rob Griffith and the Class 3 Floodlight team captained by Paul Coonan. I would like to say a big
thank you to the 90 odd players who represented Lansdowne in league action this year, particularly
the 22 captains who did all the hard work by getting teams out to play every week, and of course a
special mention to all those who subbed for the various teams over the course of the year, many on
late notice. I would also like to say a big thank you to our coaches, Kris Koik & Agata Odachowska
who prepared us very well for all our league competitions this year. Well done to Noel Sheridan, Neil
Wilson & Gillian Chandler who represented Ireland at the ITF Senior World Tennis Championships in
Florida last April and also to Bruce McKell who represented the DLTC in their annual match against
the Belfast & District League. I would also like to say congratulations, to Neil Wilson, Bernard
McCormack, Pat Guiry, Noel Sheridan and Jim Daly, who were successful in the Veterans
Championships held in Lansdowne in October. Outside of League tennis, the year started off with the
ever popular Combo Doubles event, again very successfully organised and run by Peter Knight & Neil
Wilson. Following on from that, the Frostbite league took place in February & March, The Spring
Challenge in May and the Breakfast Club took place in May/June. A number of American
tournaments also took place over the course of the summer and I would like to say a big thanks to all
those who took part in organising these events. They included the very well received tournament at
the start of November in memory of Ronnie McDonald. This was a very fitting and well deserved
tribute to Ronnie, who was an active and valued member of the club for many years. Social Tennis
events for the year came to a conclusion on Friday, December 12th with the finale of the Turkeys &
Plumbers event, thank you to all participants and congratulations to our winners in what turned out
to be a very hard fought finale. The East of Ireland proved to be a very enjoyable as well as fruitful
week for the Club. A lot of effort went into organising and ensuring the success of the event, so I
would like to thank all those who helped out. Lansdowne provided winners and finalists in a number
of the events and I would like to congratulate all those involved. From there we swiftly moved on to
the Club Championships, which took place in September. Congratulations to everyone who played
and especially those who won. The climax of the Club Championships brought with it this year’s
tennis ball, which was a memorable and enjoyable night. A big thanks to the Ball Committee, Brian
Curtin, Geraldine O’Flynn, Brian Hastings & Finbar McDonnell who put such a huge effort into making
a great night. The tennis committee would like to say thank you to Giuseppe Aurilia who has
represented Lansdowne LTC on the DLTC Council for the past four years. I would like to mention Ann
O’Connor who is a member of this club and who has just finished up her three year term as
President of Tennis Ireland. She has done a tremendous job in the role. Thanks to Neil Gregg- our bar
manager, Joanne, Mark and the 2 Donnas for the friendly and pleasant atmosphere which they
maintain in the bar. Thanks to Olivia Chicheportiche, for her dedication and enthusiasm in her role as
tennis director and for all her assistance to me over the course of the year. I would like to give a
special mention to Marie Harvey, who retired from her position as club Administrator this year,
thank you Marie for your commitment to the club over the years. I would also like to welcome Emma
Davy back to the club as she takes over Marie’s role. Special thanks to the tennis committee, Fiona
Brady, Brian Curtin and Geraldine O’Flynn. We worked very well together over the course of the year
and I look forward to being a part of the new committee again next year. I would also like to say
thank you to my predecessor as men’s Captain, Eoin Pentony, who gave me lots of advice and
assistance over the course of the year. Thanks to John Sexton and Tom O’Reilly, it has been a
pleasure working with you this year. Finally thanks to all the members for your great support over
the course of the year.
Happy Christmas to you all and here’s to a very big & successful 2015 for the Club which brings with
it the commencement of the building of the new clubhouse.
John Dowling
Lansdowne LTC Men’s Captain
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Fiona Brady
It has been an interesting year as lady captain of Lansdowne LTC and an honour to represent the club.
I have learnt more about the club in the last 12 months than in the last 30+ years as both Junior and
Senior member. There have been some highs and some lows in the tennis calendar. Ladies have
represented Lansdowne on 25 Ladies and 3 Mixed League Teams in 2014 - 96 individuals made up of 70
Players and 60 Subs across Winter, Summer, Mixed, Senior and Floodlight League. Firstly the highs - 3
Teams in both Summer, Winter and Floodlight League got through to the play-offs, 2 of the 3 Mixed
League teams got through to play-offs and 1 Ladies Senior League Team (there is only one age section,
ladies do not age). Although throughout the year Ladies have been involved in 12 teams that have
gotten through to playoffs, only one team got promoted in Floodlight League, this team was captained
by Elaine McCarthy who was assisted by Olivia Chicheportiche. And now the lows - unfortunately it
looks like 2 Ladies Teams will be relegated in Summer League and 1 in Floodlight League. I would like to
thank the 24 ladies who captained teams, particularly the only lady who did it twice this year (Grace
Comerford who captained both Winter and Floodlight teams despite being rather busy in October). I
would also like to thank the 60 people who subbed in 110 times, especially those who played on very
late notice including in one case agreeing to sub as the match was about to start, thank you so much
Dolores. Lansdowne Members had a great Summer Season with many playing and winning in the opens
around Ireland from Sligo to Wexford and around Dublin from LCC aka Leinster Cricket Club in April to
Greystones in September. The East of Ireland was a tremendous success this year on and off the court.
