Pembroke Cricket Club History

The club was founded in 1868 and is located at Sydney Parade, Park Avenue, just outside the old village of Sandymount in the prosperous Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge. The grounds were part of the lands of the Pembroke Estate from which the Club took its name. In 1983 the Club bought out the ground from the estate and is now the joint owner in conjunction with Monkstown Rugby Club.

In 2017 the Club will field five teams in the open league and cup competitions. There are also three ladies teams and youth teams for boys and girls from the under 11s up to under 19s.

The First XI have a proud record winning the Leinster Senior Cup in its Inaugural Year, 1935 and on twelve occasions since. It has regularly provided players to the Irish Team of whom S.F. Bergin, with fifty-three caps between 1949 and 1965 is perhaps the most famous. Notably our 1999 captain, Peter Davy and his twin brother John were both capped for Ireland as were Anne-Marie McDonald and now her daughter Kim Garth.

Currently Andrew Balbirnie, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little and Lorcan Tucker are all watching each Irish squad announcement closely to see if they can add to their current tally of caps while our Ladies have also provided many players to the Irish setup in the past (for example 2016 President Janice Walsh) and currently boasts Irish squad regulars Louise McCarthy, Kim Garth, Shauna Kavanagh and Meg Kendal. Biting on all their heels is another brigade of talent playing in the Men's Inter-provincial series, Women's Super 3s and Irish youth sides promising a bright future for the club.

All the other teams in the Club have had success in league or cup competitions over the years. The Club particularly values its youth policy and encouragement of Schoolboy Cricket; most of the better players who have represented the Club over the years have begun on the under age teams.

The Club has also been fortunate with its overseas players, both professional and amateur, including three New Zealanders Chris Kuggeleijn, Alan Stimpson and Richard Hastie; South Africans Wim Jansen, Ian Solomon and Walter Masimula and Australians Luke Jackson and Owen Gilchrist. In 2016 Daniel Solway came and smashed on the runs to become widely regarded as "one of the top overseas players to have graced Leinster cricket in recent years". In addition the Club regularly welcomes players from the all around the world while working in and around Dublin.

The Club has a healthy social atmosphere, a full bar, a hard working committee, and many other members who give of their time voluntarily for all manner of things from coaching to organising social functions. The Club has a record of touring, of which the highlight was probably the 125th Anniversary Tour of Australia in 1992/1993.