Greystones Table Tennis Club

Greystones Table Tennis Club was formed by a number of ladies from the Greystones Tennis Club in 1980. The main founder was Kay Grimes, a great organiser with real enthusiasm. At this time, the tennis club was located in Trafalgar Road, opposite the La Touche Hotel and the members used the La Touche Hotel as a social base. The original venue of the club was the La Touche Hotel and shortly after the club began, the club was christened the “La Touche Table Tennis Club”, [“LTTTC”], to the delight of Terry Doherty, the genial proprietor of the hotel.

 

The first AGM of the club was held in May, 1981, following which, three LTTTC teams were entered into the Bray & District Table Tennis League for the 1981/82 season, one team in each of Divisions 1, 2 and 3. As the La Touche Hotel was inadequate to cater for both the social and league requirements of the expanding club, additional accommodation was sought. In June and July 1981, the Rugby Club was used as a trial venue for future league matches, but, this was not pursued. Instead, the club secured the use of St Brigid’s National School for league matches for 1981/82, on condition that the 6th class pupils would be coached at table tennis by club members. Toni Massey is the only member of the first year’s league teams in 1981/82, still playing league, 32 seasons later. At the 1982 AGM, it was resolved that the club membership limit was to be increased from 40 to 60, and, as a consequence, the use of the La Touche Hotel and St Brigid’s had to be supplemented by hiring St David’s Secondary School dining hall for a number of nights. St David’s proved to be the most satisfactory venue to cater for both the social and league requirements of the enlarged club, and at the 1983 AGM, the club resolved to relocate to St David’s as the single permanent venue for the club for the 1983/84 season. In another ground breaking resolution at the 1983 AGM, the name of the club was changed from La Touche Table Tennis Club to Greystones Table Tennis Club. The 1983 Secretary’s report required the membership to decide on the club’s venue for 1983/84 “and perhaps many seasons to come”. Over 30 seasons later, Greystones Table Tennis Club remains located at St David’s Secondary School.

 

The permanent move to St David’s in 1983 saw the club continue its development, resulting in the number of league teams being increased to 12 by the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The club was constantly helped and advised by Wayside Table Tennis Club during this period.

 

Although the club was entering up to one third of the teams in the Bray & District League at this time, it never lost sight of the necessity to provide a more social base for non league players. Sponsored internal competitions with perpetual trophies, were provided generously by the La Touche Hotel, O’Reilly Jewellers, Beach House, Stan Paine Garden Centre and the ESSO Garage. These competitions were played annually from the mid-eighties through to the turn of the century. The annual Greystones Open, attended by players from all the Bray & District Clubs, took place from 1984/85 to 2001/2. The competition attracted 112 entries in its second year, which remains a record for any Bray & District Competition. Throughout the 18 years that it was played, Bill O’Brien, and his company Interliner Agencies, very generously provided the perpetual trophy and the annual sponsorship of the prizes.

 

Of the current club membership, Toni Massey is the only survivor from the 1981 AGM of LTTTC. David and Geraldine Brennan, who left Greystones in 2012, were involved in the early years, David being the first Chairman, appointed at the 1981 AGM and Geraldine became a committee member in 1982. Joe Doyle, Christy O’Connor, Betty Barker and Brian Little joined the club during the years 1984 to 1986, and have remained members ever since. Paul Corcoran, Paul & Ciaran Redden, and Paddy Martin have joined more recently, and become stalwart club members.

​

Due to the upgrading of St. David's School for new classrooms etc. we had to find a new short term home for our club.  Greystones Lawn Tennis Club have given us the use of some space in their club and this will be our new home for the next few years while the building work is under way in St. David's. 

​