On to the Club Championships – first of all thank you to all those who took part and supported the
finals which took place the night before the ball. Congratulations to all who won and thank you to all
players who gave us wonderful tennis to watch in the finals, they were hard fought battles at every
level. I’d also like to mention some of the tennis events that have taken place this year, firstly the
Ladies Combo Doubles event took part in January, it was great fun and all who took part greatly
enjoyed it. Thank you to Gill Crinion and Suzanne Tyrrell who organised a great event. The 2nd event in
the Lansdowne Tennis Calendar was the Frostbite Mixed Doubles Social event in which players from
Class 3 to non-league took part, playing on Friday nights in February and March. The 3rd event was the
Spring Challenge (our preparation for Summer League) in March and April, both the Singles and the
Doubles matches were toughly fought and members really enjoyed meeting and playing new people.
The 4th event was the Breakfast Club which took place in May and June and the reward for playing
tennis on a Sunday morning was a Full Irish Breakfast! The next event was the Mount Pleasant friendly
last July, thank you again Suzanne Tyrrell for organising this. Thank you as well to Olivia for organising
the trip to play in her home club in France last August. The next event in the year was the Turkeys and
Plumbers Mixed Doubles Social event with players from Class 2 to non-league, again played on Friday
nights but this time in November and December having just ended on the night of the Christmas party,
which was a fun night for all in attendance. The final event of the year was the Winter Challenge which
overlaps the Turkeys & Plumbers and carries on into next year, it is the ladder to get onto the league
team next January. There have also been many American Tournaments throughout the year which
have seen a good attendance in spite of some truly dreadful weather. I know all those who took part in
these events really enjoyed them and had very good matches. I would like to thank the previous lady
captain, Gill Crinion, for whom I was Vice Captain and who taught me a lot of what to do and gave me
great advice. Thank you to my Vice Captain, Geraldine O’Flynn, who has been an invaluable help and
support throughout the year, also to the Men’s Captain, John Dowling, and Men’s Vice Captain, Brian
Curtin, who have done Trojan work this year. Thank you to Olivia Chicheportiche, our Tennis Director,
who as we all know without whom the club could not function. Thank you to Kris Koik and Agata
Odachowska our coaches who have helped many of us improve tremendously in the last few years.
Thank you Neil, Joanne, the 2 Donnas and Mark in the Bar for keeping the food and drink running
smoothly and helping to keep up a very friendly atmosphere in the bar and club. I would like to thank
the rest of the committee and trustees for all their hard work throughout the year. Special mention to
Ann O’Connor who has just stepped down as President of Tennis Ireland after 3 years and 8 months in
the position and to thank her for her sterling work over the past years. I would like to thank Des Martin
for taking on and revitalising Social Tennis on Friday evenings which now routinely gets 16+ people
playing. Welcome back to Emma Davy in her new position as club administrator and thank you for
representing Lansdowne in Floodlight League and taking up the Class 1 team captaincy when Grace
went to get married. Finally I would like to thank Marie Harvey for all her help this year and in the past
and wish her well in the future and hope to see her back on a tennis court soon.
Merry Christmas everyone and here’s to every success in 2015!
Fiona Brady
Lansdowne LTC Ladies Captain
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Gabriel Staunton
I can hardly believe that another year has tripped along and that we had our kids Christmas party
to complete the year. It feels like only a few weeks back I donned the big man’s suit entertaining
most, no doubt scaring a few. Gladly this year it was in the safe hands of another helper. The
junior section of Lansdowne LTC has enjoyed its share of successes and the right of passage for
some juniors to represent the club in senior league. We even had young Denis take part in the
club championships only to end up against Kris in the quarter finals. Ultimately a junior won this
year’s men’s singles championship, well done Sean Collins. Others represented the club at their
own age group in various tournaments; this is only possible due to the enormous effort of those
who have given up their time to help, along with the coaching team’s support and parents ‘s
involvement.
The junior section membership over 2014 has seen additional kids sign up which is encouraging.
Being minis to early teens, we continually look for ways to encourage the older kids to take part
and develop their interest in tennis. Naturally there are many competing factors, exams, school
sports, and a whole host of extracurricular activities which the kids attend.
