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The Origins at Kilternan

The roots of Old Conna Golf Club go back to The Dublin Sport Golf Club, which played out of The Golf Course belonging to and held under Licence from The Dublin Sport Hotel, Kilternan, Co. Dublin. The Hotel itself was formerly The Pat Quinn Club in the early to mid 1970s, and prior to this period was owned by the Opperman Brothers, which had traded as a Hotel and 5 star restaurant.

During this time an 18 Hole Golf Club attached to the Pat Quinn Club was formed under the name of Kilternan Golf Club where, on the 27th October 1973, an application was made to the Leinster Branch of the Golfing Union of Ireland to join. The application was signed by Patrick D. Conroy as Secretary and Patrick J. Quinn (Pat) as Chairman and is on file.

From Pat Quinn Club to Dublin Sport Hotel

Following the demise of The Pat Quinn Club, and being offered for sale by Public Auction, jointly by Lisney & Son, and Keane, Mahony, Smith, on Wednesday 10th April 1974, Patrick Cosgrave (Paddy) purchased the Club.

He changed the name to The Dublin Sport Hotel and opened the Course for casual Green Fees in June 1975. An advertisement was placed in the Irish Times on June 17th 1975 to this effect. A letter dated 1st September 1976 inviting applications for an Annual Green Fee Membership was also circularised.

The Meeting That Started the Club

As the numbers playing increased to 120, some of those Members got together with Patrick Cosgrave and decided to investigate the forming of a Golf Club again under the auspices of the G.U.I.

A General Meeting of the Annual Green Fee Members was called for Tuesday 28th June 1977, in The Dublin Sport Hotel, at which approximately 100 members attended. It was chaired by Mr John Kavanagh, Manager of the Hotel. Mr Brendan Walsh, Solicitor for the hotel, attended on behalf of the Management. Mr Ivan E.R. Dickson, General Secretary, Leinster Branch G.U.I., was also in attendance.

A Working Party was set up consisting of:

The Working Party's Brief

1. To negotiate with Hotel Management on behalf of the members, in order to secure satisfactory tenure of the Golf Course and other necessary facilities in return for a reasonable fee.
2. To ascertain the requirements of the G.U.I. for Club affiliation and to submit proposals for fulfilling these requirements.
3. To recommend to the Members a suitable Club Constitution and proposals for working arrangements with the Hotel.
4. To conclude the above and report back at the 2nd Meeting of Members on 26th July 1977.

The 26th July 1977 General Meeting

The Working Party duly reported back to a General Meeting, again held in the Hotel on Tuesday 26th July 1977, with the following Agenda:

The Working Party Report

The Working Party had held a number of Meetings during the period and came back with a lengthy report setting out the priorities and requirements of establishing a Golf Club under the auspices of the G.U.I. and, to meet the wishes of the Hotel, they had suggested the name “Dublin Sport Golf Club”.

The following is a summary under the various headings from the Working Party:

The First Club Constitution

1. Name: The name of the Club will be “Dublin Sport Golf Club.”
2. The Game: Played under the Rules of the Royal and Ancient Club of Saint Andrews.
3. Management: To be vested in Council, with President, Vice President, Captain, Vice Captain, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, four Members and one person nominated by the Hotel.
4. Election of Council: All Officers and Members to be elected at the A.G.M. Nominations were to be submitted in writing 10 days before the A.G.M., signed by two Members of the Club along with the nominee signing that, if elected, they were willing to act as an Officer or Council Member.
5. Vacancy on Council: To be filled by co-option, subject to holding office until the next A.G.M.
6. Annual General Meetings: To be held in May each year.
7. Agenda: Hon. Treasurer's report, Hon. Secretary's report, election of Officers and Council Members, and notice of motions.
8. Rule Changes: Any motion proposing alterations to or additional Rules must be submitted 28 days before the A.G.M.
9. Voting: By ballot, requiring a vote of two thirds plus one vote to succeed.
10. Quorum: 20 Members.

Annual Subscriptions for 1977/78

As can be seen from the above figures, there was not much surplus to run a Golf Club.

The Ladies Section Begins

On Monday 18th September 1977, a meeting of the Ladies section was called by the Lady Captain, Dr Lorna Browne. In attendance were Dr Lorna Browne, Mrs Geraldine Barrett, Mrs Phil Browne, Mrs Symes, Mrs Sally Beattie and Mrs Margaret Barrett.

