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HISTORY
Following the death
of Lt. Col. R.B. Charteris in August 1960 the Irish Land Commission
acquired the Charteris Estate. In 1961 a small ad hoc committee, of
which there are two surviving members, Albert O'Dwyer and Paddy
Burke, was formed to examine the possibility of establishing a golf
club in Cahir. The deliberations of that committee were energised by
the boundless enthusiasm of the late Jim Burke, who was to become
the first Captain.
In protracted
negotiations with the Land Commission the interests of the club were
skillfully managed by the late Paddy O'Sullivan, resulting in the
purchase of 60 acres at Kilcommon in 1966.
Eddie Hackett was
engaged to design the 9 hole course. A secondhand Nissen hut was
meant to be a temporary clubhouse. It remained inplace for thirty
years.
In 1994 a further
68 acres were purchased across the River Suir, the original designer
returning to complete the new 18 hole course, which was opened in
1995.
A practice area of
11 acres was acquired in 1998 and the following year work commenced
on the new clubhouse which was opened in April 2000.
Origin of what is described as the Cat
and the two tails.
The Cahir Park "Cat" is in fact a lion. The original Monster is in Codix Malbrighte
in the British Museum. This is a manuscript written in 1138 A.D. by
Mailbrighte Hua Mailungh and it has like other Celtic manuscripts of
the Gospels representations of Four Everangelists including the
figure of St Mark with the emblimatic lion illustrated by some
ancient Celtic artist who never saw the original.
The lion according
to ancient tradition is born dead and remains so for three days:
then the father breathes on it and gives it life, accordingly it
becomes the symbol of the resurrection in early Christian Art, and
there is evidence that this tradition was not unknown to the Irish.
In the original illustration the tail is bifurcated and each end
tien Celtic fashion in a known, hence misconception "cat" and the
two tails".
There is an example
in the ruins of Donoughmore Church destroyed since the reformation.
This Church was Irish Romasesque Architecture; of doorways were the
most elaborate features. Donoughmore doorway consisted of three
orders which supported the outer arch, sub - arch, and tympanum, on
the inner order rested the tympanum bearing what was popularly
described as the "Cat and the two tails".
The Swiss Cottage
or Cahir Park "Cat" was more likely taken from early Church ruins,
perhaps even from Donoughmore Church, though local history blames
the "Goblan Saor" for the removal and says he gave it to Holy Cross.
Again according to local tradition there was a grave on or near the
site of the present "Swiss Cottage"; the steps to the said cottage
are said to be the headstones from the graveyard, hence there may
also have been a Church there, from which "Cat" was taken.
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