We held a parent evening to hear the views of the parents and were encouraged by the tone and
response. It is clear that everyone involved wants the junior section to be dynamic and
enthusiastic and some very practical suggestions came out of the evening. One of which we have
already started and intend to continue every 6 weeks which is a Junior round robin event for
U10s and teens.
We also started up a free for members Sunday morning tennis called Smash Sundays which is for
all age groups. We have a regular attendance of between 6 to 12 kids. I look forward to the
interest in this growing as I hope it will translate into kids and parents feeling that the junior
section is alive and vibrant, allowing us to have better attendance for future round robin events
and increased participation for the club junior championship.
2014 started off with our schools program events, a couple of friendlies which are always well
supported. We again took part in the interclub stars and a stripe at U14’s, while we didn’t win
the kids enjoyed it immensely. We had two teams in the Leinster tennis summer league for U12
boys and U17 mixed, both teams competed well in the group stages but it was not our year to get
to the play offs. We celebrated the end of these campaigns with a Fun Saturday event which was
attended by 35+ kids and parents. 6 courts were in full use with minis and juniors all enjoying a
round robin event followed by an impressive BBQ by Neil and the usual treats.
The second half of the year, brings out the competitive side of junior tennis which is as ever very
exciting to see the new young stars of Irish tennis compete in tournaments all over the country.
Grace O’Reilly and Lucy Staunton both took part in many U12 tournaments over the summer and
represented the club well. Grace won the Plate in the Mullingar open and came second in the
Louth Junior open, Lucy winning the plate in the Wicklow open both progressing into the last 32
or 16 in a few other larger events.
We hosted the Leinster Junior Open with an impressive 500 entries, a massive thank you to
Olivia, Fiona and all who made themselves available to manage and run the event.
Congratulations to Ruth Copas, winner of the Girls Singles U18, Sean Collins, winner of the mixed
doubles U18 Boys doubles.
Summer camps and supervised tennis as ever were well attended and we look forward to
continuing this in 2015. Thank you to all who gave up their time and energies to make it a
success.
For Junior League we had an U14 Boys team and U17 Girls team and hope that in 2015 we might
even get three teams entered. Let’s see what 2015 will bring!
Last but not least over October/November we again took part in the U12 stars and stripes with a
team of 12 kids of boys and girls. We are fortunate to have a very good relationship with
Claremont parents and were able to field a team each week. All parents and kids feel that this is a
great tournament to take part in and we look forward to participating again in 2015.
I would like to thank the junior committee for all their support and time over the past 12 months
and look forward to working with them for the next 12.
Merry Christmas to all!
Gabriel Staunton
Lansdowne LTC Junior Officer
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Tennis Committee
CHARITY RAFFLE – MARCH 28th
Roisin O’Donovan, member of Lansdowne LTC for over 10 years, organized a charity raffle to raise
funds for her two-week volunteer trip to Malawi at Easter in aid of Wells for Zoe. The great
generosity of Lansdowne members helped her raise 650 euros on the night. Raffle prizes included
coaching vouchers donated by Kris & Agata, wine donated by Boutique Wines, garden centre
vouchers donated by Windyridge Nurseries, food and drinks vouchers donated by The Bath Pub
and Farmer Browns among many others. Huge thanks to our wonderful sponsors!
SOCIAL AMERICAN TOURNAMENT – MAY 17th
Our 1st American Tournament of the year was a success with 28 participants of all levels. The
Pimm's went down a treat! Niall Duggan and Aine O'Boyle went on to take 1st place with a tiny 2
points lead after 3 rounds of 9 games. Big thanks to Bernie Connolly and Teresa Drayne for
running this tournament as well as Fiona Brady for helping with the draw and Neil & Joanne
Gregg for the lovely BBQ and drinks.
SOCIAL AMERICAN TOURNAMENT / SUMMER PARTY – JULY 5th
Overwhelming demand for our 2nd tournament this year with over 50 players signed up. We
managed to squeeze in a few rounds in between the rain showers and quenched our thirst with
some Pimm’s and Mojitos. Congrats to Liam O'Sullivan and Maria O'Mahony who won with 22
points closely followed by the runners-up, Dave Canny and Zorica Nedovic-Budic. The party
ended with Neil’s fabulous gourmet BBQ and DJ. Thank you all for your support!
CAPTAIN’S BALL – SEPTEMBER 27th
The Ball was held at the later time of September this year. It was organized as usual by the two
Brian’s (Hastings & Curtin) along with Geraldine O’Flynn and Finbar McDonnell. Members support
for the event was strong with many young and old members taking the opportunity to meet
fellow members in non-tennis attire accompanied by a local talented Jazz quartet! In all close to
170 people attended the event which included a significant number of non-members. Weather
on the night was very pleasant for the time of year even though the Ball Committee went to the
trouble of organizing four outdoor heaters for the night! Murphy’s Law. The compere duties were
kindly taken care off by our own Maurice O’Donoghue. He did a fantastic job employing his own
unique style and charm to keep the speeches running smoothly! Thanks Maurice. This year Neil
organized “Big Dave” to do the disco music. After the meal was over the dance floor was full for
the rest of the night! Silky moves were evident from many members – you know who you are!!
