1945-46 Tennis Club

MURPHY CUP 1946

The Murphy Cup opened with the usual large entry. Tom Cleary and Jerry O'Donoghue, our two outstanding juniors, who proved invincible in the Inter-Schools Competition, along with Robert Donovan and Peter McCabe are' seeded,' and should reach the semi-finals. Tom Cleary, a new boy this year, who gives a more remarkable performance every time he plays, is very promising, and after some fine displays in the InterSchools Competition, must be considered favourite. These two are out on their own amongst the Juniors. Billy Casey, who won the 'Prep.' championship two years ago, is capable of upsetting calculations, but it is probable that we will see Tom and Jerry in both finals, with the irrepressible Tom emerging victorious.

The' Prep.' championship is a very open affair, with the issue probably lying between Pat Clarke and Frank Casey.

INTER-SCHOOLS COMPETITION 1946

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

The Senior Team was picked from T. Cleary, R. Donovan, P: McCabe, J. O'Donoghue, R. Crowley, J. Bolger and B. Devlin. We started well with 6-0 victories over King's Hospital and Xavier School, but met our Waterloo in a 5- I defeat by the holders, St. Columba's. Jerry O'Donoghue won his singles and Tom Cleary put up a remarkable performance in taking F. Furney to 10-8 in the first set. The result was much closer than the score would suggest, as St. Columba's had to fight hard for every match, but they have a good team, which should win the Cup.

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulations to Jerry O'Donoghue, the captain, and to Tom Cleary, Derek Reddin, Billy Casey, Brian O'Hegarty and Walter O'Donoghue, who made up the rest of the team, on making a successful debut in bringing back the Junior Cup. They gave an astounding display in going through the competition without losing a match, indeed, they only lost three sets out of twenty-four matches.

They romped home against Xavier School and King's Hospital, and then came up against the holders, Blackrock. The 'Rock stalwarts, Niall and Pearse Nolan, had caused us some apprehension before this match, but Tom Cleary and Jerry O'Donoghue went out and only lost six games between them, which gave the necessary fillip to the team, far another 6-0 victory. Belvedere proved but little opposition in a final which was too one-sided to be good, and when Jerry, carrying the Cup, led his men into the Ref.' that evening, the hearty cheer which greeted them was well-deserved.

MURPHY CUP 1945

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

B. Moylett, E. Connellan, T. Delahunt and J. O'Neill were' seeded' in this tournament. However, the last two failed to qualify for the semi-final, J. O'Neill being beaten in the third round by R. Donovan, and T. Delahunt in the quarter-final by P. McCabe. B. Moylett, the eventual winner" after surviving a magnificent challenge by the junior, J. O'Donoghue, beat R. Donovan, and E. Connellan survived a strong challenge by P. McCabe in the semi-finals. The final was a spectacular clash of style, Moylett's steadiness overcoming the hard-hitting of Connellan.

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

The big surprise in this tournament was the semi-final defeat of the holder, Jerry O'Donoghue, by John Bolger, who went on to win the Cup. Roderic Crowley was never extended in the other half, but was just , pipped' by John in a hard-fought three-set Final.

"PREP." CHAMPIONSHIP

It was obvious from the beginning who were going to fight the final of this tournament and neither Brian O'Hegarty nor Walter O'Donoghue disappointed anyone. The former's steadiness triumphed over the erratic brilliance of O'Donoghue in the third set.

R. DONOVAN.