After weeks of rallies, tie-breaks, and the kind of line calls that could make or break friendships, the 2025 Portmarnock Tennis Club Championships wrapped up in glorious style this September. Across August and September, more than 200 players battled through the draws, entering an astonishing mix of events from open and handicap singles to class-based doubles, mixed competitions, combined age groups and seeded challenges.
By the time finals weekend arrived on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th September, the scale of it all became clear: 26 finals crammed into two days, featuring 86 players across 17 doubles and 9 singles matches. It was a marathon of talent, nerve, and occasionally nerves.
Some players entered three or even four events, chasing glory on every possible front. The result was a thrilling mix of dominant performances, surprise breakthroughs, repeat champions, and brave debutants shaking up their categories. A handful of players even made it to the maximum of four finals — an achievement as exhausting as it was impressive.
Spectators watched class battles, hard-fought handicap showdowns, fiercely tactical seeded doubles and the relentless pace of open singles. There were trophies, plates and pride on the line in every category – and the spirit on court stayed as strong as the competition itself. The umpires somehow kept order, the crowd stayed good-natured (mostly), and the support courtside gave every final the atmosphere it deserved.
Once the last match point was played, the serious business of celebrating could begin.
Here are this year’s champions and runners-up:
At Home Night: From Forehands to Fancy Dress
On Saturday night, the club transformed from tennis battleground to party central for the annual At Home night, an evening of awards, music, food, drink, and heroic levels of dancing.
The theme this year was Heroes and Villains, and the members delivered with gusto. Batman was spotted leaving his loft window (having given his solar panels a quick once-over) before arriving at the club in a suspiciously camouflaged Batmobile, which keen observers identified as a family SUV. Ever the safety-conscious hero, he stood out the sunroof with the hazard lights on.
The Joker clearly got wind of it, because there were several of him prowling around the dancefloor, possibly a cloning mishap. Cruella de Vil also made an appearance, along with pirates, sporting icons, screen heroes and a motley crew of characters whose costumes got steadily more surreal as the night wore on.
There was live music that kept the dancefloor packed from early evening to the wee small hours, plenty of food to keep everyone fuelled, and enough laughter to shake the walls of the PSLC. Champions’ trophies were handed out alongside recognition and awards for our Club Person of the Year too. Memories were made, and sore heads were nursed the following morning.
Thanks All Round
None of it would have happened without the enormous effort of the club captains who planned and ran the competition, the tireless committee behind the scenes, the volunteer umpires who kept things fair and orderly, and the brilliant team who transformed the At Home night from an idea into a full-blown spectacle. Thanks also to the band, the caterers, the staff at the PSLC, and every single supporter who came down to cheer on the finalists or raise a glass to them afterwards.
The Portmarnock Tennis Club Championships remain one of the true highlights of the year — part competition, part carnival, and this time, a little bit Gotham too.
