John O'Hanlon (chess player)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 April 1876 |
| Died | 20 February 1960 (aged 83) Dublin, Ireland |
| Chess career | |
| Country | Ireland |
John O'Hanlon (23 April 1876 – 20 February 1960) was an Irish chess player.[1][2] He won the Irish Chess Championship nine times, the first title in 1913 and the last in 1940.[2] He competed in the Chess Olympiad three times, Paris in 1924, Warsaw in 1935 and Buenos Aires in 1939.[3][4]
John O'Hanlon was born on 23 April 1876, Portadown, County Armagh.[5] O'Hanlon played many sports in his youth, competing in swimming and rowing events.[1] He won trophies as an oarsman at regattas across Ireland. O'Hanlon was also a strong long-distance swimmer. He swam the distance between Greenore and Warrenpoint many times.[2] He owned two public houses and the Queen's Hotel in Portadown before moving to Dublin in 1929.[6][1]
His father, Felix, was born in 1829, and his mother Rosa, was born in 1851. He had a younger brother, William Joseph O’Hanlon, who was born in 1884. Felix was a spirit merchant. The O’Hanlon's were a wealthy family, they were wealthy enough to have at least one servant in their house when O'Hanlon was growing up, one of them was named Teresa. The entire family was able to read and write. O'Hanlon lived in Portadown for all of his childhood.[5]
His wife Catherine Veronica O’Hanlon, was born in 1885, and they both lived in Portadown for some time until they moved to Dublin. O'Hanlon worked as a wine and spirit merchant as well as a chess player.[7] In many news articles about O'Hanlon, his wife is only mentioned once. On 10 June 1922, O'Hanlon was one of several hundred people arrested by the government of Northern Ireland, for suspicion of being a member of an unlawful association or party. His wife Catherine had to write an affidavit stating that he was arrested on the 10 June and had since been detained without any charge being brought against him.[8] Catherine and John were married for 53 years[7] before his death on the 20 February 1960 in Dublin.[2] They had no children.[1]
