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North West Ladies’ Golf Club, Buncrana, Co. Donegal. (1891 – 1900s)
The current Buncrana Golf Club was founded in 1951.
A separate article may be required to record the earlier history of the “Buncrana Municipal Golf Club” as it was known prior to the 1950s.
The report from the Derry Journal in July 1891 mentions the institution of the North West Golf Club at Buncrana Links. It also states “the ladies have not been forgotten in the arrangements... as immediately adjacent to the Railway Station at Buncrana an exceedingly good nine-hole course has been laid out.”
Derry Journal Friday 3 July 1891. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Extract from a report from the Londondery Sentinel Tuesday 4 August 1891; “North West Golf Club formal opening of the Lisfannon Links – Two portions of ground are available for the purposes of the club, the gentlemen’s links at Lisfannon and the ladies’ links at Buncrana. |The latter portion of ground, which has been kindly placed at the disposal of the club by M George H Mitchell, J.P., has not yet been laid out”.
Below a report on the first monthly competition for the ladies' club in September 1891.
Derry Journal Monday 21 September 1891. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Result of the second monthly competition played in October 1891; Miss Reid, 109-28-81; Miss Osborne, 136-0-106; Miss M Leebody, 143-36-107; Mrs MacMaster, 147-36-111; Miss E Osborne, 120 scratch.
The first annual meeting of the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union took place on 14 December 1894. The North West Ladies' Golf Club was listed amongst the members.
Article from The Sportsmams Holiday Guide in 1897 – “North West Ladies, Golf Club. The links of this club are at Buncrana. The course is a nine-hole one and the distance around is about a mile and is of a very sporting nature. It is a natural one and the turf somewhat similar to the Lisfannon Green”.
Thanks to Dixon Piickup for the pictures of the rare NWLGC 21mm player's jacket button below, the back mark indicates a date c1892-1914.
The article below from February 1906 mentions that the ladies were also playing on the Lisfannon course.
Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News Saturday 10 February 1906. Image © Illustrated London News Group.
Buncrana Links image courtesy of Frank Accleton.
The ladies’ course at Bunrcana continued to be listed in the Golfing Annual until 1910 although the exact date that the course was abandoned is, as yet, unknown.
The former Buncrana railway station (adjacent to the former ladies’ course) became The Drift Inn in the early 1950s and is pinpointed on the Google Map below.