Colourful pageantry celebrates the 150th year of the All Ireland Polo Club
THE All Ireland Polo Club marked its sesquicentennial in Phoenix Park, Dublin Ireland earlier this month with three days of celebrations lasting well into the night at the pinnacle of a season dedicated to ‘Polo 150: A Season of Celebration’.
Teams from across Ireland including Tyrone and Pegus met in qualifying matches for the main celebration of the 150th anniversary of polo at the All Ireland Polo Club in Dublin Ireland
All Ireland Polo Club president Paul Monahan welcomed Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (right) to the 150th anniversary celebration accompanied by his daughter Tamara and wife Elaine
Ireland’s lead travel expert, renowned author and journalist Eoghan Corry opened 150th anniversary celebrations at the All Ireland Polo Club in Dublin with a lively discussion and the launch of a new exhibition at the Pavilion
The 150th anniversary commemorations opened with an intimate evening in the All Ireland Polo Club Dublin Ireland
In the midst of 150th anniversary celebrations there a fundraiser hosted by the Order of St Lazarus Ireland, bringing just under 100 guests to the Victorian Era Pavilion for Afternoon Tea
Invited guests included Ireland’s Prime Minister, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar along with many former and present players, their families and friends for a day filled with polo and colourful pageantry. The Inbhear Mór Performance Ensemble from Arklow, County Wicklow led a parade that saw representatives from An Garda Síochána Mounted Unit and the Irish Defence Forces Equitation School participating. A vintage blue Bentley carried current AIPC president Paul Monahan and Special Lifetime Achievement Award winner, former polo player Michael Herbst in the parade backed up by Derby Tournament finalist teams from Wexford and Tyrone.
All Ireland Polo Club president Paul Monahan (l-r), Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, polo players Caroline Keeling and Colm Kelleher celebrating the 150th anniversary of polo in Ireland
Travel expert, author and journalist Eoghan Corry (left), his wife Orla and Michael Herbst, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Irish polo on the 150th anniversary celebration
Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (l-r), polo player Michael Herbst, All Ireland Polo Club president Paul Monahan, former polo player Paddy Donnelly and his wife Aileen at the 150th anniversary celebrations in Dublin Ireland
More than 200 hundred people including diplomats, former and present polo players and their families as well as Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar were at the All Ireland Polo Club in Dublin’s Phoenix Park to celebrate 150 years of Irish polo
Kay Hartigan, former All Ireland Polo Club president Brian Mullins and lead hospitality coordinator Carol Stone at the All Ireland Polo Club’s 150th anniversary celebrations
As well as the Special Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Michael Herbst, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient David Stone presented special mementoes to every polo player from among nine teams and one or two others saying: “One (crystal memento) was given to every member of all the teams that were here today, and to one or two other people as well as a thank-you for their support throughout the years.”
The team from Wexford of Paddy Casey, Tom Small Juan ‘Johnny’ Hearne and Nick Murphy will be remembered as the 4-goal team that won the Presidents Cup at the main 150th anniversary celebration, beating Tyrone by 8 goals to 6 in four chukkas. The Pegus team won their final by 8.5 goals to 7 from LHK/Keelings; Rocklow went on to sweep the tournament with a 0-goal win for the Ladies Cup, once again with Paddy Casey onboard along with Tom Small, Amelie Moore and alternates Tara and Sienna Moore.
Maryna Artiukhova of the Rice Centre Ukraine Ladies Project (front row l-r), Maria Ines Dawnay, widow of renowned Irish polo instructor Major Hugh Dawnay, their son David Dawnay and polo coach and instructor Alejo Aita Tagle (right) at the 150th anniversary celebrations in Dublin Ireland
Irish polo player and key commentator Mark Ronan and friend Lesley Anne Fox at the 150th anniversary of the All Ireland Polo Club
With the exception of the only lady in this crowd, Margaret Beere, many would be forgiven for seeing this group as a rogues gallery! Former polo players Graeme Beere (l-r), former Hurlingham Polo Association president Stephen Hutchinson and James Sheeran along with Margaret returned to the All Ireland Polo Club for the150th anniversary of Irish polo
Larry O’Mahony Jr (l-r), Alexandra, Clare and Michelle O’Mahony; past All Ireland Polo Club president Larry O’Mahony and his brother Jimmy (seated), former president and Chaplain at the 150th anniversary celebrations
Former Irish polo players Brendan Boucher and Susan Albarracin, widow of high goal player Eduardo Albarracin at the 150th anniversary celebrations
Former polo player and lead Irish polo commentator said of the memorable day: “One of the best days at the AIPC in 40 years plus of my time involved with the club” and added, “This goes down in history as a day to remember.”
Special thanks were extended to Eamonn and Mary Laverty, Elaine Monahan, Derek Byrne, Jacqueline O’Neill of Pynck.com, the Casey Family, Spirevision.ie, Carol Stone, Martine Grogan, Niamh Fawl, Labstock Microservices Ltd and Michael Herbst. Refreshments were provided by With Taste catering and Pitt Bros BBQ.
The Inbhear Mor Performance Ensemble from Arklow, County Wicklow Ireland led the Garda Mounted Unit, the Army Equitation School and Polo 150 finalist teams in a parade on the polo grounds in Phoenix Park, Dublin Ireland
Teams from Ireland’s counties of Wexford and Tyrone met in the Polo 150 Derby Tournament final match, Wexford taking the win on a score of 8 to 6 goals, as called by umpires Tristan Pembe and David Stone Jr
The Garda Mounted Unit and Army Equitation School led finalist teams in the 150th anniversary parade on the polo ground in Phoenix Park, Dublin Ireland
All Ireland Polo Club Manager David Stone was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by club president Paul Monahan
The team from Wexford Ireland including Tom Small (l-r), Paddy Casey, Nick Murphy and Juan (‘Johnny’) Hearne were the winners of the Polo 150 Derby Tournament at the All Ireland Polo Club in Phoenix Park, Dublin Ireland
The 150th anniversary season continues at the All Ireland Polo Club in Phoenix Park with the Novice Cup, the final to take place on Sunday 30 July.
