Dear Lord Kingsdown,

I read with interest the short piece in 'The Times' recently about the campaign by the Eton Fives Charitable Trust to build new courts and restore old ones. The building of new courts is an excellent idea, though this letter deals with an existing, though rather battered one.

Over the last five years or so, I have visited Eton, and several other public schools, in connection with research and articles on their long-established sports and games. At Eton, I received considerable support from Dr Anderson (and, more recently, Mr Lewis), the College archivist, Mrs Hatfield, and several members of staff. One of the games I studied was, obviously, Eton Fives. All this arose from my previous involvement in the Council of Europe Sports Committee's project, "Traditional Games in Europe". Being resident in Belfast, and also researching sports played in Ireland, I became aware of two Eton Fives courts at St Columba's College, just south of Dublin. I visited the College by kind permission of the headmaster and the archivist, photographed the courts, and read up what I could about them from printed sources (school histories and school magazines -- I studied the magazines up to 1943; the last mention of the play of Eton Fives was in 1935).

I suspect that these two courts may be the oldest purpose-built Eton Fives courts now in existence, though you may be able to correct me here. They were built in 1850 (one historian says 1851), when St Columba's had very close links with Eton. Possibly, they were built to the model of the 1840 and 1847 courts at Eton. From my own photographs of 1994 and the 1911 one, some differences are immediately apparent. First, and most significantly the "pepper-pot" left-hand wall buttress in both courts has been removed. Secondly, the front wall has been lowered at both sides (though this would not affect play, I think -- the original front wall was, in fact, lower), and thirdly, a lowish dividing wall between the two courts has been built as an extension. The different floor levels and ledges are still there. The courts today are used for tennis practice by the pupils, and play was taking place during my visits in April last year.

Over fhe last couple of years. I wrote to various people in the Eton fives world, both within the College and at OE, level, to sound out the possibility of the installation of some kind of portable buttress during play of Fives on the two courts. apart from this, I might add that I got the impression at St Columba's that they might nor raise too many objections to the permanent re-installation of the two buttresses, if an alternative practice area for the tennis players could be found. To reinforce my thoughts, I presented the St Columba's school library with a copy of John Reynolds' recent book an Eton Fives! At least, I hope that, as a result of my enquiries they will not think of knocking down these venerable courts - as I say, possibly the oldest in existence; Forfunately, the gymnasium (converted from an 1849 ball court with later improvements) shares a wall with the 1850/51 Fives courts! St. Columba's had a "ball-court" at Stackallen in Co Meath before it moved re its present site in 1849, but we do not know what it looked like. It was near a "moat" which might have added interest to the game!

I do not know if any of your committee live in, or near, Dublin to view these courts (or visit Dublin on business). The courts may, of course, be well known to your committee, and be already on your list for possible restoration (though I did not obtain the impression over the last couple of years that they were familiar -- at least in detail to Eton Fives players). If any of your members did think of examining them I would be happy, if you wished, to approach St Columba's on their behalf. If I were free, I might come down from Belfast myself for an "inspection".

I hope your appeal proves successful. Even at Eton, I could see that the very wide range af sporting activities on offer nowadays means that not every boy automatically plays Fives.

The Irish call their handball,"the perfect game", as it exercises both sides of the body, and promotes speed and agility. The same could, I suppose, be said of Eton Fives.

It would be great to have playable Eton Fives courts again on this side of the water. I am the Tennis and Rackets Association (T&RA) representative here in the North, but, again, no courts nowadays.

One last thought: if the courts were to be restored at St Columba's, it would be important to ensure adequate coaching, competition and leadership was available. From the school magazines, it was clear that the game waxed and waned noticeably over the years, the high points coinciding with interest from the headmaster, or other staff member.

Yours sincerely


Andrew Steven

Courts at St Columba's College - Letter from A M Steven
Created 4th June 2003
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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