Identity Statement
| Title | Rathfarnham Golf Club |
| Archive Reference | IE DCLA/DCSA/008 |
| Web Link to this Entry | https://iar.ie/archive/rathfarnam-golf-club |
| Creation Dates | c1900–2013 |
| Extent Medium | 11 archive boxes, 1 oversize item, 1 roll of maps and survey drawings |
Context
Creator(s): Rathfarnham Golf Club
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Administrative History ↴
The Rathfarnham Golf Club was founded in 1899. It was originally located at Butterfield House in Rathfarnham, between Butterfield Avenue and Dodder River and the course comprised 9 holes on 50 acres of land. Sir Frederick Shaw became the first president. The RGC expanded quickly and by the time of the first Annual General Meeting in 1900, there were 123 members (both male and female) registered. By 1903 the original clubhouse was built and the club had some 230 members. In 1966 the Club moved from Butterfield to its existing location in Newtown on Stocking Lane, a green site and developed a 9 hole course. The golf course extended from 9 to 14 holes in 2002, to 15 holes in 2008 and to 18 holes in 2014. Rathfarnham Golf Club has had its success over the years. Noteable victories include the Barton Cup and the Irish Times Shields won by the senior men’s team in 1962 and victory in the Lenister Championship in 2012 for the mixed foursomes. The club’s only international player to date is Miss Harriet Celenia’ Ena’ brooks (1921-2013) and papers relating to her golfing career have also been donated to the Dublin City Sports Archive (See DCSA/008) In 1999, to celebrate its centenary year the RGC members organised a number of events, including captain’s dinner, competitions, a gala ball and a centenary dinner. Dick Shield collected information about the history of the club and published the “Rathfarnham Golf Club centenary History”. The extensive publication contains information about the development and the members of the club. One copy is in the sub fond DCSA/008/17/3. -
Archival History ↴
Following an appeal to Rathfarngam Golf Club members in 2012, many individuals located and gathered together club records which were sorted and arranged by club archivist Susan Hood. In July 2013 they were transferred for permanent safe keeping to Dublin City Archives. -
Immediate Source Acquisition ↴
Permanent Loan
Content & Structure
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Scope & Content: Rathfarnham Golf Club ↴
The collection is related to the administrative and sporting history of the Rathfarnham Golf Club. It includes minutes from the early years of the club to the present, competition books, reports of meetings, newsletters, rules and Bye-laws of the club, financial records, nearly 1000 photographs as well as materials related to the course and clubhouse development.
The biggest sub fond is related to the centenary year of the club in 1999. It contains letters, invitation, notes, minutes and other material basically compiled by either Alex Burns, the captain during the centenary year or Dick Shiel, author of the “Rathfarnham Golf Club Centenary History” (1999). In preparation for publication, Shield collected diverse material related to the history of the RGC.
The collection is an important record for the Irish golf history
It provides historical information about the rules and daily events of an Irish golf club in the twentieth century. It would be useful to researchers interested in sport and social history in Ireland in the twentieth century, and in particular in the history of golf and the Rathfarnham Golf Club. The collection is also valuable to local historians interested in the development of Rathfarnham and south Dublin, as well as to it individuals carrying out family history who wish to research the activities of various members. -
Appraisal Destruction ↴
Permanent Retention -
Arrangement ↴
These records have been arranged firstly according to subject and secondly in a chronically order.
DCSA/008/1 Minute Books of the Committee (1903-1979)
DCSA/008/2 Miscellaneous early volumes (1904-1946)
DCSA/008/3 Minute Books of the Ladies Branch (1907-1924)
DCSA/008/4 competition & Annual Fixture Lists (1957-1998)
DCSA/008/5 Materials relating to Rules, Bye-laws and the Constitution (c.1940’s-2012)
DCSA/008/6 Other Printed Materials (1929-2013)
DCSA/008/7 Minutes Books of the Greens’ Committee (1946-1961)
DCSA/008/8 Paper Relating to the Move from Butterfield to Newtown (1962-1965)
DCSA/008/9 Maps and Survey Drawings (c.1870’s-2005)
DCSA/008/10 Annual General Meeting Reports and related Materials (1948-2002)
DCSA/008/11 Minute Book of the Rathfarnham golf Club Bowling Club (1968-1998)
DCSA/008/12 Cards of the Course (1950-2000)
DCSA/008/13 Materials relating to Course and Clubhouse Development in Newtown (1984-2005)
DCSA/008/14 Suggestions Book (1985-1994)
DCSA/008/15 Ladies Competitions Books (1989-2003)
DCSA/008/14 Miscellaneous Materials
DCSA/008/17 Centanary Year-related Materials (1999)
DCSA/008/18 Photographs
Conditions of Access & Use
| Access Conditions | Available to view by public who apply for research card in Dublin City Library and Archive Reading Room, 138-144 Pearse street, Dublin 2. A small number of series are closed for public access until 2028. These are clearly identified on the descriptive list. |
| Conditions Governing Reproduction | Subject to Dublin City Library and Archive Reading Room Terms of Membership and in accordance with copyright legislation. |
| Creation Dates | c1900–2013 |
| Extent Medium | 11 archive boxes, 1 oversize item, 1 roll of maps and survey drawings |
| Material Language Script | English |
| Characteristics Tech Req | The collection includes mainly books and loose papers in A4 or smaller. It also contains photographs in different sizes (especially 9x13 or 15x20) and oversize maps and drawings. |
| Finding Aids | Descriptive List Archive Web Link → |
Allied Materials
| Related Material | Dublin City Sports Archive at Dublin City Library and Archive. In particular see DCSA/009 Records of Miss Harriet Celenia ‘Ena’ Brooks. |
| Publication Note | Shiel, Dick, Rathfarnham Golf Club – Centenary History (Dublin 2009) www.rathfarnhamgolfclub.ie/history-new2 |
Descriptive Control Area
| Archivist Note | Dr. Susan Hood, July 2013, edited by Marlen Schnurr, September 2014. |
| Rules/Conventions | IGAD: Irish Guidelines for Archival Description. Dublin: Society of Archivists, Ireland, 2009. |
| Date of Descriptions | July 2013-September 2014 |