Many thanks also to Neil and his staff for keeping the drinks flowing and enabling us all to have a
wonderful night’s fun and entertainment. The event was a great success which portrayed the club
and its members in a very positive light for those non-members who attended. These individuals
may even become future members of our great club. Well done to all who contributed and
supported this event! Best regards, The Ball Committee
RONNIE MACDONALD CHARITY TOURNAMENT – NOVEMBER 1st
In spite of a rainy day, we had amazing support for this Charity American Tournament held in
memory of the late Ronnie MacDonald. We had 16 pairings (mostly men – how unusual for
Lansdowne!) who bravely took to the courts and battled it out for 3 rounds of doubles. Congrats
to John Byrne & Peter Knight, our winning pair with 22 points as well as Eamon O'Flynn & Dave
Glynn, our runners-up with 18 points. The generous members of Lansdowne raised 625 euros for
Sister Mary McNulty of the Palatine Order. Ronnie would have been very proud and grateful.
Thank you to John Dowling and Fiona Brady, our club captains, who ran the tournament as well as
our bar and food team: Neil, Joanne, Donna Gregg and Mark Collins.
MAKE UP MASTERCLASS – NOVEMBER 20th
Evelyn Mulcahy organised our 1st ever Make Up Masterclass in Lansdowne with an amazing team
of make-up artists performing 2 simultaneously commented demonstrations of the perfect party
looks. The 30+ ladies who attended the event had great fun and thanks to their generosity, over
1000 euros were raised for A Little Lifetime Foundation. Big thanks to all the sponsors who kindly
donated prizes for the raffle. We hope to organise more of those in 2015!!
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Olivia Chicheportiche
FROSTBITE TOURNAMENT (FEBRUARY 21st – MARCH 28th)
2014 started with our 1st mixed doubles social tournament of the year: Frostbite. We had 72
players divided into 2 sections named after big cats and creatures of the sea. Players competed in
teams of 6. The Panthers outran everyone else in Section A with 145 points and the Sharks ate
their way through Section B with 143 points. Well done to the Panthers: Marc Douglas & Emma
Barnes (C), Mike O'Shea & Aideen Coady, Sarah Fee & Ciara Pentony as well as the Sharks: Ciaran
Scolard & Deirdre Kenneally (C), Jean-Paul Mosnier & Jean Ryan, John Brennan & Maeve
Desmond. Thank you to the tennis committee, the bar staff and all players & subs involved.
SPRING CHALLENGE (MARCH 26th – APRIL 26th)
Followed our annual Spring Challenge round robin to help prepare everyone for Summer League
and raise the competitive spirit of our members. We had nearly 150 participants this year which
is up from last year with players of all levels. The 4 weeks of round robin matches were concluded
with a rainy finals day where everyone enjoyed Neil’s gourmet BBQ. The winners of each section
were as follows:
SINGLES
LADIES
MEN
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
Geraldine O'Flynn
Fiona Brady
Suzanne Cahill
Deirdre Tracey
Loretta Lambkin
Mary-Liz McGrath
Lorna O'Malley
Ciara Pentony
Keeva McArdle
Jamie Lynch
Donal Lynch
Guilhem Bourgau
Richard Gill
Bruce McKell
Jarek Fojcik
Rob Griffith
Fergal Mullins
Mike O'Shea
DOUBLES
LADIES
MEN
A
B
C
D
Sine Lynch & Erica Maughan
Janet Green & Breege O'Reilly
Suzanne Rogers & Deborah Donohoe
Bernie Connolly & Teresa Drayne
Manus Sweeney & Robbie Byrne
Rob Gleeson & Rob Connolly
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BREAKFAST CLUB (MAY 11th – JUNE 15th)
We then had our 2nd mixed doubles social tournament newly rebranded Breakfast Club instead of
Breakfast League with a later start of 11.30am on Sundays. We had 24 lucky and very well fed
participants divided into 8 teams of 4 named after breakfast items who competed for 5 Sundays.
The winners were the BLTs with 18 points and the Poached Eggs finished runners-up with 15
points. Congratulations to our winners: Willie Fawsitt (C) & Aideen Coady, Seamus McLaughlin &
Hilda Martin as well as our runners-up: Adam Downes & Mary-Liz McGrath (C), Katie Ryan & Ciara
Hanratty. Big thanks to Neil, Donna, Joanne Gregg and Mark Collins for looking after our very
hungry players each Sunday.
