all our clubs and courses. Three of the children
of John and Anne Jameson provide the initial
links
• Daughter Madeline married Nathanial
Hone, one of our founders
• Another daughter Margaret married William
Reid, another of our founders
• Son John leased land to Portmarnock GC to
enable them build their course.
• The Jameson homestead has been
converted into the Portmarnock Country
Club Hotel, and the surrounding land where
their links are built was once part of the
Jameson estate
John George Jameson was the Malahide
Captain in 1898 (a different branch of the
family).
The Island GC history notes that JP Jameson
was a member of their owing syndicate in the
early fifties. Our connections with The Island
GC were strong from the start. We ran a joint
set of tournaments at the turn of the last
century over Easter week which included a
36 hole men’s singles event played over the 2
courses.
Some of you will know that in the storms
of 1905, 3 holes from our links were literally
transported across the inlet to the Island
course. And we never got them back!
There also is record in 1950s of senior members
of the Island and Malahide discussing
amalgamation, and locating the club house in
St James Terrace. We both compete Annually
for the Talbot Cup.
Stories of the boat crossing to The Island are
legendary. I came across this ditty in research.
A Malahide Lady named Hyland,
Though she’d play golf on the island
She fell out of the boat
But was caught by the coat
And dragged by the boathook to dry land
The 3 links courses (The Island
GC, Portmarnock GC, and
Portmarnock Links GC)
have helped make the
Portmarnock /
Malahide area
“the golfing capital of the East of Ireland “. We
like to think we in Malahide Golf play our part
in supporting that accolade.
Our first 100 years has been well chronicled
in our Club history, researched by Michael
O’Rourke. Our history is now posted on our
web site I thank our present club historians
Brian Bolger and Diarmuid O’Donnacha who
have collected club memorabilia.
From reading our history, it is clear that it is
as much a social history of the area as it is a
golf history. It also mirrors very much what was
happening all around the country as the game
moved from being the exclusive preserve of
the elite into a game for all. We were founded
by an artist, a clergy man and a Baron, who
complimented each other’s skillsets. Nathaniel
Hone, the artist had organisational skills.
William Reid, a Church of Scotland clergyman,
had expertise as a golfer, and Baron Talbot de
Malahide, our President for the first 29 years,
provided the land on the shore.
Our initial 9-hole course in 1892 were links and
located in the sand dunes in Malahide. Take a
look at the Hone Painting of the 2nd hole of
this course in the Members Bar
In 1905: we lost the 3 holes referred to earlier
and replaced them with 3 parkland holes on
the other side of the road, on 16 acres of land
rented from Talbot Estate.
By 1927 further erosion by the sea and frequent
encroachment made the club’s position
untenable. The Shore had to be abandoned,
and more land for 9 inland holes was rented
successfully.
By the early 1980’s our 9 holes were now almost
totally surrounded by housing and golf was
beginning to become a danger to not only
property but also to persons. The search for
new and suitable land in the area commenced.
Fran Foley first spotted the opportunity to
purchase Beechwood Stud, and we were
we were lucky to have great committees, to
evaluate the potential of the Beechwood lands
for golf, present the case to members and then
to build the course. Fran’s brother Tony chaired
the EGM, on 23rd, May 1987 where the motion
was carried unanimously by the 169 members
present. The stage was set for our momentous
move to Beechwood on the 26th May 1990.
Special mention of John Mara, who project