Athenry Golf Club

About the club

The history of golf in Athenry probably began before 1902 but there is little evidence to indicate this except that some organisation must have existed prior to the Athenry Golf Club affiliating to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, Scotland. The first reference to golf in Athenry was in The Golfing Annual 1907/08 which lists November 1904 as the foundation date. However, the record was corrected in 1910 in The Irish Golfer's Guide (William H. Gibson) which gives 1902 as the year of institution. Athenry Golf Club was affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland in 1929. Evidence indicates the first actual golf course located in Athenry was situated in Rockfield. The course was a parkland nine hole golf course. This land was originally owned by the Concannon family. The Concannon family came to Rockfield around the turn of the twentieth century. The family had made their money on the stock exchange and were also associated with the Dublin City Tram Company. Jim Cassidy from Clamper Park, who died in the mid 60's, worked for the Concannon family. Jim looked after the greens and the tee-boxes and occasionally caddied for the Concannon family or any visitors that came to play in Rockfield. However, in 1939 the Blythe family bought the lands at Rockfield and moved into their new home in 1940. At this point the Club was no longer located in Rockfield.