As the year draws to a close, we reflect on another busy and successful year in Portmarnock Tennis Club’s history. Across competition, coaching, communications, facilities, fundraising, community outreach and volunteering, the club continued to show strong progress and participation.
Competitive Leagues and Representation
Portmarnock fielded teams throughout the year across a wide range of DLTC and other external or independent competitions:
Men’s Summer and Winter Leagues
Ladies’ Summer and Winter Leagues
Mixed League
Floodlight League
U12 & U14 Stars & Stripes
Aces & All Stars
Lambay Cup
Women’s Over 60s League
Duff Cup selections
- Junior leagues and competitions
Senior Leagues
More than 100 members represented the club competitively. Many teams reached playoff stages, semi-finals and finals, gaining promotions along the way.
Individual success was highlighted by Alan O’Dowd and Kunal Gill winning the Class 5 Men’s Doubles title at the Sutton Open on 23 August, defeating top seeds en route.
League tracking tools were added to the club website, helping members follow fixtures and results throughout campaigns.
Internal Club Competitions
Hundreds of entries across all ability levels were recorded in 2025. Competitions included:
Men’s, Ladies’ and Mixed Shields
Senior and Junior Summer Club Championships
Parent & Child competition
Captains Cup
Halloween Tournament
Paddy’s Day Tournament
American tournaments, including the Christmas Turkey Tournament for men’s and ladies’ adults
Christensen Cup
The player organised Men’s singles box league
Weekly ladies’ american tournaments organised by numerous players
Ongoing automated ladder competitions for Ladies and Juniors
Invitationals and friendly tournaments including regular social tennis
The Senior Club Championships concluded with a busy finals weekend and the At Home celebration night, where winners were recognised. This included the announcement of club person of the year, Kevin Stagg for his work on the club website, automated features and communications.
Coaching and Club Development
Coaching development remained a key priority. Under Head Coach Joey Purcell, the coaching programme expanded and formal initiatives advanced:
Structured New Member Integration
Young Leaders Programme development
planning for the Portmarnock Tennis Open 2026 (scheduled 19–24 May 2026)
The coaching team strengthened further with the arrival of new coach Nils Svärd to support existing coaches Mark Dempsey plus Ella Burke, Laura Cottell and Sophie Finn in the junior coaching team.
Junior participation remained strong through championships, friendly fixtures, seasonal camps, and competitive junior leagues.
Communications and Digital Enhancements
A major milestone was the launch of the redesigned club website, now a detailed repository for:
competition and league information
notices and announcements
member resources and documentation
fixtures, scheduling and booking links
- new member information, policies and rules
- A regular newsletter schedule was introduced, improving member awareness of upcoming competition dates, registration deadlines, coaching updates, and charity events.
Significant technical developments were delivered behind the scenes, including:
automated ladders and standings for Ladies and Juniors
automated Men’s singles box league
integrated communications and result-tracking
- improved event registration processes for summer championships and other competitions
the launch of the Tennis Blog for member updates
These improvements reduced administrative overhead and improved access to timely information.
Fundraising and Community Support
Fundraising remained a core component of club culture. Tens of thousands of euro were raised across several charitable events throughout the year. Events were organised by club members, committee and community members. Charities to benefit from your fundraising efforts and donations included:
Action Ireland
Féileacáin
Pieta House and Friends of Suicide Loss
additional causes supported by members
The Irish Cancer Society Fundraiser in August was a landmark day, raising over €18,000. Members generously shared personal experiences of cancer treatment, loss and recovery, highlighting the compassion and solidarity present within the club community. Sunny weather, full courts, music, social activities and spirited tennis contributed to a memorable and meaningful occasion.
After the event, Dee Fleming, who kindly provided her personal story for us all to read, wrote:
Wow.. what can I say…
Just thank you.
Living with cancer and diagnosed at stage 4.. it is hard and sucks! But, this tennis club has been so amazing to me as a new member and a cancer patient… the kindness and compassion from the club members have been amazing….I can’t thank you enough. Ye should be proud of yourself and give yourself a pat on the back.
