Squash in Ireland

Irish Squash includes notable players such as Jonah Barrington, Derek Ryan, Madeline Perry, Liam Kenny Aisling Blake and John Rooney. Jonah Barrington was honoured with a lifetime achievement award in 2006 at the World Squash Awards.

Irish Squash is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity following a dip in its profile during the 1990s. Belfast hosted the Women's International Squash Players Association World Championship in November 2006 with the final being played at the Ulster Hall. In September 2011 the European Club Championships will be hosted in Belfast. Irish Squash, the national governing body for squash in Ireland, celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2010. A gala dinner is planned with a host of stars from the world of squash. There are many growth areas within Irish Squash particularly as junior level where promotion and funding has helped to produce so talented and promising players.

The Irish senior ladies team are ranked very highly in the world. They finished 5th at the World team championships in 2008. They also finished in 4th position at the recent European Team Championships in France. The team will travel to New-Zealand in 2010 to compete in the World Team Championships.

List of notable Irish Squash Clubs
Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
Old Belvedere Squash Racquets Club
Mount Pleasant Lawn Tennis Club
Westwood
Aer Lingus
Galway Lawn Tennis Club
Naas Squash Club
Leinster Cricket Club
Sandycove Squash Club
Sutton Lawn Tennis Club
Thurles Squash Club
Tullamore
UCC
Trinity College Dublin Squash Club
Curragh Squash Club

The Irish Open is usually held at the imposing and prestigious Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club.

Irish Men's Open Results

Year Winner Opponent in final Score in final
2007 Alex Gough Borja Golán 11–6, 2–11, 11–10 (2–0), 8–11, 11–9
2006 Borja Golan Davide Bianchetti 11–5, 10–11 (4–2), 11–2, 11–9
2005 Ong Beng Hee Laurens Jan Anjema 11–9, 7–11, 11–7, 11–4
2002 Not Held
2003
2001 Peter Nicol David Palmer 15–11, 15–5, 15–9
2000 Peter Nicol Jonathon Power 15–12, 15–12, 15–9

Jonah Barrington won the Irish Open in 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1979, and was runner-up (to his great rival, Geoff Hunt) in 1972. In 1976, Geoff Hunt beat Mohibullah Khan in the (then) new Squash Ireland Centre in Dublin. Earlier, from the mid-1950s onwards Donald Pratt, an all-round sportsman who also excelled at cricket, won the Irish Open for ten years in succession.

In 2005, an infamous incident occurred when the Pakistani squash team were unable to play in the Irish Open due to their Visas for Ireland not being granted in time following qualification. The incident was also reported in the Pakistani press at the time.

Irish Women's Open Results

Year Winner Opponent in final Score in final
2007 Madeline Perry Jaclyn Hawkes 9–3. 9–3, 9–5
2006 Madeline Perry Laura Lengthorn 9–7. 9–3, 9–4
2005 Madeline Perry Annelize Naudé 9–4, 2–9, 7–9, 9–4, 9–6
2004 Vanessa Atkinson Jenny Tranfield 10–8, 9–1, 9–3
2003 Vanessa Atkinson Cassie Jackman 3–9, 9–4, 9–5, 4–9, 9–7

2003 marked the first Women's Irish Open since 1991, where Cassie Jackman - the 2003 losing finalist - reached the semi-finals.

External links


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