Irish Squash includes notable players such as Jonah Barrington, Derek Ryan, Madeline Perry, Liam Kenny Aisling Blake and John Rooney. Jonah Barrington was honoured with a lifetime achievement award in 2006 at the World Squash Awards.
Contents
Irish Squash is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity following a dip in its profile during the 1990s. Belfast hosted the Women's International Squash Players Association World Championship in November 2006 with the final being played at the Ulster Hall. In September 2011 the European Club Championships will be hosted in Belfast. Irish Squash, the national governing body for squash in Ireland, celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2010. A gala dinner is planned with a host of stars from the world of squash. There are many growth areas within Irish Squash particularly as junior level where promotion and funding has helped to produce so talented and promising players.
The Irish senior ladies team are ranked very highly in the world. They finished 5th at the World team championships in 2008. They also finished in 4th position at the recent European Team Championships in France. The team will travel to New-Zealand in 2010 to compete in the World Team Championships.
The Irish Open is usually held at the imposing and prestigious Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club.
Irish Men's Open Results
Jonah Barrington won the Irish Open in 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1979, and was runner-up (to his great rival, Geoff Hunt) in 1972. In 1976, Geoff Hunt beat Mohibullah Khan in the (then) new Squash Ireland Centre in Dublin. Earlier, from the mid-1950s onwards Donald Pratt, an all-round sportsman who also excelled at cricket, won the Irish Open for ten years in succession.
In 2005, an infamous incident occurred when the Pakistani squash team were unable to play in the Irish Open due to their Visas for Ireland not being granted in time following qualification. The incident was also reported in the Pakistani press at the time.
Irish Women's Open Results
2003 marked the first Women's Irish Open since 1991, where Cassie Jackman - the 2003 losing finalist - reached the semi-finals.