TURKEYS & PLUMBERS TOURNAMENT (NOVEMBER 7th – DECEMBER 12th)
Finally the biggest social tournament of the year took place in November involving 96 players
divided into 12 teams of 8 named after legendary rock bands. We didn’t get very lucky with the
weather at this time of the year but our brave competitors battled it out through rain, wind and
cold spells over 6 weeks. Congratulations to the 2014 winners of section A: Red Hot Chilli Peppers
- Eoghan Rogers & Mary Duffy (C), Keith Power & Keeva McArdle, Niall Campbell & Sarah
McCormack, Wynn Newell & Suzanne O'Brien as well as the 2014 winners of section B: Aerosmith
- Tim Davies (C) & Loretta Lambkin, Brian Hastings & Mary Liz McGrath, Karra Hanmanth Rao &
Jean Ryan, Maeve Regan & Aine Corrigan. Thank you to John Dowling, Fiona Brady and Geraldine
O’Flynn for doing the desk each week as well as Neil, Joanne and Mark for their incredible
support behind the bar. Special mention to DJ “Big Dave” who delivered great tunes at our final
night/ Christmas Party and helped run a smooth and musical prize giving ceremony. This is a night
to remember. Well done Lansdowne!!
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Olivia Chicheportiche
EAST OF IRELAND SENIOR OPEN WEEK (AUGUST 16th – 23rd)
Our Senior Open Week was a great success this year with 370 players submitting 400 entries as part of the 20
events on offer. There were 375 matches played in total over 8 days with 1125 new balls used. Lansdowne
members did us proud with 10 of them reaching the finals namely Guilhem Bourgau (MS3 F), Jarek Fojcik (MS5
F), Jarek Fojcik & Niall Duggan (MD5 W), Gabriel Staunton & Tim Davies (MD5 F), Johnny McMorrough & Nicky
Morrogh (MD80 Combo W), Michel Davitt & Bernard McCormack (MD80 Combo F). Our social plans for the
week included a few burger and steak BBQ nights, a cocktail + DJ night and a Table Quiz on Tuesday with 5
tables of 4 answering 65 themed questions. Big thanks to Brian Hastings for hosting the quiz and his 2 assistants,
Mary Duffy and Geraldine O’Flynn. This week wouldn’t have happened without the help of Neil, Joanne, Donna,
Donna and Mark who served countless drinks and burgers in the bar. Thank you as well to our tournament
committee and desk helpers: Fiona Brady, John Dowling, Jean MacQuillan, Eoin Pentony, Geraldine O’Flynn,
Eimear O’Neill, Brian Curtin, Gill Crinion and Suzanne Tyrrell. Finally, thank you to our sponsors Lisney, AIG,
Budget Travel, Peak Physio and Windyridge Nurseries for their kind contributions.
 Please contact the office if you’d like to sponsor the East of Ireland 2015!
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Olivia Chicheportiche
LEINSTER JUNIOR OPEN WEEK (JUNE 21st – 28th)
Our Junior Open Week was also a success this year. We had over 500 entries of great quality, spread across 20
events with good weather on our side. The level of tennis and behaviour was incredible as always and the juniors
were praised by all senior members watching daily from the balcony. Congratulations to the 2 Lansdowne juniors
who reached the finals – coincidentally, since September, they are now our new Ladies and Men Club champions –
Ruth Copas, winner of the Girls Singles U18 and Sean Collins, winner of the Mixed Doubles U18, Boys Doubles U16
and semi-finalist of the Boys Singles U16. Many thanks to all the helpers who gave time during the week at the
desk and around the courts, umpiring the finals, supervising our U10 events and making the finals Afternoon Tea
namely Fiona Brady, Gabriel Staunton, Linda O’Reilly, Julie O’Mahony, Tanya Murray, Daire Stevenson, Annette
Barron, Brian Hastings, Ann O’Connor, John Sexton, Kris Koik, Grace O’Reilly, Lucy Staunton, Wes Hudson, Paul
Coonan, Thomas Allen, John Dowling, Philip Sheehan, Mark Sheehan, Ethna McDonald, Gill Crinion, Geraldine
O’Flynn, Sam Staunton, Eoghan Rogers, Elma Holohan, Catherine Collins and Monica Popa. Many thanks to our
sponsors: Budget Travel and Windyridge Nurseries. Huge thanks as well for their great support to Neil Gregg,
Donna Gregg, Joanne Gregg, Donna Gregg (the other one), Marie Harvey, Mark Collins, Joey Tilley, John Sexton
and Tom O’Reilly.
SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS (SEPTEMBER 15th – 26th)
We received 186 entries from 162 players this year which was similar to last. We started on Monday instead of
Wednesday to help us progress our 16 draws earlier and accommodate players unavailability as much as possible.
