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Armstong Cup
 
The Armstrong Cup is the oldest Irish team league competition and has been played for since 1888, perhaps giving it a claim on the longest running chess competition in the world. The Cup is named after William Armstrong BL (1849-1899) [1] [2] who presented the cup in its first season [3].
 
Armstong Cup, pic: JL.
 
It is organised by the Leinster Chess Union and is the top division of the Leinster Leagues. The league comprises 12 teams of eight players. Each year the bottom two clubs are relegated, and the top two clubs from the second division Heidenfeld Trophy are promoted. Players have to be registered with the Irish Chess Union. As well as being rated by the ICU, games in the Armstrong Cup are submitted for rating by FIDE, the International Chess Federation.
 
In 1971 the League was divided. The top 6 teams played each other home and away. The remaining teams formed the new Division 2 named the Heidenfeld Trophy with the older Ennis Shield league competition becoming Division 3 of the Leinster leagues, and the O'Hanlon Cup becoming Division 4. In the early 1980s the LCU experimented with having a preliminary round and then dividing the league into two sections however it returned to the league format. Some information was obtained from the Rathmines [4] and Phibsboro [5] Chess Clubs' websites.
 
Winning Clubs
 
1889–1899
1900–1909
1910–1919
1920–1929
1930–1939
1940–1949
1950–1959
1960–1969
1970–1979
1980–1989
1990–1999
2000–2009
2010–2019
2020–present
Number of Wins by Club
Club                    | Wins | Years
------------------------|------|------------------------------------------------
Dublin                	|  33  | 1910, 1913, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 
			|      | 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 
			|      | 1944, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1958, 1960, 1961, 
			|      | 1963, 1965, 1966. 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1981, 
			|      | 2024
Sackville              	|  17  | 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1911, 
			|      | 1912, 1914, 1915, 1926, 1929, 1932, 1942, 1949, 
			|      | 1951, 1957
Rathmines              	|  10  | 1895, 1898, 1946, 1978, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2006,
			|      | 2007, 2012
Kevin Barry [6]   	|   7  | 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992
Phibsboro              	|   7  | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013
Gonzaga                	|   7  | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023
UCD                    	|   6  | 1959, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980
Dublin University      	|   6  | 1891, 1896, 1897, 1900, 1945, 2014
Blackrock/Booterstown[7]	|   5  | 1899, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1936
Collegians [8]          	|   4  | 1964, 1972, 1975, 1979
Eoghan Ruadh [8]        	|   4  | 1954, 1956, 1962, 1968
Clontarf               	|   3  | 1890, 1953, 1955
Colmcille              	|   3  | 1937, 1940, 1943
Crumlin [9]             	|   3  | 1997, 1998, 2001
Bray                   	|   2  | 1990, 2000
Raheny                 	|   2  | 1982, 1983
City                   	|   1  | 1894
Dundrum [10]          	|   1  | 1985
Elm mount              	|   1  | 2010
Kilkenny               	|   1  | 2011
Kingstown              	|   1  | 1893
Phoenix                	|   1  | 1890
Rathfarnham            	|   1  | 1995
St. Benildus [10]      	|   1  | 1994
Notes on Clubs
 
Clubs which are defunct or no longer active are in italics
  1. Kevin Barry Chess Club, previously called ''North City Chess Club'' played in Mountjoy Square, Dublin, disbanded in 1992.
  2. Booterstown(Blackrock) evolved into Blackrock Chess Club and played in the Carnegie Library in Blackrock, the club is now defunct.
  3. In 1981 Eoghan Ruadh (who played in Merchants Quay, Dublin) and Collegians merged to form ''Vikings Chess Club'', Collegians continued on as a Chess and Go Club.
  4. Crumlin Chess Club, in 2002, played in Rathmines Chess Club, playing as Rathmines/Crumlin up until 2004 until they joined Rathmines.
  5. St. Benildus and Dundrum Chess Club merged, so perhaps their victories should be counted together.
References
  1. Photo of William Armstrong Gravestone, Mount Jerome Cemetery Dublin, one of these photos.
  2. William Armstrong, www.irlchess.com
  3. Armstrong Cup, Irish Chess History
  4. Roll of Honour, LCU Competitions, Rathmines Chess Club.
  5. Phibsboro Chess Club, facebook page, Link altered as www.phibsborochessclub.com not showing in 2024
Source
Author unknown. Copied from Wikipedia in 2024 and edited by John Loughran.
Please send corrections and updates to John Loughran on skerrieschess.com/contact.