Club House at Gotham
Photograph of the first club house for Carlow,
then known as the Leinster Golf Club, situated at Gotham. Gotham was mid
may between Carlow and Maganey and was conveniently reached by rail from
either station. This first pavilion cost £99 and it was erected in 1904.
- Mr. J.D. McDonald
(Note: The car in the photo is
probably a 1902 Wolseley, registration C 9.)
Carlow Golf Club was originally known as the
Royal Leinster Golf Club.
Club House at Gotham Club. It was founded at a
meeting in the Clubhouse Hotel, Carlow, (later known as St. Brigids
Hospital), on May 18th, 1899. The co-founders were Dr. Francis Brennan of
Castledermot County Kildare and P. Lynch, The Abbey, Athy, County Kildare.
The first course was at Gotham between Carlow
and Maganey. It was a 9 hole links, and was officially opened in July
1899. Captain C. Duckett Steuart was the first Captain of the club. The
Landed Gentry and professional classes were prominently represented in its
membership. Membership fees were set at one guinea (21 shillings) for
gentleman and 10 shillings and 6 pence for ladies.
The Great Southern and Western Railway
facilitated members travelling to Carlow or Maganey Stations for golf
purposes. They were offered return tickets at single fares which could be
procured from "the Honorary Secretary".
The name of the Golf Club changed to Carlow
Golf Club on June 27th 1902. The club was affiliated to the Golfing Union
at that time also. Messrs Thompsons a well-known Carlow engineering firm,
built the pavilion at Gotham in 1904. It cost £99.
The Golf Club moved to a site at Oak Park on
the Bruen Estate in 1922. Cecil Baracroft was the architect and designed
this 18 hole links on a 164 acre site. Mr. Bruen was President of the Club
between the years 1912-1927.
The Clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 1960.
However, in May 1961, Carlow Golf Club purchased the Deerpark site from
the Irish Land Commission for a sum of £2,500. The architect of the new
clubhouse was Mr. Shaffrey and the builder was Mr. Edward Byrne. His
tender of £12,400 for the construction was accepted by the club in 1962.
The new clubhouse at Carlow Golf Club was
officially opened by the then President Hugh O'Donnell. The 9 hole Oak
Park course adjoins the 18 hole Championship course at Deerpark since
2003.
 A
map of Gotham Co. Kildare. Underlined are the Townlands of
Maganey, Jerusalem, Gotham and Oak Park for reference. Scale is 1:50 000
(1 Mile to 1¼") OS Discovery Series maps.
Click to enlarge |
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This signpost to Gotham House can be
found north of Carlow.
- Photo info courtesy of Carloman c2006
- (click on the image to read
about 'The Wise Men of Gotham' by Frank E. Earp)
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- Golf Club meeting 1899
Account of Council Meeting of Carlow
Golf Club (Leinster Golf Club) from Carlow Sentinel 1899. It cited
Captain Duckett Steuart of Steuart Lodge, Leighlinbridge as Captain
of the Club. Eleven gentlemen and three ladies were elected members
of the club on that occasion.
Carlow County Library
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- Golf Clubhouse Fire 1960
Article from the Carlow Nationalist and
Leinster Times August 1960 on the fire which destroyed the Carlow
Golf Club's Clubhouse
Carlow County Library
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- Establishing a Golf Club
Account of the meeting which established
Carlow Golf Club from Carlow Sentinel 20th May 1899. The meeting
took place in the Club House Hotel Carlow. It stated that the club
would be known as "The Royal Leinster Golf Club". The subscription
was to be one guinea for gentlemen and 10 shillings and six pence
for ladies. The grounds were situated at Gotham which was midway
between Carlow and Maganey railway stations.
Carlow County Library
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(Click on newspaper
clips to read the contents)
Barney Hennessy Memorial Golf
Society