Great tennis throughout the 2 weeks which concluded with our usual Finals Friday with the crowning of 2 new men
and ladies champions, both junior members! Big thanks to the tournament committee, Fiona Brady, John Dowling,
Geraldine O’Flynn and Brian Curtin, as well our bar staff for a great fortnight.
Event
Winners V Runners-Up
Match Score
MS 1-3
WS 1-3
MD 1-3
WD 1-3
XD 1-3
MS 4-6
WS 4-6
MD 4-6
WD 4-6
XD 4-6
Combo 80
MS 7&NL
WS 7&NL
MD 7&NL
WD 7&NL
XD 7&NL
Sean Collins V Kris Koik
Ruth Copas V Grace Comerford
K. Koik / P. Sheehan V B. McCormack / N. Wilson
R. Byrne / S. Tyrrell V O. Chicheportiche / S. Lynch
B. McCormack / A. Odachowska V N. Wilson / G. Comerford
Jarek Fojcik V Richard Gill
Lorna Jennings V Kate O’Donnell
R. Gill / W. Hudson V B. McKell/ T. Simpson
S. Cahill / G. Kelly V Li. Jennings / R. Martin
J. Fojcik / R. Mullally V G. Staunton / M. Duffy
P. Coonan / E. Pentony V J. Byrne / E. O’Floinn
Neil Carron V Michael Howard
Ciara Pentony V Bernie Connolly
P. Griffin / M. Howard V N. Carron / C. Fay
R. McGloughlin / J. Ryan V E. Gormley / C. Pentony
N. Carron / L. Catterall V M. O’Shea / K. McArdle
4/6 - 6/2 - 6/2
6/2 - 6/1
6/0 - 6/2
3/6 - 6/3 - 6/4
7/5 - 6/2
6/3 - 6/1
6/2 - 6/0
7/5 - 7/5
7/5 - 6/3
7/5 - 6/4
2/6 - 6/2 - 6/1
2/6 - 7/5 - 6/2
6/1 - 6/3
6/3 - 1/6 - 7/6
7/5 - 4/6 - 6/2
7/6 - 7/6
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Tennis Committee
COMBO WEEK by Suzanne Tyrrell & Peter Knight – JANUARY
In January the Ladies’ Combo event enjoyed its 5th year and 24 ladies ranging from Class 1
through 6 teamed up for some doubles over 3 nights. The event, in which a Class 1- 3 player is
paired with a Class 4 – 6 player is a very unique and hugely enjoyable doubles event. While
separate events the Ladies’ Combo is run during the same week as the Men’s Combo with a
combined party of 48 men and ladies on the Friday evening for some BBQ and drinks. Thanks to
my partner, Linda Donoghue who did most of the work on our team to earn 44 points as we
narrowly (by one point) beat the pairing of Grace Comerford and Emma Barnes for the title.
Combo Week 2015 commences on the week beginning 19th January 2015 with the Ladies playing
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights. If you’d like to play please let either Gill Crinion or I know as
soon as you can and we’ll try our best to accommodate.
For the 9th year running for the men the Combo Week was held in January, the week before
Winter League. This event combines some of the top players in the club with some of the
"enthusiasts". The men played on the Mon/Wed/Fri with a massive social night for all on the
Friday! The joint winners of the men's competition were: Guilhem Bourgau & Brian Pentony plus
Bernard McCormack & Peter Knight, each with 39 pts.
LEINSTER CHARITY TOURNAMENT – APRIL
This year we entered a team again in this interclub mixed doubles tournament for Class 4-7
players. They finished joint 3rd at the regional event held in Leopardstown LTC early April. Thank
you to Eoghan Rogers & Michelle Walshe, Gabriel Staunton & Aideen Coady, Jarek Fojcik & Edel
Harvey, Keith Power & Barbara Brogan (C) for representing Lansdowne at this event.
BLUE & GOLD MIXED LEAGUE – APRIL/MAY
The Blue & Gold is another interclub mixed doubles competition for players between Class 3 to
non-league which we had the pleasure to organise this year. Our incredible Lansdowne team
captained by John Dowling did us proud and won the final 4-0 against Shankill Blue.
Congratulations to Paul Coonan & Jenny Fee, John Dowling & Jane Mooney, Marc Douglas &
Susan Galavan, Rob Griffith & Emma Donovan as well as all the subs Fiona Brady, Dave Canny,
Maria McGarry, Linda Donoghue, Niamh Griffith, Eoghan Rogers, Gabriel Staunton, Miriam
Broderick and Rhona McGloughlin who helped throughout the 5 weeks of play.
