Exterior of the Dublin Court

Our main focus is currently the restoration of the Dublin court. This court was built in 1885 by Sir Edward Guinness, and hosted the 1890 world championship. It was played on until 1939, when it was bequeathed to the Irish State, to be used as a real tennis court. Sadly, this wish was not followed, and the court is not currently playable.

We are working vigorously towards the return of the Earlsfort Terrace court to play. If you would like more information regarding progress, please contact us at info@irishrealtennis.ie.

We also make frequent trips to the UK to introduce newcomers to the sport, and to allow existing enthusiasts to play.

For more information on the current situation of the Court, see the Dublin Court page.

The site RealTennis.TV is regularly updated with video of Real Tennis being played, including live streaming of major events.

Recent news:

• Trip to MURTC and The Queen’s Club. [April 2012]
• Tennis In Ireland is an extensive piece of research into the history of the sport of real tennis in Ireland, written by David Best. [February 2012]
• The launch of a new book on Irish sporting history took place in the real tennis court on Earlsfort Terrace. [October 2011; updated April 2012 with excerpt from book's introduction]
• Dublin court used as venue for art exhibition: IRTA member Mark Heffernan reports, with photos, on a recent visit to the Dublin court. [October 2011]
• 2011 Closed Championships results: Congratulations to Roland Budd! Full report available. [September 2011]
• Brigands Doubles Tournament for Peripatetic Clubs: the IRTA entered a pair in this tournament, reaching the semi-finals. [September 2011]
• 2011 Open Championships results: Congratulations to Maggie Henderson-Tew! Report available — check back soon for pictures. [July 2011]
• David Keane’s article on the Human Rights in Ireland site argues for the importance of the Dublin court from the perspective of cultural rights. [June 2011]