A chara, - The interesting article (May 22nd) by Frank McDonald concerning the UCD tennis court, which was known as "The Gym" in the 1960s, states that it was designed for "real tennis", the ancient forerunner of the modern game, and quotes A. D. Myrtle that the game dates back to 1740.
It may well be that the "tennis court oath" at the beginning of the French Revolution was taken in a court for "real tennis" but some form of tennis must have been played 130-odd years earlier than 1740 for there is a reference to a "teiniscuirt" in the account by Tadhg O Cianain of the journey he made along with 98 others including Aodh O Neill (the Great O Neill) from Tyrconnell to Rome (setting out in September 1607 and arriving April 1608). The journey which he described is known to school-children as "The Flight of the Earls".
He wrote his account in 1609, so the first reference to tennis in the Irish language is found 131 years before the game was invented!
My Shorter Oxford Dictionary considers the word "tennis" to be from Anglo-French "tenets" = French "tenez!" which one could perhaps translate as "Catch!" Anglo-French was a dying language in the fourteenth century so the game must have an earlier history.
Can anyone find any earlier references in Irish or English or indeed in any language? - Is mise, Deasmhumhain Mac Gearailt,
Cearnog Chineilm,
Baile Atha Cliath 6.