The Defence Forces will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Collins Cup on Monday, 7th September 2026, with a competition at Royal Curragh Golf Club, a century after the trophy was first contested. The Army Golfing Society was founded in the 1920’s with the goal of bringing together members of the Defence Forces through golf, following the foundation of the state in 1922.
The Collins Cup traces back to Wednesday, 1st September 1926, when the inaugural General Michael Collins Memorial Cup — a massive silver-gilt trophy presented by Mr Liam Devlin in memory of General Michael Collins — was played for at Milltown Golf Club before a field of no fewer than fifty competitors. The following report was printed in the Irish Independent on the 2nd September 1926 – Lieutenant J. O’Flaherty of the Army Medical Services took the honours that day, going round in a gross 79 off a handicap of 9, narrowly ahead of Rev. J. Clavin (nett 71) and Capt. Feely of the Curragh Training Camp (nett 72). At the dinner that followed in the clubhouse, presided over by the Society’s chairman Fr T. J. O’Callaghan, toasts were raised to “Éire,” to Mr Liam Devlin, to O’Flaherty as winner, and to the Army Golfing Society itself.
The competition lapsed during the Emergency years of the Second World War but was revived in 1945, when Comdt. D. J. Murphy of Baltray Golf Club won the Collins Golf Cup at Newlands before a field of more than sixty Army and L.D.F. players — the trophy decided on a tense last-nine-holes countback against Capt. C. O’Neill.
In the decades since, the Collins Cup has become a fixture of the Defence Forces Golfing calendar drawing serving and retired members of the Defence Forces to compete at Royal Curragh Golf Club.
This year’s centenary fixture will be held at Royal Curragh Golf Club on Monday, 7th September 2026.
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