LLTC vs Mt. Pleasant Friendly 2014 by Suzanne Tyrrell – JULY
As 18 Lansdowne warriors took on the opposing Mt Pleasant crew for the annual Class 1 – 3
mixed doubles battle on a sunny Saturday afternoon last July in Lansdowne, I could say tensions
were high, given the series was tied at 2-2, but this definitely wasn’t the case with some sneaky
beers being had (before, during and most definitely after the event!). This relaxing approach
seemed to help those drinkers (of course the ladies only partake in the drinking once the matches
were over and rackets were packed away!) as Lansdowne steamed ahead and won the event by a
healthy 20 games margin (127-107 games) and regained the lead in the series 3-2. The
Lansdowne bar coffers were further helped that night with drinks bought on mass to wash down
Neil’s fantastic BBQ, thanks Neil and Joanne. Thanks also to Eoin Pentony for co-organising the
event, to the following players taking part and for bringing the trophy home: Agata Odachowska,
Rose Byrne, Suzanne Tyrrell, Lorna Jennings, Olivia Chicheportiche, Anne Ledwidge, Sine Lynch,
Deirdre Conneely, Fiona Brady, Steve Landon, Giuseppe Aurilia, Philip Sheehan, Eamon O’Floinn,
Brian O’Driscoll, Olivier Van Der Elst, Eoin Pentony, John Byrne and Dave Mathers.
LLTC vs TCGM Friendly 2014 by Olivia Chicheportiche – AUGUST
During the August bank holiday weekend, I invited some of our finest Lansdowne players to
discover my home club back in Gujan-Mestras, France. The trip involved some doubles tennis on
clay against a well matched home team, sight-seeing with the unavoidable climb of the Dune du
Pyla, shopping in Decathlon, dinners at sunset by the sea and a lot of wine drinking!! The fluency
in French of our Lansdowne members certainly improved over the weekend involving words such
as “aperitif”, “digestif”, “sauvignon blan(c)” and “celibataire”. Big thanks to John, Carmel,
Dolores, Fionnuala, Jacinta, Geraldine, Eoin and Jarek for being such good sports on and off the
court. Return match planned for 2016. Stay tuned!
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
Marie Harvey
A snapshot of Lansdowne LTC from the ’70’s to the present day
I was introduced to Lansdowne LTC by a work colleague when I came to in Dublin in 1971; she mentioned that the club were actively looking for
tennis members to rebuild as the membership had dwindled during the 60’s.
In the 70’s Lansdowne LTC had 10 grass courts. The clubhouse was owned by Three Rock Rovers Hockey club and leased to the tennis club from
April to September. The hockey pitches were located behind the courts which is now Lansdowne Village. Throughout the 70’s we had the
greatest of fun as the club went from strength to strength, members preparing league teas’ in the summer (ham salads and homemade cakes)
in the now Barna building (no health and safety restrictions in those days).
As the club was only active during the summer months, Summer League was the only interclub competition which took place, in spite of the
fact that we had only a handful of players we resurrected the club from its demoted position during the late 60’s back to its rightful place
where it had been from the 20’s as a Premier club participating in both Men’s and Ladies Class 1 Leagues. The highlight of the year was the ‘At
Home’ held at the end of the season in September, a large marquee was erected on court no 1 with the members preparing whole salmons
accompanied by a magnificent spread of salads and delicious deserts, we danced the night away and many lifetime liaison were accomplished.
Throughout the summer months American Tournaments regularly took place on Sunday afternoon followed by afternoon tea on the grass
patch behind courts 3 & 4. By the late 70’s the grass courts were beginning to be converted to all weather hard courts, which was strongly
resisted but finally achieved, this enabled the club to stay functioning all year round.
In the early 80’s Three Rock Rovers Hockley club moved to Marley Park and we had the opportunity of acquiring the clubhouse. After the
clubhouse became the property of LLTC it was decided to update the facility and a major refurbishment was undertaken. The bar which was
originally situated on the ground floor alongside the function room was moved to its current position.
Throughout the late 70’s & 80’s discos took place every Saturday night, these provided a continued source of income which facilitated the
upgrading of the club facilities, Lansdowne LTC disco was recognised as a well known venue to socialize on a Saturday night throughout south
Dublin and beyond.
In the late 80’s Lansdowne purchased two houses on Londonbridge Road to protect our boundaries with a view to future development, these
houses were successfully rented out throughout the 90’s, 00’s and 10’s (one of them was completely refurbished a few years ago). They were
sold earlier this year to fund our next refurbishment which is due to take place in 2015.
