EIRE CUP

The silver rose bowl Interstate Cup bears the inscription “Irish International Eire Cup”, and was won in Dublin, Ireland, in 1937 by an Australian team consisting of CJ Miller (C), JC Windsor, Miss AB Morrison and EM Hunt.

On 1 August 1937, after playing a series of 5 test matches in England, the Australian International team journeyed to Ireland to play a series of matches at the Carrickmines Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Dublin. The Eire Cup was introduced at Carrickmines in 1928 to celebrate a Mrs Wilson, who had spearheaded the group that had established the Carrickmines club twenty-five years earlier. Four identical cups were commissioned for the event; the Eire cup is the Irish Croquet International Eire Cup, the others were given to Lawn Tennis and Handicap Croquet.

Before the match was played, it was explained to both teams that the ‘Eire Cup’ would become the property of the winning country. Matches commenced on 2 August and Australia was successful in winning the coveted trophy four games to two. Three of the four commissioned cups remain in Ireland and the fourth returned to Australia, where it remains.

Team member Eddie Hunt  presented the trophy to the Victorian Croquet Association in 1938, it was not played for until 1948 as part of an Interstate Tournament in Adelaide, then again in 1949 in Brisbane. In 1949 the Australian Croquet Council  (precursor of the Australian Croquet Association)  came into being that year and the Eire Cup competition started officially in 1950.

Previous winners can be found HERE

The 2024 Eire Cup will be held in Hobart, Tasmania from 13 – 17 March

 

Croquet Australia Chair Jim Nicholls with the Eire Cup