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History of Donnybrook Village
The contours of the Donnybrook townland as it exists today were drawn in the XVIII century when the Dublin gentry began to build country seats on the wooded outskirts of the city.
The name Donnybrook has two possibles sources, its Irish version Domhnach Broc meaning either church of the badger or the church of St Broc. A daughter of the Connors tribe from County Meath, St Broc is credited with establishing a monastic community in what is now Donnybrook Graveyard.
Enjoying his ascendancy over Dublin, Strongbow gave the land at Donnybrook to the Norman knight Walter de Riddlesford. By the XV century, it belonged to another Norman family, the Fitzwillams who, in 1524 gave Donnybrook Castle to a daughter, Alison on her marriage to Christopher Ussher. The castle then became known as Ussher's Castle.
The Castle, which was demolished in 1759 and was replaced by the Convent of the Sisters of Charity, is one of the many spots said to have been visited by Cromwell.
Another occupant of Donnybrook Castle was Sir Robert Jocelyn who in 1725 built another mansion for himslf, Balinguile. The grounds of this house furnished the site for Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club. Its kitchen garden is covered by DC Exhausts and the Shell petrol station.
DONNYBROOK FAIR
The tennis club ground were also for a brief spell the site of Donnybrook Fair.
Donnybrook, the dictionnary tells us, is a "riotous assembly", a definition derived from the infamous fair. It began in 1204 when King John bestowed the eight-day event on the citizens to thank them for fortifying the city of Dublin.
In those days it resembled a large market, bustling with traders and amusement. Initially it took place on land beside the graveyard but moved to the land now occupied by Bective and Old Wesley Football Clubs. It deteriorated rapidly.
When the fun and games got out of hand the Corporation, representing a protest committee moved to ban the annual event.
This was not the end of the fair, however, for accross the road, where Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club now stands, the Dillon family revived it and kept it going for ten years more. The window of the Dillon's house is still visible in the tennis club's boundary wall.
The fair was stopped again in 1865 and almost 30 years later its trampled field gave way to the neat lawns of the tennis club.
From Fair Ground to Sports Ground
Joseph Dillon's plot, No.47, has been the home of Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club for 100 years. For ten years it had been the site of the notorious Donnyrbook Fair which Dillon tried to perpetuate after it was officially banned in 1855.
Herbert Bantry White, one of the founders of the club, lived in Ballinguile, a large house on the south boundary of the club, and lesed the club's grounds from Percival Wright.
The following are extracts from a minutes of Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club's inaugural meetings:
The first General Meeting of the Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club was held in the Schoolhouse, Beaver's Row, Donnybrook, on Monday evening 10th April 1893, Colonel Vesey Davoren, J.P. in the Chair. There was a large attendance of members.The Chairman in his opening statement mentioned that some gentlemen residents in the district had met a few weeks ago to consider the desirability of forming a Lwan tennis Club for Donnybrook district and in order to invite an expression of opinion on the subject they drew up a circular which was sent to a number of residents, and the response to said circular having been considered favourably a provisional Committee met and decided to accept terms offered by Mr. H. Bantry White for part of a fields at the back of his residence Ballinguile for three years (for which term Dr. Percival Wright had consented to let the said field to mr White) rent to be agreed upon at the same rate as he pays Dr. Wright for same. It was also agreed to accept Mr. John Morrissey's estimate for laying down the three grass courts at 27 Pounds, work to be finished whithin one month. The offer of the Merrion Lawn Tennis Club to sell their pavilion, roller, lawn mower, marker, nets and posts, etc., on favourable terms was also accepted. The Chairman then called upon Mr. Perrot, the Hon, Sec. protem to read the Rules as drawn up by the provisional Committee for apporval of the Meeting, when same were submitted and finally adopted. The following gentelmen were proposed to fill the offices of President and Vice Presidents.
President: The Right Hon. Mr. Justice Madden
Vice Presidents: Mr. Andrew Reid, Col. Vesey Davoren J.P. and Mrs W. Jameson J.P.
The following were elected Offices for the year:
Hon. Secretary: H.G. Knox Horner
Hon. Treasurer: W. St. George Perrott
Committee: Messrs. O.H. Braddell;H.Bantry White, Henry Plews, Frederick Isacke, Richard Manifold, C. Lyster, Brabazon Brunker and Amos Vereker
It was decided to allow all aldies and gentlemen (who hd sent their names) as members up to this date, whithout entrance fee.
Launched with a fanfare, Donnybrook LTC had enrolled 147 members by 6th September, 1893. Although from the outset ladies and gentlemen members were regarded as equals, ladies were not included on the committee until 1948.
During the winter months the groundsman was relieved of lawn-maowing duties by a flock of sheep! The club's coffers benefited too, earning a 10/- grazing fee. This cosy arrangement nearly came a cropper in 1897, when the committee received a stern letter from Henry Bantry White, complaining that the sheep were damaging his land. The committee apologised and offered to pay compensation but, happily, Mr. Bantry White did not press the issue.
PRESIDENTS
1893-1894: Right Hon, Mr Justice Madden
1894-1927: Right Hon. The Earl of Pembroke
1927-1929: Dr. Bantry White
1929-1935: Mr J.J. Dudley
1935-1938: Mr H.H. Murray
1938-1941: Major R.H. Plews
1941-1943: Mr A.O. Fry
1943-1945: Nr Manning Robertson
1945-1948: Mr F.W. Dunlop
1948-1950: Mr E.C. Bewley
1950-1955: Mr P.T. Brooks
1955-1957: Mr L.E. Werner
1957-1960: Henry C. Tierney
1960-1963: Cecil A. Curran
1963-1967: Noel J. Purcell
1967-1969: Brian K. Overend
1969-1971: Jean-Pierre Eliet
1971-1973: Heather Boyd
1973-1977: George A. McCaw
1977-1979: Paddy J. Murphy
1979-1981: Rita Rutherford
1981-1984: Gerald McCracken
1984-1986: Valerie Clancy
1986-1989: Kevin T. Feeney
1989-1991: Mary Gleeson
1991-1993: Henry Lappin
1993-1995: Sally Dawson
HONORARY SECRETARY
1893-1896: H.G.K. Horner
1896-1900:G.W Stephens
1900-1910: H.R. Edwards
1910-1920: E.K. Allander
1920-1923: Norman N. Kennedy
1923-1947: E.A. Cameron McNair
1947-1949: Herbert R. McWilliam
1949-1954: Henry C. Tierney
1954-1959: Cecil Curran
1959-1960: Timothy J. Webb
1960-1968: George McCaw
1968-1972: Patrick Murray
1972-1973: Paul O'Higgins
1973-1978: Sally Dawson
1978-1983: Mary Gleeson
1983-1985: Jane Dowling
1985-1987: Bernadette Griffith
1987-1988: Ruth Hackett
1988-1990: Owen Purcell
1990-: Marguerite Murphy
HONORARY TREASURER
1983-1903: William St. George Perrott
1903-1906: Agustus Davorren
1906-1928: Percy H. Stokes
1928-1930: F.C.Ireland
1930-1933: G.F. Klinger
1933-1946: F.W. Dunlop
1946-1949: J.G. Mann
1949-1965: Heather Boyd
1965-1973: Paddy Murphy
1973-1974: Michael Gaffney
1974-1975: John McGuigan
1975-1977: Paul Reddy
1977-1993:Sally Dawson
1993-: David Horkan
To be continued...
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