A number of ladies who had applied to become Members, Mrs Mary Barron, Mrs Marie Gallagher, Mrs Rosaline O’Leary, Mrs Margo Smith and Nancy O’Sullivan, also attended. A small Ladies Committee was formed, consisting of Dr Browne, Geraldine Barrett, Margaret Barrett and Sally Beattie.

The first Ladies competition was held on September 25th at 12 noon, with the Hon. Secretary writing to Mrs Rita Kenny I.L.G.U. seeking affiliation, with Mrs Kenny proposing the Club at the October meeting of the I.L.G.U.

The Founder Members

The number of founder members was 103, of which five were Lady Members:

• Dr. Lorna Browne (FM3)
• Sallie Beattie (FM5)
• P. Browne (FM8)
• Margaret Barrett (FM9)
• Geraldine Barrett (FM10)

Listed in the Appendix are the original Founder Members, along with the complete list of Members on the 1st of January 1978.

The First Licence Agreement

On 1st August 1977 a Licence Agreement was signed with the Hotel. This agreement allowed the Members to use the Course subject to the payment of the required Fees and subject to 1 year's notice to terminate.

There was reluctance to sign the agreement as it fell far short of what was expected in terms of security of tenure. It was this unsatisfactory arrangement which led in later years for Members to consider purchasing their own Course elsewhere.

At this stage the Club motto “Pax et Comitas” was adopted, which means “Peace and Friendship.”

A Difficult Start for the Course

At this stage the Hotel supplied both the Labour and Maintenance for the Course, which was to prove unsatisfactory even then as the Course became unplayable during the late summer of 1977.

As compensation, the Hotel gave a concession of not charging for the use of the Course until 1st January 1978. The Club then changed its year end to 31st December in light of this arrangement.

G.U.I. Affiliation and the Return to 18 Holes

On the 3rd August 1977, R. S. Pelissier as Hon. Secretary applied to the Leinster Branch of the G.U.I. for affiliation for a 9 Hole Golf Club having 86 Full and 5 Lady Associate Members.

G.U.I. affiliation was obtained on the 20th September 1977. At this stage only 9 Holes were in play, but in poor condition, the original 18 having become overgrown.

The Club's First Bank Account

The first bank account for the Club was opened in Allied Irish Bank on 8th August 1977. The first cheque written was for £5.00 and on 21st September 1977 a cheque for fees of £100.00 was paid to Christy O’Connor Snr. for carrying out the official opening of the Club.

The First New Members

Bill Magill (future Captain 1980) was the first male new member elected on 19th October 1977, Ref No. M1, while Marie Gallagher (future Lady Captain 1985) was the first lady new member on 21st October 1977, Ref. No. M3. John Shinners (M2), future Hon. Secretary, was elected 26th October 1977.

New Lady Members

On 9th November 1977 the following new Lady Members were elected: Rosaline O’Leary (M4), Elizabeth Burke (M5), Mary Barron (M6), Dolores Wadkin (M7), Theresa Fitzpatrick (M8), and Pat McGrath (M9).

The Course Returns to 18 Holes

On 27th September 1977, Ivan E. R. Dickson, Secretary, Leinster Branch G.U.I., wrote to Reg Keating, Captain, informing him that at their Meeting on 21st September 1977, Dublin Sport Golf Club was affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland.

He also asked that he be informed when the full 18 holes were opened so that they may examine the Course to allocate a Standard Scratch. The Course was extended to 18 Holes in the following month, October 1977.

Social Life and the Newsletter “Fore”

From the early days great emphasis was placed on the Social element along with communication with the Members through the format of Newsletter “Fore”, of which both the first and last issues along with many of the intervening years are archived within the Club.

A Press Release stated that the first Annual Ball was to take place in February 1978, in the Hotel. This again proved to be a success with the Who’s Who in the area attending, including Captains and Lady Captains of six neighbouring Clubs, along with G.U.I. Officers.

The Social scene was also used as a means of fundraising, and from what we can see, all Social Events were well supported and generated a profit.

The Club Crest and Motto

A Council meeting on 29th March 1978 approved the Club crest and motto “Pax et Comitas”.

The First Captain's Dinner

Captain Reg Keating held the first Captain’s Dinner on 15th April 1978 in the Hotel.

The Fight for Security of Tenure

The first Trustees, Dermot Hitchcock, John L. Byrne and John Mooney, along with Council, wrote on 10th May 1978 to Patrick Cosgrave stating that if the recent agreement was not signed, the Club would fold as it was the minimum required to establish a Club in the long term.

In May 1978, the Club received drawings from architects to build a clubhouse for the Golf Club, but the Club could not proceed without control of the lands.

