Irish Open (tennis)

The Irish Open was a hard court tennis tournament founded in 1879 as the Irish Championships, a major tennis tournament of the late 19th to early 20th centuries. It was played at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Dublin, Ireland. Also known as the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships it remained a major tennis tournament second only to Wimbledon until at least 1902. The tournament continued to be played until 1971 under its original brand name. In 1972 it was rebranded as the Irish Open until 1983 or the Carroll's Irish Open Championships (for sponsorship reasons).

Before the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913, it was considered by players and historians one of the four most important major tennis tournaments to win. the others being Wimbledon, the U.S. National championships and the Northern Championships. The combined event was part of the ILTF World Circuit from 1913 until 1969. From 1970 to 1974 the mens event was an affiliated event on the ITF Grand Prix Circuit. The women's event continued as part of the ILTF World Circuit till 1972. In 1973 became part of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour for one season only before reverting back to the former tour. The men's edition was played until 1979, and the women's ended in 1983 when they both ceased to part of the top level world tennis circuit.