Fiche Bliain ag Fás: 1973-1993

When the young American Bobby Fischer took the World Chess Championship from Russian Boris Spassky in 1972, a whole new era dawned for chess in the Western World. For that was in the years of the “Cold War” and this was seen as a victory of the American Eagle over the Russian Bear. Indeed, in some quarters it was even interpreted as a triumph of “good over evil”. Bobby Fischer, for all his eccentricities, became an American hero. Chess became an “in” game and many schools started their own Chess Clubs. It became quite acceptable to discuss the merits of the Sicilian Defence in the same company where the prospects of Liverpool for the F.A. cup were debated. Many of own present day highly rated Irish chess players are a product of that era.

It was in the spirit of that time that a small select gathering in the home of Willie Murray on Elm Mount Avenue in April 1973 decided to set up a Chess Club. All were from around the Elm Mount District and were inspired by a sense of community as well as an enthusiasm for chess. Elm Mount Estate lies just North of Collins Avenue, bounded on the east by Malahide Road and on the west by Beaumont Road and, at that time, was totally in the parish of Donnycarney. Deciding a name for the club was obvious and a home was acquired at the Girls School in Donnycarney. That in itself was something of an anomaly since there were no ladies in the club. Not that they were excluded - they didn’t seem to have any great inclination to play chess. Cynics suggested that the rule of silence was a deterrent to the ladies but it was certainly some time down the road before the Polgar sisters did for women’s chess what Bobby Fischer had done for men’s chess.

The first Club secretary was Jim Ryan and the Club affiliated to the Leinster Chess Union and entered a team for the 1973/74 Season in the B.E.A. Cup, which at the time was Division 5. and the entry point for new clubs. Elm Mount finished bottom of the division and learned an early lesson that playing any level of League Chess was going to be no easy ride. However, the Club had by now attracted some promising young players and began to build it’s strength. Of the founding fathers only Willie Murray was to continue on in the Club for many years, and a new young hopeful, Sean Kennelly, took over as Club Secretary.

A further season 1974/75 in the B.E.A. cup without particular distinction, marked a period of consolidation which was to have it’s rewards in 1975/76 when Elm Mount won the Cup. It is a measure of the interest in chess at the time, that 32 teams competed in that entry division, played in four sections of eight with the top two from each section going into a play-off. In the face of this level of competition, it is no small achievement for Elm Mount to win this division on the third attempt. The victorious team, which in those days consisted of 6 players in that division, was drawn from a panel of 7 players: Gerry MacElligott, Sean Kennelly, Gerry Barry, Alan MacDonagh, Alec Tyrrell, Ken Clarke and Willie Murray. In fact that was not just the team panel - it was the entire club membership!!!

And so, For 1976/77 Elm Mount was promoted to Division 4, the O’Hanlon Trophy, where the team continued to make it’s mark by coming runner-up in the division, with further promotion to the Ennis Shield, Division 3 for 1977/78 season. Another creditable performance in 1977/78 saw the team reach the play-off stages of the Ennis Shield but did not progress further.

The Club had enjoyed ideal premises in the girls School in Donycarney where it had the use of what was then called “the cookery room”. Food preparation tables doubled as excellent chess tables while an ample supply of gas cookers and washing up facilities meant that a welcome cup of tea was always available. This was particularly appreciated when fixtures called for Provincial Clubs to visit on Saturday afternoons. On many occasions, rather lavish hospitality was provided through the good offices of dedicated girl-friends of team members. However, these good times were coming to a close when developments in parent/teacher meetings began to take precedence over the Chess Club which had to move to another room in the school. Here, facilities were not adequate for meeting the requirement of visiting teams. Up to this time, the club had operated on a very informal basis with someone being persuaded - or even conscripted - to act as Secretary to look after fixtures etc. Now a corporate club decision was taken to seek new premises and, for the 1978/79 season, Elm Mount moved away from it’s originating district to the Christian Brothers School, Ard Scoil Ris, in Marino.

