By Mark Ryan:
A South of Ireland Championships tournament was first held in the summer of 1876, on the grounds of the Limerick County Cricket Club on Ennis road in Limerick. Although the records are contradictory, the holding of this initial tournament appears to have preceded the founding of the Limerick Lawn Tennis Club in 1877 by one year. The cricket club and the lawn tennis club appear to have subsequently amalgamated, with the latter club eventually winning out.
Virtually no records exist for the second edition of the tournament in 1877, but it was then that an open women's singles event was held, the first of its kind anywhere in the world. It appears to have been won by a Miss Smith, or Smyth (an Isabella Smyth would take part in the women's singles event at the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships in Dublin in 1888).
The women's singles event at subsequent editions of South of Limerick Championships (circa 1878-86) tended to be handicap only, but the men's singles quickly became a fully-fledged championship event with a suitable trophy on offer. This event prospered until 1886, when it and the tournament appear to have gone into decline; again, it is very difficult to find related records for the years 1887-1914.
After World War One, probably as early 1919, the tournament experienced a revival and gradually began to attract players of note again. A Challenge Round remained in force in the men's singles event until the mid-1920s (there was never a Challenge Round in the women's singles event). The women's singles event prospered during this period too, and also had the title of South of Ireland Championships. However, at some point this title was transferred to a different tournament. The men's singles event at the Limerick Lawn Tennis Club retains the title of South of Ireland Championships to the present day.
This was won by Frank Crosbie in 1911, 1912, 1924, 1925 &1926.
Amateur
Ireland
Ireland
Editions