The First Annual General Meeting

On the 30th May 1978 the first Annual General Meeting took place in the Carrick Room of the Hotel, with an attendance of 67.

Accounts were produced for the period of 26th July 1977 to 31st March 1978 showing an excess of Income over expenditure of £2,001. The undated Secretary's report and 1st A.G.M. Minutes are held on file along with Application Forms for Membership and some receipts for Subscriptions.

The 1978 Officers and Council

Plans for Clubhouse and Course Improvements

A further meeting was held in July 1978 with the Hotel to discuss a separate Club House for the Club, a watering system for the greens, increasing the length of the 16th hole, locker rooms with showers, etc.

A Growing Social Calendar

The Social Committee held a meeting on 6th September 1978 and decided that Club Nights would be held on the first Friday of every month.

The Captain’s Drive In was held on 21st October 1978 and attendances included the Captains and Lady Captains from eight neighbouring clubs.

Membership and Club Finances

An EGM was held on 22nd November 1978 to agree the annual subscriptions for 1979. Attendance was 65.

The Ladies Committee at this stage were paying their out-of-pocket expenses for postage, phone, and sundry items themselves. Geraldine Barrett as Hon. Secretary and Margaret Barrett as Treasurer applied to Council for £100.00 expenses to cover their costs.

The first Newsletter “Fore” was produced by David Duke and Jackie Hayden and a note regarding a vote of appreciation appears in the Minutes of the Council Meeting of 1st March. “Fore” continued as the Club Newsletter for many years under various Editors.

The First Club Professional

The possibility of employing Bill Brampton as Club Professional was discussed.

The Batchelor Cup and Gibbons Cup

The first mention of the Batchelor Cup appears in the Minutes of 22nd March, which states that the Cup is to be insured for a value of £350.00 and which was provided by the Vice Captain, Bill Magill, who worked for Batchelors Ltd.

Another Cup, The Gibbons Cup, was presented by Jim Gibbons, who worked for a subsidiary company of Batchelors, Green Isle Frozen Foods Ltd, for a Junior Section competition in 1978. This cup was afterwards re-engraved for use in a Ladies Competition.

The Dublin Sport Cup and Gallagher Cup

The Hotel presented the Club with the Dublin Sport Cup in 1978 for a competition to start in 1979.

Con and Marie Gallagher started the Gallagher Cup Competition in 1978. The Gallagher Cup continued to be played for and sponsored by Con and Marie up to the playing in May 2017. Con and Marie were Captain and Lady Captain in 1985.

Concerns About the Course

In September 1978 Jim Cluskey resigned from Council and the following January from the Club, stating that he was not happy with the condition of the Course and did not see any potential for improvement.

Also in September, the Captain again wrote to Patrick Cosgrave setting out a summary of the agreement reached at a recent meeting.

Membership at the End of 1978

On 14th December 1978 the Men's handicap analysis was:

Subscriptions for 1979

The Year Ends on a Positive Note

Again in December a Christmas Dinner Dance was held by the Club in the Hotel and for the period 1st April to 31st December the excess of Income over expenditure was £449.78.

A Review of the Standard Scratch

On 23rd January 1979, the Captain, John L. Byrne, wrote to the G.U.I. Leinster Branch requesting a review of the Standard Scratch of 70, being used on a course with a Par of 68. The standard scratch was revised to 66 in October 1979.

Investment in Course Maintenance

The Hotel purchased a new 5 Gang Mower for use on the Course for £2,500.00 on 24th January 1979.

As this particular winter was extremely harsh, with snow falling up until March, the Club wrote to the Ski Club advising them not to ski on the Golf Club grounds when covered in snow.

Brian O Kelly Appointed Day-to-Day Manager

Brian O Kelly was appointed Day to Day Manager of the Club and Course.

The Second Annual Dress Ball

The Club’s Second Annual Dress Ball was held on 2nd March 1979 with invites issued to the Captains of local Clubs and to G.U.I. Officers. 250 tickets were sold at £7.50 each.

The Second Captain's Dinner

Captain John L. Byrne held the second Captain’s Dinner in the Hotel on 26th May 1979, with entertainment by the comedian Hal Roche.

The Continuing Lease Dispute

Again during 1979 negotiations continued with the Hotel Management with regard to the issuing of a Lease to the Golf Club, which was not forthcoming.

To try to force the issue, the Club withheld £5,000.00 and deposited it with Credit Finance at a deposit rate of 17%. However, the Hotel still refused to grant the Lease but continued to grant a Licence at an increased cost of 15%. The inflation rate at the time was 14%.

The 1979 A.G.M.

