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Famous Irish golf club can prevent women from becoming full members

Portmarnock Golf Course keeps men-only membership rules

SEAN O' SHEA

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 2:13 PM

Updated Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 4:26 PM

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Read more: Portmarnock, Ireland, Dublin Golf Club, Portmarnock Golf Club, Joanna McMinn, Golf, Sports, Appellate Trials, Judiciary, Trials

Portmarnock Golf Course

Portmarnock Golf Course, one of the most iconic golf courses in the Ireland, has won it case to prevent women from becoming full members.

The Supreme Court voted three to two in favor of the Dublin Golf Club, saying its policy was exempt of the equality legislation in the country, and upheld the ruling from the High Court in 2005 on the issue.

Portmarnock Golf Club successfully argued that it catered to the golfing needs of men, and this exemption is allowed under the Equal Status act.

Ladies can pay and play at the course but are not allowed to become full members, and the club can now continue its men-only membership rules.

"We feel that as a result of this judgment that the equality legislation has to be changed, because what it demonstrates is the weakness of the current equality legislation. It is a bad day for equality and it is a bad day for women," said Joanna McMinn of the Equality Rights Alliance after the Supreme Court Ruling.

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Irish sport is popular and widespread. Levels of participation and spectating are high on the island of Ireland. Throughout the country a wide variety of Irish sports are played, the most popular being Gaelic games (such as Gaelic football, hurling and camogie), soccer, rugby union and boxing. By attendance figures Gaelic football and hurling are by far the most popular sports in Ireland, (34% of total attendances at sports events being to football and 23% to hurling), while golf and soccer (including 5-a-side) are the most played at 17% of the population each. Many Irish sports, such as boxing, cricket, rugby union, Gaelic football and hurling, are organized in an all-island basis, with a single team representing Ireland in international competitions. Other Irish sports, such as Association Football, have separate organizing bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. At the Olympics, a person from Northern Ireland can choose to represent either Ireland or Great Britain. The various GAA discipline finals are easily the largest sporting events regularly held in Ireland, in both terms of attendance and media coverage. The biggest national sporting event in Ireland is the final of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, held annually in Croke Park in September. It usually attracts a sell out crowd of 82,500 to Croke Park. Many of the matches in the championship attract crowds of 50,000, depending on who is playing. Aside from the GAA, the biggest multi-sport event held in Ireland regularly is the Community Games. The games are organized every year from a local level, where hundreds of thousands of young people compete in different disciplines such as athletics, swimming, cycling etc., in the first half of the year. Winners progress to county level, and then to the Community Games finals. One of the biggest international Irish sport events is international Association Football. The Republic's national team has punched above its weight in recent years, qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, and performed well against such teams as Brazil and Portugal. In rugby union, Ireland's national team has been ranked in the top five teams regularly over the last few years, and has produced major stars such as Keith Wood and Brian O'Driscoll. In golf, Ireland is home to several top golfers such as Padraig Harrington.

Famous Irish golf club can prevent women from becoming full members

Portmarnock Golf Course keeps men-only membership rules

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