The change in premises did not adversely affect the Club’s performance and it finished the 1978/79 season as runner-up in the Ennis Shield. Most club members moved with the club to it’s new premises and some new members were attracted to the new location. The 1978/79 result meant promotion to Division 2, the Heidenfeld Trophy, in 1979/80. This necessitated moving from a team of 6 to a team of 8 for the Heidenfeld but the increase in club membership enabled it to meet the requirements. It even became possible to enter an additional team in the Bodley Cup (Division 7). John Keenan took over the role of Secretary in that season. The Heidenfeld team returned a reasonably creditable performance for 1970/80 but the Bodley team exceeded all expectations by winning the Cup on their first try. This team consisted of : Willie Murray, Dermot Murray, Alan Hickey, Eugene McMorrow and Paddy Osborne. This result meant promotion of the second team to the B.E.A. Cup (Division 6).

However 1979/80 once again brought problems regarding premises and having been unable to gain access, when due to play a home fixture, a further move became inevitable. Victor Murray took over as Club Secretary and, through the good offices of Jim Ryan, who was now involved in the newly created Beaumont Parish, and the assistance of Willie Murray, premises were obtained in the staff room of St. Fiachra’s Junior School in Beaumont. Alan MacDonagh took over the task of looking after the Club finances. So for the 1980/81 season the club settled into it’s new premises but lost some of it’s strong players so that for the next three seasons it became a matter of survival in the Heidenfeld and B.A. Cup. The last link with the founding fathers was broken when Willie Murray left the club though he continued to take an interest in the game. Internally, the Club experimented with Club Championships each year and succeeded in keeping the membership necessary to field two teams. Handicapping in Club Championships proved difficult, as handicap points to be effective, required that all entrants completed their full list of fixtures. In 1982/83 two Club Sections were designed and Gerry MacElligott, who had just returned to the Club the previous year, won the Senior Section While Eugene McMorrow won the Junior.

The club had a resurgence in 1983/84 and won the Heidenfeld Trophy on a knife-edge result. Elm Mount had an away fixture with Carlow which had to be deferred due to frozen roads, When this fixture came to be filled at the tail-end of the season, Elm Mount needed 6 points from 8 games to win the trophy and succeeded in getting that result. In fact it left Elm Mount and Dundrum on equal points but as Elm Mount had beaten Dundrum when they met, the trophy went to Elm Mount. The team of 8 was drawn from a panel of 9 as follows: Gerry MacElligott, Alan MacDonagh, Alec Tyrrell, Sean Loftus, Cecil Murray, Fred Armstrong, Dermot Murray, Victor Murray and Philip Dowling.

Unfortunately the second team had been relegated to the O’Hanlon in this year. In the Club Championships, Fred Armstrong won the senior section on a handicap of 1 1/2 points while the junior section was won by Daragh O’Brien, a young and very promising player whose early death was a sad shock to all his colleagues.

1984/85 saw Elm Mount at the highest level in Division 1, the Armstrong Cup. The first team was struggling to remain in this rarefied atmosphere, and finally ended the season second from bottom. This should have meant relegation, but T.C.D. was disqualified for infringement of the rules and Elm Mount survived for another year in the Armstrong Cup. but luck was not to hold out and after the 1985/86 season, the first team found itself back in the Heidenfeld Trophy, Division 2. Meantime, however, membership numbers improved and in 1984/85 the Club was also able to enter teams in the O’Hanlon and O’Sullivan Trophy, the new entry division. Alan MacDonagh on a handicap of 1 won the Senior Club Championship while Kevin Murray on 1 handicap won the Junior in the 1984/85 season. in 1985/86, due to falling league entries, Elm Mount was invited to enter it’s second team in the Ennis Shield without having actually earned promotion.

After six eventful years in St. Fiachra’s School, Beaumont, the Club once more faced an accommodation crisis in 1986, when it learned that to continue to use the school premises, it would have to take out public liability insurance. Quotations for this cover proved prohibitive in the context of the relatively small numbers of club members who would have to make up this additional cost. A special Club meeting in April 1986 considered various options, from disbanding completely to merging with another club, but finally decided to continue the independent identity of Elm Mount and seek new premises. A formal election of officers resulted in Fred Armstrong becoming Secretary, Eugene McMorrow as Assistant Secretary, Alan MacDonagh retaining the position of Treasurer and Victor Murray as Chairman. These officers, with the assistance of Gerry MacElligott were given the task of holding the Club together. In the event, the youthful enthusiasm of Fred Armstrong was to prove a major factor in achieving this and through his contacts, a base for the Club was secured in St. Kevins Boys Club in Larkhill.