In the early 90’s a major redevelopment of the courts took place when all the courts were converted to artificial grass with the highest lighting
specifications of any club, the whole area was transformed by a major landscaping plan with individual access to all courts. It was at this time
also that the club appointed a Club Administrator to oversee the day to day management of the accounts and membership. Throughout this
period the club grew rapidly in membership and at one stage we reached our recommended quota of 620 full members with approximately
300 further members (students/overseas/juniors/country etc). The finances also improved and in the late 90’s it was decided to do a survey of
the members to see if there was an appetite for an upgrade or a new build as the old building was now becoming more and more difficult to
maintain. Throughout this decade many plans and a number of planning permissions were unsuccessful until finally in 2014 we achieved
planning permission to refurbish.
During the 00’s a Junior Development programme was developed with the appointment of a Tennis Director and a Tennis Coach, this has
proved very successful with coaching at every junior level and also with local schools been offered tennis tuition after school.
Lansdowne LTC is now moving into a new era with the promise of a new refurbished clubhouse in 2014. We can all look forward to a facility
which we can be as proud of as we are of our beautiful court facility.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Trustees, President, Committee and Members for electing me to Hon. Life Membership; I am
really proud to have this honour bestowed on me and look forward to enjoying Lansdowne LTC for a long time to come. I would also like to
thank all those who sent me their good wishes on my retirement and the most appropriate gift of a voucher for the Four Seasons Hotel, which I
hope to avail of after Christmas. I would also like to thank all the office/bar and cleaning staff I worked alongside for the last 23 years.
I have many many very happy memories of my time employed in Lansdowne LTC.
Best wishes for a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Marie Harvey
LANSDOWNE LTC
NEWSLETTER
BOOTCAMP
Bootcamp continued to attract all levels of fitness on Monday nights on court 11 throughout the
year. Members worked at their own pace and used various equipment to ensure that all muscle
groups were targeted!! Punching combinations alongside leg drills proved the most fun and got
the adrenaline driving fast!!! New members always welcome. For more information call Gill
Crinion on 086 8509430.
GOLF SOCIETY
Another great year of golf was enjoyed by the members of the Lansdowne LTC Golf Society.
We had 4 outings at 4 top quality golf courses. The golf was high quality, so was the craic, and the
winners were...
• April
Portmarnock Links GC
Peter Brennan
• June
Castle GC
Michael Glynn
• July
Hermitage GC
Peter Knight
• September
Castleknock GC
Eithne Knight
The golf society is keenly looking for new members! It is only €40 for the year and this goes
towards subsidising the green fees on the days, as the prizes are provided by sponsors of the
days. So look out for our posters & emails in early 2015, so you can join or re-join. Also if
any members have suggestions for next year, either courses, number of outings, trips, or changes
of any sort, please let us have them. Contact points: Maurice Carey 087 614 3497 or Peter Knight
086 258 5748. Hope to see lots of keen golfers on our days next year!
LANSDOWNE WALKING GROUP
The Lansdowne Walking Group organises a series of walks throughout the year, normally one per
month. These generally take place in the Wicklow Mountains area on Saturdays. Walks begin at
11am, and duration is 4-5 hours. The Annual Walk Programme is available on the Club website
(under Members/Societies), and also on the Clubhouse notice board. The Programme of Walks
for 2015, will issue early in the New Year. New members are always welcome. A reasonable level
of fitness is required. Hill-walking requires suitable walking footwear with ankle support,
appropriate clothing, and packed lunch. Participants walk at their own risk. The Walking Group
also organises weekends away, both at home and abroad. On occasions, walks are organised
jointly with other walking groups, e.g. Boherquill Ramblers Walking Club, Galtee Walking Club.
This year, a weekend walking trip in West Cork was organised (walking on the Beara Peninsula),
as well as an overnight trip to Glenmalure, Co Wicklow. Training in navigational skills on the
mountains, is also organised for members. You can take a look at photographs of the Group’s
walks on http://picasaweb.google.com / Username: lansdownewalks@gmail.com / Password:
Wicklow (capital W) - be sure to log out of your own Google account beforehand. Hon Sec:
Eamon O’Flynn – eamon.oflynn@gmail.com / 087-6370472 (Other contacts; Phil O’Neill @ 0866084465 or Mary O’Brien 086-8838383)
BOOK CLUB
The Book Club meets in the clubhouse on the last Thursday of each month. If you are interested
in joining the Book Club please contact Susan Cunningham on 086 233 2615 or email
susan.cunningham78@gmail.com
BRIDGE CLUB
The hall downstairs hosts a bridge game every Tuesday at 7.30pm all throughout the year except
in the summer. If you are interested and know how to play Bridge, please come along and try it
out and bring a partner if you have one. Please contact Margot O’Connor on 087 0568396 for
more information.
PILATES
We ran 4 courses of Pilates this year with our instructor, Julianne Sweeney. In total 37 people
took part in those classes taking place in the hall downstairs on Wednesday evenings. Courses are
usually 6 weeks long for €60 and will continue in 2015. All levels of ability are welcome and mats
and head pads are provided for all.