The Club’s A.G.M. was held on 3rd October 1979.

Fancy Dress and Club Social Life

A very successful Fancy Dress night was held on 28th October 1979.

Entering G.U.I. Competitions

The Council decided at their December meeting that the time had arrived to enter Teams in the following G.U.I. Competitions: Pierce Purcell Shield, Junior Scratch Cup, Barton Cup and the Best Cup, which was organised by Malahide Golf Club.

Following a meeting with Ivan Dixon, Leinster Branch G.U.I., a cheque for £19 was sent to the G.U.I. on 19th December 1978 for the 1979 Entry Fees into the Barton Cup, Metropolitan Trophy and Pierce Purcell Shield.

New Members and a Growing Club

As the number of people applying to join the Club was increasing, Pat Keogh (the current 2017 Captain of Old Conna Golf Club) along with Des Horgan-Gaul were elected as Full Members, while Greta Quigley and Dolores Keller were elected as Lady Associates at the December Council.

The 1980 Council

The Licence Agreement is Signed

The Licence agreement had by now been agreed with the Hotel, a number of changes having been agreed. The Trustees, of which Bill Magill was now included, were now empowered to sign same on behalf of the Club.

As part of the agreement the Club was to be given first option in the event of the Course being offered for sale. The signing took place on 28th April 1980. A copy of it is on our files.

1980 Membership Subscriptions

The Ladies Section

In April 1980, a list of Ladies Section telephone numbers showed 33 lady members.

The Club's Cups and Trophies

In May 1980 the following seven Cups were insured with Church & General Insurance with a total value of £3,130:

• Batchelor Challenge Cup
• Silver Anniversary Cup
• Dublin Sports Hotel Cup
• Gallagher Cup
• Jim Gibbons Cup
• Mooney Cup
• Ladies Anniversary Cup

Open Week and Club Finances

In 1980, the Club ran an Open Week, which produced a surplus of £1,158.00. However, the accounts for the year ending 30th June 1980 showed an excess of expenditure over income of £413.00.

Negotiating Course Maintenance Costs

In September 1980 the Hotel was again looking for an increase in the contribution for 1981 from £57.50 per Member to £77.50 per Member.

After discussion a figure of £72.00 for Full Members, £30.00 for Lady Associates, £12.00 for Juniors and £7.00 for Juveniles was agreed with the Club to fund the cost of maintenance of the Course. A grant of up to £3,000.00 was allowed to the Club to go towards the maintenance.

Annual Subscriptions and Entry Fees for 1981

Where a wife of a Member was elected, the Entrance Fee would be reduced by £20.00. The Annual Fee was to be paid to the Hotel on a pro-rata basis for new Members.

Green Fees and Visitors

Green Fees from 1st October 1980 were to be increased to £3.00 weekdays and £4.00 weekends. Members could sign three visitors at half the charge provided they were playing with the Member.

The Seekers Competitions

At this stage the Seekers Competitions, for handicaps of 18 and over, were in full swing with an end-of-year competition held on 11th October followed by a Stag Night in the Copper Room of the Hotel.

An Active Ladies Section

In 1981, the Ladies Committee was very active with a number of new initiatives taking place in the year.

Bridge was introduced by Frances Buckley as part of the Social Activities and lessons were arranged at a cost of £28.00 for 10 Lessons, with the Hotel charging £10.00 room hire.

The Lady Associate Members were granted the concession of the First Tee from 1pm to 2.30pm when the Full Members normally had their lunch, however, any Full Member that arrived on the Tee had right of way.

Ladies' Day and New Competitions

Tuesday was also designated Ladies' Day with the Seekers on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The first Ladies Open Competition took place and was sponsored by Mary Barron and Loctite.

The Ladies Committee requested a nominee on the Greens Committee, a position to which Peg O Dwyer was appointed.

A Turning Point in the Club's Finances

At the end of June 1981 the excess of income over expenditure was £9,546.24. This was a significant turnaround from the previous year.

Looking Towards Club Ownership

Around this time the first discussions were taking place privately on the possibility of the Club acquiring its own lands, along with further discussions with the Hotel on the purchase of the Grounds/Lease from the Hotel.

Gilbert Leon White was instructed to put a valuation on the Freehold Interest of the approximately 88 acres. He returned a valuation in the order of £240,000.00.

The 1981 Dinner Dance

Captain Dermot Hitchcock wrote to Members requesting that they all make a special effort to attend the formal Dinner Dance on 12th December, to which 182 attended. Entertainment was provided by the Ladies Dramatic Group on the night.