Irish Chess Championship


The Irish Chess Championship is the national Championship of Ireland, currently run by the Irish Chess Union, the FIDE-recognised governing body for the game. Below is the list of champions. The first champion was J.A. Porterfield Rynd, who won the Dublin Chess Congress 1865 No. 3 Tournament, reserved for "amateurs, bona fide resident in Ireland for the 12 months prior to 1st September 1865".
The Irish Chess Association was founded in 1885. Its congresses of 1886 and 1889 included provision for determining the Irish Championship, and the winners were Richard Whieldon Barnett and George D. Soffe, respectively.
The Hibernian Chess Association was established during the 1891-92 season, and held one Irish championship, in 1892, which was won by J.A. Porterfield Rynd.
Since its foundation in 1912 the Irish Chess Union has organised the Irish Chess Championships. The events ran sporadically at first, but have been held annually since 1924, except for suspension during 1941-45.
The Irish Chess Championship has run in various formats including a round robin competition, a match system, and a Swiss system competition. Since 2013, the championship has been organised as a 9-round Swiss event, open to players registered as IRL with FIDE, who meet a rating requirement.

Irish Champions

YearWinnerNotes
1865James Alexander Porterfield RyndFirst winner
1886Richard Whieldon Barnett
1889George D. Soffe
1892James Alexander Porterfield RyndFirst person to win two championships
1913John O'HanlonFirst person to win two consecutive championships
1915John O'HanlonFirst person to win two consecutive championships
1922T.G. Cranston
1924Philip Baker
1925John O'HanlonFirst person to win three championships
1926John O'HanlonFirst person to win four championships
1927Philip BakerFirst, and so far only, person to win three consecutive championships
1928Philip BakerFirst, and so far only, person to win three consecutive championships
1929Philip BakerFirst, and so far only, person to win three consecutive championships
1930John O'HanlonFirst person to win five championships
1931T.G. Cranston
1932John O'HanlonFirst person to win six championships
1933James C. Creevey
1934James C. Creevey
1935John O'HanlonFirst person to win seven championships
1936John O'HanlonFirst person to win eight championships
1937Thomas Cox
1938Thomas Cox
1939Bartholomew O'Sullivan
1940John O'HanlonFirst person to win nine championships
1946Bartholomew O'Sullivan
1947Patrick A. Duignan
1948Dónal J. O'Sullivan
1949Patrick Brendan Kennedy
1950T. Vincent Maher
1951Patrick Martin Austin Bourke
1952Michael Joseph Schuster
1953Edmund Noel Mulcahy
1954Terry Kelly
1955T. Vincent Maher
1956Dónal J. O'Sullivan
1957Dónal J. O'Sullivan
1958Wolfgang Heidenfeld
1959Brian Reilly
1960Brian Reilly
1961John Reid
1962John Reid / Michael F. LittletonShared title
First shared title
1963Wolfgang Heidenfeld
1964Wolfgang Heidenfeld
1965Michael F. Littleton
1966John L. Moles
1967Wolfgang Heidenfeld
1968Wolfgang Heidenfeld
1969Nicholas James Patterson
1970Paul Henry
1971John L. Moles
1972Wolfgang Heidenfeld
1973Hugh MacGrillen
1974Anthony Doyle
1975Eamon Keogh / Alan Templeton LudgateShared title
1976Bernard Kernan
1977Ray Devenney / Alan Templeton LudgateShared title
1978Alan Templeton Ludgate
1979David Dunne / Eamon KeoghShared title
1980Paul Delaney
1981David Dunne / Philip ShortShared title
1982John Delaney
1983David Dunne
1984Eugene Curtin
1985Eugene Curtin / Mark OrrShared title
1986John Delaney / Philip ShortShared title
1987John Delaney
1988Philip Short
1989Niall Carton
1990John Delaney
1991Stephen Brady
1992Stephen Brady
1993Niall Carton
1994Mark Orr
1995Brian Kelly
1996Richard O'Donovan
1997Joseph Diarmuid Ryan
1998Colm Daly
1999Colm Daly
2000Mark Heidenfeld
2001Stephen Brady
2002Sam Collins
2003Stephen Brady
2004Joseph Diarmuid Ryan
2005Colm Daly
2006Stephen Brady
2007Brian Kelly / Stephen BradyShared title
2008Alexander Baburin
2009Colm Daly
2010Alex Lopez
2011Stephen Brady
2012Stephen Brady / Colm Daly
2013Colm Daly
2014Sam Collins
2015Stephen Brady / Philip ShortShared title
2016Stephen Jessel
2017Philip Short / Alex LopezShared title
2018Alex Lopez
2019Conor E. Murphy

Irish Women's Championshttps://irishchesshistory.wordpress.com/restricted/irish-womens-championship/, "Irish Women's Championship", Irish Chess History web site (David McAlister, ed.).