at the Limerick Athenaeum.
The Athenaeum provided meeting-rooms where people got together to form a variety of sporting clubs. The Archives have the Reports of AGMs of many of these clubs which taken with the accounts of the fund-raising social events and concerts provide a fascinating insight into sporting life in the city in the 19th century. The following outlines the information that have been compiled todate.
ARCHERY:
ATHLETICS:
BALLOON: flight: see M.Chavalier 1868.
BICYCLE CLUBS.
Oliver St. John Gogarty (1878-1957) Surgeon, author, wit and Senator graduated from Mungret College in 1891 where he first learnt the art of cycling from members of the Limerick Amateur Athletic and Bicycle Club. As a medical student at Trinity College Dublin, he broke the existing Irish record for the three quarter mile race by two seconds in 1899. He was a close friend of James Joyce with whom he shared residence at the Martello tower at Sandycove, now a literary landmark. He is the model for the character Buck Mulligan is Joyce's epic work "Ulysses". He wrote a number of literary works, one of which, "As I Was Going Down Sackville Street", has recently been republished. He is the subject of a biography by Ulick O'Connor.
BOATING & ROWING CLUBS.
Limerick Boat Club
The following officers were elected for the ensuing season. President- Mr N.A.Brophy. Vice-Presidents-Messrs R.J.Lee; Sir Charles Barrington; T.H.Kenny; T.A.Furnell; M.J.De Courcy; Wm Beauchamp, Andrew Murray. Captain-Mr B.Plummer. Vice-Captain-Mr J.G.Wilkinson. Hon. Sec and Treasurer-Mr B.Murray. Committee-Messrs W.De Courcy; J.F.Power; P.P.Cronin; P.E.Bourke; R.Nash; J.H.DeCourcy; Thomas Ewart; J.B.Kennedy; H.V.Moroney; A.B.Baker; S.McAdam; and A.E.O'Keeffe.
BOXING
CRICKET
GAA:
GOLF: Report of a meeting to form a Limerick Golf Club at Athenaeum in 1891.
GYMNASTICS: Assault-at arms 1874. 1890 and 1891 [LPYMA].
HUNTING: The Limerick County Hunt held social events and Gala Hunt Balls in 1884, 1885, 1891-1897. Detailed guest list.
RUGBY:
[2]. The Limerick [County] Football [Rugby]. Club held socials at the Athenaeum in 1887,1888, when Mr W.L. Stokes was Captain of the Club. Report of AGM in 1891.
POLO: Report of the Limerick Polo Club in 1888.
TENNIS: Reports of the meeting in 1881 and of the Lawn Tennis Tournament Ball at the Athenaeum in 1891 contains detailed guest lists.
In 1867: Report of the Archery Ball, held at the Athenaeum with a detailed guest-list. Newspaper accounts of the Grand Munster Archery Meeting and Tournament at the Fairgreen, Limerick. Days 1-3..
[1]. Reports of the AGMs of the Limerick Amateur Athletic & Bicycle Club, 5th AGM in 1882-1893.
[2]. Report of R.I.C Athletic Club meeting in 1905.
5th AGM in 1882.
President- Mr J Matterson J.P; Vice Presidents- Messrs A.W.Shaw J.P; Windham Gabbett J.P; C.B.Barrington J.P; E. Conway; R de Ros Rose J.P; Andrew Murray. Committee- Messrs C.Croker; T.S.Deane; J.McNamara; J.O'Grady-Delmage; Octavius Wallace; W.Beaumont; E.J.Meade; Bruce Murray; S.Stewart and H.A.Earls. Captain of the Bicycle Club, Mr H.L.Stewart; Hon-.Sec.-Mr C.H.Gubbins. Hon. Treasurer-Mr E.Fry [re-elected].
The Club colours are "light and dark blue".
[1]. Limerick Amateur Athletic & Bicycle Club. Reports of AGMs in 1882 & 1892,
[2]. Limerick Commercial Bicycle Club, meeting in 1892.
[1]. The Limerick Boat Club was founded at the Athenaeum in 1870: Report of meeting held at the Athenaeum for the purpose of forming a new boat club.
[2]. Report that Limerick Rowing Clubs, patch up their differences in 1874.
[3]. Reports of AGM of Limerick Boat Club for years 1880-1895.
[4]. Shannon Rowing Club, 1872, 1874..
AGM 1892
Accounts of boxing matches held at the Athenaeum in 1894, 1905.
[1]. In 1865 the Garryowen Cricket Club sponsored a concert in aid of Athenaeum Organ Fund.
[2]. Limerick Wanderers Cricket Club, meeting in 1884.
Cricket Links Here
[1]. In 1885, a Report of the inaugural meeting of Drapers' Athletic and Football Club.
[2]. In March 1903 is a report of the Pipers Club Social with photographs of members of the Limerick Commercial Football Club.
Visit The GAA Web-site at http://www.gaa.ieGolf Links! Located Here
Sept. 19, 1884 at Athenaeum
President-W.L.Stokes, Hon. Sec-J.Gogarty.
Treasurer-M.L. Joyce (later MP for Limerick)
Captain-J.O'Sullivan. Committee- Messrs. Stapleton,
Tom Prendergast, John O'Connor, John George O'Brien,
Messrs. Dick, Roche, Riordan, Pender, and Gilligan.
SMOKING CONCERT,
in connection with the above Club, will be held
IN THE ATHENAEUM, CECIL STREET,
on Monday, dec. 19th, 1887.
Admission......One Shilling.
[1]. The Garryowen Rugby Club, was founded at the Athenaeum in Sept 19th, 1884. The following officers were elected: The President- W.L.Stokes. Hon Sec-J.Gogarty. Treasurer-M.L.Joyce (later MP for Limerick) Captain- J.O'Sullivan. Committee- Messrs Stapleton, Tom Prendergast, John O'Connor, John George O'Brien, Messrs. Dick ,Roche, Riordan, Pender, and Gilligan.
Reports of the AGMs for 1886,1887, 1896, and 1897 gives detailed list of names of club officials etc. In 1897 there is an is an account of the Garryowen & Shannon -v- Limerick & Phoenix match. In 1913 & 1914, film newsreels were shown in the city for the first time featuring the Munster Rugby Cup Finals between Garryowen -v- UCC. The reports of the "Smoker-Concerts", in 1887 and 1897 contain detailed guest lists at that fund-raising social event.
Rugby links Here
The President
of Garryowen RFC & IRFU, Dermot G O'Donovan advises
the President of Ireland
Eamonn de Valera on the finer points of rugby.
Treasure Of Garryown RFC 1884
The list of Clubs outlined above contain the names of hundreds of individuals from the sporting world. These men and women are part of local history. The Athenaeum Archives are open to clubs in Limerick who wish to access their names.
General Irish Sports Internet Links Here
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