I want to thank all the club members who shared their stories. It is hard to sit down and recount the hard times but also each story showed the kindness from club members. The stories showed that we are not alone and the friends we created in the club provided us so much support.
The club members who organised the day and the club members who volunteered on the day. What a day. Over €18,000 raised, that is a phenomenal amount. We had fabulous sunny weather for August which kept the spirits up for the day. I turned up for 30mins on my side effect day and stayed two hours chatting and laughing with new people. (I lost my voice) But, again, the support, compassion and kindness of everyone that day blew me away. I remember the day of music, laughter, smiles and fun (few drinks too!) And competitive tennis too!
I am proud to be a member of this tennis club. I am only new in the club but I can’t thank ye enough for all the support and kindness. I look forward to the fun events and getting back to the court in 2026. I wish ye all a Happy Christmas and Healthy New Year.
PS – After 60 chemo session, I am still responding to treatment and my tumours are still shrinking. Another few months of treatment and review again in February.
Everyone involved in the event and the club committee sends their appreciation and thanks to Dee and all contributors, volunteers and those who donated so generously.
Facilities, Community Links, and PSLC Partnership
The club’s relationship with PSLC remained central to operations throughout the year, and sincere appreciation is extended to:
PSLC Chairperson Brian Staunton
PSLC management team
All hospitality staff in the bar, coffee shop and all facilities staff
PSLC support enabled:
hosting social events and celebrations
league and tournament gatherings
charity events and presentations
expanded court and facility access
The collaboration between PSLC and the club strengthens the environment and experience for all members.
The club also continued community outreach through:
Enjoy Tennis participation
the partnership enabling Portmarnock Community School students to access courts for PE sessions
Committees and Volunteer Contributions
The club acknowledges the extensive unpaid work completed by committees, coaches, captains and volunteers. Following the AGM in January, we’ll confirm the new members of the committee and express of gratitude to those stepping down. Committee officers for 2025 included:
Joanna Dempsey
Chairperson
John Lowry
Vice Chairperson
Caroline Reid
Club Secretary
Tim O'Callaghan
Club Treasurer
Brian Bowe
Men’s Captain
John Stokes
Men’s Vice Captain
Emma Burke
Ladies’ Captain
Helen Reid
Ladies’ Vice Captain
Brian o'donnell
Children’s Officer
joy o'brien
Children’s Officer
elaine molphy
Designated Liaison Person
aisling o'connor
Deputy Designated Liaison Person
Moira McLoughlin
Junior Committee Member
Nicola COnnolly
Junior Committee Member
Aisling Healy
Junior Committee Member
A special acknowledgement goes to Teresa Farrell, stepping down from her long-standing role as Social Secretary. Teresa helped shape countless social events including Paddy’s Day, Wimbledon celebrations, Halloween tournaments, Christmas events, and many themed finals nights. Her transformation of the PSLC function room for the club’s 40th anniversary in 2023 remains a standout contribution.
Looking Ahead to 2026
2026 will see a continuation of many of our now traditional events alongside the introduction of new competitions and activities as we continue to expand the options for fun and competitive tennis for our community. Coming up next month:
Club AGM – Thursday 29 January, 8pm
Captains Tournament – Friday 30 January
Members are encouraged to save these dates and attend to contribute feedback for the incoming committee.
Planning continues for the Portmarnock Tennis Open from 19–24 May 2026. We’ll communicate more on this in the new year.
Chairperson’s message:
My sincere appreciation to all members including those who competed, volunteered, coached, organised events, captained teams, fundraised, supported social occasions, and contributed to club operations during 2025.
The year reflected sustained progress in competition pathways, coaching development, communications, and community connection. With a stronger foundation in place, 2026 presents an opportunity to build further on that momentum.
Wishing every member a happy Christmas and a wonderful festive season as we look ahead to 2026.
