Mr. John Lumsden (Born Banffshire 28 December 1840)

JP Rooney once referred to him as the Grand Old Man of free state golf. It was Lumsden who amongst others, with Willie Fernie in toe, set about laying out a nine-hole course in the Phoenix Park ("the most unsuitable of golfing country") in 1885. This all came about a result of a stroll through the Park with his two sons (one of whom was Knighted - Sir John Lumsden) where he came upon the idea that this would be an idea place to play a game...the game of golf as it turned out. He wasn't a golfer per se prior to the events that transpired while perambulating in the park it just seemed the right game for the place.

A friend from Wimbledon provided the tools he needed, a golf book, some old clubs and balls. This together with some red rags he set off for Phoenix Park with his two sons and brother-in-law, They laid out eighteen holes the first of which was near the cricket ground and played their first game opposite the Viceregal Lodge.

First meetings at the Phoenix Park club were held beneath a tree but later they would buy a hut for £50 which was later brought to Dollymount. Lumsden encourage fellow Scots to join including Tom Gilroy, a then army personnel like Colonel Stevenson, and Mr Charles and soom followed the rank and file of the Black Watch regiment then stationed in Dublin. Then they convincing the Chief Secretary, A.J. Balfour to join and he would being two caddies one to carry the clubs and the other as forecaddie both fully armed members of the 'G' division of the D.M.P.. All this happened while the club played over the Park layout. When the club moved to Sutton the membership quickly dwindled despite the ons schilling a year charge by Lord Howth the club had become inaccessible as the electrib trams didn't go that far and seemed doomed until the decision to move to Dollymount.

Lumsden had identified Dollymount as a suitable alternative and Gilroy surveyed the for the planned course before approaching Lord Vernon with a view to renting the land which he did at £1 pa, ten years later it was increased to £20 pa. Membership grew quickly 1888 (52); 1892 (168) with members of the bar and legal profession were imbued with a gra for the game resulting from trips to Portrush.

It was at the time the Dublin Golf Club and he presented the Lumsden Medal to the club in 1886 which would be played biannually.

In 1899 Lumsden contributed, with the help of Thomas Hood, to the formation of the Rathfarnham Golf Club when the planned the layout of the original course.

John Lumsden Snr. was a banker by profession and married Florence Isabella Gordon c. 1868 and they lived in 29 Adelaide Road at the time of 1910 Census. Lumsden was the manager of the head office of the Provincial Bank a position he retired from in 1907.

He started his career progression from the Commercial Bank based in Banff and moved to other branches before moving to India to work in the Asiatic Banking Corporation from which he returned due to ill-health. Upon recovery notice of failure of the Asiatic had reached him and derailed his plan to return to India. He joined the Provincial Bank of Ireland in Kilkenny but after a few years was posted to Drogheda until 1882 when he took up the position he held until his retirement.

It was an ambition of his since setting up the course in Phoenix Park that a public course would be made available so everybody could enjoy the sport. Considered a courteous man with a keen commercial sense and held in great esteem by his peers and work colleagues.

 

Mr. John Lumsden M.D. (Born Drogheda, Co Louth c. 14 November 1869 - 3 September 1944)

In the 1910 Census his son Mr. John Lumsden M.D. B.A., M.D., M.B., BCH, BAO Dublin University - Chief Medical Officer (St. James Gate); Physician to Merci Hospital. Church of Ireland and residing with his wife at 4.1 Fitzwilliam Place with two servants, a maid and cook, both Roman Catholic. He married a County Clare girl 17 March 1896 and together had six children oddly none of them were recorded as living with them at the time of the census.

Sir John Lumsden graduated with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.).1 He was invested as a Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.) in 1918.1 He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.).1 He founded the St. John Ambulance Brigade in Ireland

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