A look back at club chess in Ireland.

While doing some research recently I came across the following article in the Duhallow Magaazine in the local history section of Cork library.  It is rather vague on specific dates but is still of some interest. John Reid was Irish Champion in 1961 and shared the title in 1962. I thought I'd share it and hope others will also find it of interest.

World Championship Chess
in Coolclough

DENNIS DUGGAN

Coolclough is a townland approximately five miles south west of Kanturk, in the parish of Dromtariffe, in the diocese of Kerry, in the County of Cork.
In Irish the name of the townland is Cul Cloch; Cul or Cuil meaning a space enclosed by the confluence of two rivers, or a bend in the river; and Cloch meaning 'stones" - very likely the stones used for crossing the river - often referred to as 'stepping stones'.
In the Irish language, that part of the river was known as - 'Ath na gGorp' - in English - the 'Ford of the Corpses', presumably from the difficulty encountered in taking corpses across the river over the aforementioned stepping stones on the way to interment in nearby Dromtariffe Cemetery. That Southern part of Coolclough townland is still referred to as 'The Ford'.
In the Cenus of 1841, four years prior to the great famine, Coolclough had a population of 550, and being the greatest centre of population in the area, it gave its name to the group of townlands known as the Electoral Division of Coolclough.
At that time, Coolclough could boast of three shops, two public houses, a school and a Catholic Church, and one of the three football clubs whose members played under a set of rules known as 'Rough and Tumble', prior to the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in 1884. The other football clubs in Duhallow were Coiseim and Millstreet.
In the year 1949, Andrew Forest, a Coolclough farmer and author of a book on his own life and times entitled - 'The Story Could be Worse', came into possession of a chess set and board. Andrew had no knowledge of the game. He mentioned the problem to his friend, Seamus Walsh, who luckily knew an Englishman, named Campbell, who could play the game. Soon Andrew Forest, Jerome Murphy, and Con Fitzgerald had learned the moves; and games were, usually, played in the home of Con Fitzpatrick. Con's brother-in-law, Dan O'Shea, introduced the game to a member of the Garda Siochana, John Reid, who had time on his hands as he recuperated after an accident. John Reid found others who could play, and a chess club was formed.
The proceeds of a card drive, £40, helped to defray the initial expenses. A comfortable room, with a coal fire laid on, was provided by Sheila Nunan, at the Ford, Coolclough.
To raise above the mundane, the new chess club was named - 'L'Avenir', a French word meaning 'Future', chess practice was arranged for 8 p.m. to midnight, twice weekly, and L'Avenir was ushered into the present.
L'Avenir was entered for all competitions. A local competition commenced, and a chess team of ten players was entered in a postal chess competition. Four players, John Reid, Seamus Walsh, Andrew Forest, and Karl Holland were entered for the Plunket Cup. This Senior Competition was too ambitious but the players learned quickly from their defeat, and enjoyed the experience.
In the first year in Postal Chess, the club came fourth in Division Four. In the second year, the club won Division 3 and brought the J.J. O'Hanlon Cup to Ireland. Next year, the club won Division Two, and the Derbyshire Trophy, and qualified for Division One. Coventry won the Division with a score of 26.5 points. L'Avenir came in second, with a score of 26 points.
In the Golden Knights Tournament, L'Avenir defeated Milford; Cork C.Y.M.S. defeated Kilfinane, and in the final, with victories for Reid and draws for Denis and Con Duggan, and a win for O'Keefe on the fifth board, all depended on L'Avenir's Eddie Thornton on the sixth board. As the sixth was not completed on the deadline, the position was sent to Sutton Coldfield in England for adjudication; and back came the news that Thornton had won. So L'Avenir had won the Golden Knight's Tournament.
L'Avenir again had four players in the Senior Plunket Cup; they were John Reid, Denis Duggan, Con Duggan, and Bill O'Keefe. John Reid drew with E.N. Mulcahy, Irish Champion, and then had a string of victories, while hoping that someone would oblige and defeat Mulcahy. O'Leary of Cork C.Y.M.S. did the needful. O'Leary lost to Con Duggan, so Reid had won the Plunket Cup, and was champion of Cork.
The same L'Avenir team of Reid, Denis Duggan, Con Duggan, and William O'Keefe competed for the Tostal Trophy, and with 16 teams competing. easily romped into the last four, and with victories for Denis Duggan over Dr. Hutch, and wins also for W. O'Keefe, Con Duggan, and Reid, the Coolclough team won the final against Mitchelstown. John Reid won the Irish Chess Championship at the second attempt, and both he and E.N. Mulcahy, the Irish Champion of the proceeding year, played chess for Ireland in the Olympics.
Con Duggan entered the Premier Reserves, an event run in conjunction with the Irish championship, and with 10 wins and 2 draws, won the event. Con also played in the Irish Championship and finished half way up the table. Bill O'Keefe also playyed and lost to the grand old man of Irish Chess, J.J. O'Hanlon, then in his 80th year.
When Leonard Barden won the British Championship, he came to Ireland and gave successive displays in Dublin, Cork and Killfinane. In Killfinane, he had 27 wins and 2 draws, but lost once to Denis Duggan of L'Avenir. In Cork, he had 29 wins and one draw, but lost to H. Deane-Roe.
Then came the great game against Killfinane in Coolclough. With five games played, the teams were level, and Eddie Thornton was winning well in the sixth game, but as celebrations were about to commence, the awful news came that Eddie had blundered and the game was lost. With song and dance and recitation until day-break, Kilfinnane showed all and sundry how to celebrate.
L'Avenir came second again in the Postal Chess of that year. The Line-up was: 1. John Reid, 2. Dennis Duggan, 3. Con Duggan, 4. F. Brennan, 5. W. O'Keefe, 6. Eddie Thorton and James Barrett could always be relied on if anyone were missing. John Reid was promoted Sergeant, and having married Marion Deady of Banteer, was transferred to Adare. Con Duggan was called to Garda Training School in Templemore. Bill O'Keefe retired to take up the more relaxing game of Bridge, and chess languished in Coolclough.
Andrew Forest spearheaded an attempt to revive the club in 1960. New yound members such as Jeremiah and Michael John Neville, Jerry and Ronnie O'Leary, Denis and Seamus Moynihan, Denis and John O'Donoghue, Tommy Lande and Peter and Brendan Tancred were enlisted. A team was entered for the Junior Championship, and had two victories over Crescent College Limerick; but the effort soon disintegrated, and the glories of L'Avenir were in the Past.

Duhallow Magazine

Vol. XIII 2003.