THE IRISH CLOSE CHAMPIONS WHO WON AT ROYAL DUBLIN
W.H Webb of Royal Portrush GC was the first man to win an Irish Close Championship hosted by Royal Dublin. In the modern era, Dara Lernihan (Castle) has the honour of, to date, being the last player to become the champion of Ireland at the Dollymount links. From 1895, the year Webb rose to national prominence, to Lernihan’s success in 2010 inclusive, 116 years elapsed during which the club staged the Irish Close on 11 occasions.
THE IRISH CLOSE CHAMPIONS WHO WON AT ROYAL DUBLIN
W.H Webb of Royal Portrush GC was the first man to win an Irish Close Championship hosted by Royal Dublin. In the modern era, Dara Lernihan (Castle) has the honour of, to date, being the last player to become the champion of Ireland at the Dollymount links. From 1895, the year Webb rose to national prominence, to Lernihan’s success in 2010 inclusive, 116 years elapsed during which the club staged the Irish Close on 11 occasions.
Just two Royal Dublin members - Lionel Munn (1913) and Captain Ernest (E.F) Carter (1921) - have won the title, but neither succeeded in doing so on their home turf. Carter triumphed at nearby Portmarnock in 1921 winning emphatically by 9&8 against local member Dr Gerald Moore. A total of nine players won the Close at Royal Dublin, as Webb (1895 and 1898), and John Burke (1940 and 1946) were double winners. The other champions crowned at Royal Dublin were: F.B Newett (Malone) 1902; Captain Henry A. Boyd of Portmarnock 1906; John F Jameson (Malahide) in 1910; Donald Soulby (Fortwilliam) who retained the title in 1929; Dr David Sheahan (Grange) 1966; John McHenry (Douglas) 1986, and Dara Lernihan (Castle) 2010.
Lionel Munn actually became Irish champion as a member of three different clubs. Munn represented Dublin University in 1908 and 1911; then Royal Dublin in 1913; and finally North West in retaining the championship in 1914. Born on May 4, 1887 in Derry, Munn was an all round sportsman who played rugby for Dublin University. He followed up his maiden Irish Close success of 1908 with the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin in 1909 – the first of his three Amateur Open wins.
Munn enlisted in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when World War 1 broke out. He survived the war but took some time to return to golf. When he did, he did so in style, capturing the Belgian Open championship in 1931 and 1932. His quality as a golfer was exemplified by Munn reaching the final of The Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s in 1937. Unfortunately there was no fairy tale ending for the 54-year-old Munn who lost by 3&2 to Robert Sweeny of the Royal and Ancient.