While the first team succeeded in remaining in the Heidenfeld Division for the next three years, performances were generally indifferent and often verged on survival. Club membership declined and it became impossible to field a second team on a regular basis. But morale among members remained buoyant and Club Championships continued with Fred Armstrong taking the Senior and Pat O’Toole the Junior in 1986/87, Sean Loftus took the Senior and Eugene McMorrow the Junior in 1987/88 and 1n 1988/89, because of falling numbers, a single Championship was won by Gerry MacElligott with Pat Fitzsimons as runner-up.

The St. Kevin’s Club premises had served well in keeping the Club together, but the conditions for play were cramped and the location was not convenient for many. Evidence of this was the declining membership and a failure to attract new members. By the end of the 1988/89 season, membership was down to only 9 and once more it became apparent that a radical change was needed. Again, through the good offices of Fred Armstrong, Club facilities were obtained in Millmount House, Drumcondra for commencement of 1989/90 season. That this move was justified is borne out by the fact that by the end of the season, membership had increased to 20. The Heidenfeld team was strengthened and finished in the top half of the division. The single Club Championship was won by Alan MacDonagh.

The new Club facilities which included availability of a bar and very comfortable surroundings, proved very popular. Encouragement of young players had always been an objective of the Club and this had been possible while using all previous premises, but this had to be discontinued in the new circumstances because of the location on licensed premises. However, the loss of intake of young players was more than offset by the number of more mature players who found the new arrangements convenient and attractive. 

1990/91 saw the strengthening of the Club bearing fruit when the Heidenfeld Team went on to win the Trophy. Once again the Club had pulled itself up by it’s bootlaces to win promotion to the top Armstrong Cup division. The winning team included: Gerry MacElligott, Alan MacDonagh, Sean Loftus, Fred Armstrong.

The expanded numbers also enabled the entry of a team in the Bodley Cup which finished runner-up and so qualified for promotion. A new two sectioned Club Championship saw Gerry MacElligott take the Senior section while Ms Debbie Quinn took the Junior.

A further intake of new members enabled three teams to be formed for entry in the 1991/92 Leagues - an Armstrong Cup Team, a B.A. Cup Team and a new entry in the Bodley Cup. This time round the Armstrong Cup Team performed with great credit and proved that the Club now had the strength to participate fully at this level. The second team continued the winning way by bringing home the B.A. Cup through the following players: Pat Fitzsimons, Stephen O’Sullivan, Ms. Debbie Quinn, Kevin Summons-Walsh and Eugene McMorrow with Victor Murray as sub.

A new entry Bodley Cup team also made it’s mark by finishing runner-up in it’s section and so earning promotion. In fact it had finished top of it’s section but was knocked off it’s perch by Drogheda in a challenge match necessitated by a complete walk-over included in the Elm Mount points. The Club Championships went to Cormac Brady for the Senior and Victor Murray for the Junior.

With the disbanding of the Kevin Barry club after the 1991/92 season, a number of highly graded players from that Club joined Elm Mount so that for the season 1992/93 the Armstrong Cup Team was considerably strengthened and finished 5th in that League. A strengthened second team comprising: Sean Loftus, Alan MacDonagh, John Quigley, Alex Tyrrell, Pat Fitzsimons and Donal O’Danachair won the O’Hanlon Trophy (Division 5).

Now, twenty years on, the cold war is almost forgotten and the Berlin Wall has come down. The American hero Bobby Fischer has been disowned for flouting sanctions on Yugoslovia, where he engaged in a return match, after twenty years, with Boris Spassky. Fischer won but this time round he was no longer a role-model for the new world order. Meantime, Elm Mount Chess Club, after twenty years, has grown in stature and goes from strength to strength. The Club owes a debt of gratitude to those founding fathers who started a process which has been a source of enjoyment for young and not-so-young players over the years. A handful of players have stuck with the Club through good times and bad, keeping the spirit alive, and a few have taken the often thankless task of keeping the Club functioning. As Elm Mount continues to mature, the wish is that it will continue to make it’s full contribution to Chess in Ireland and abroad for many years.