What better way to round off a long and memorable summer than with a spot of friendly rivalry at the annual SCSI/The Irish Times tennis showdown.
The tournament, which took place last Wednesday is a hugely popular annual event, where the great and the (not so) good from the property world don their whites and do battle in the pleasant surrounds of Dublin's Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club.
Now in its 29th year, the trophy is a hotly contested affair with representative teams from the property industry keenly competing for the title. 2017 finalists, Hooke & MacDonald sought to shake off the ghost of tournaments past (they were runners up last year), and emerged triumphant in the warm summer sunshine after a gripping final against arch sporting rival Sherry FitzGerald.
En route to the final Hooke & MacDonald saw off Recruitment Plus, while Sherry Fitz overcame The Irish Times (last year's winner) after two very competitive semi finals.
The "Wimbledon worthy" final, overseen by a crowd of around 80 spectators and attendees, was skippered by Simon Ensor for Sherry Fitz and Conor Steen for Hooke & MacDonald. At the clubhouse barbecue that followed, it was recalled that the same two firms had contested the inaugural SCSI/The Irish Times final 29 years ago, and both David Cantwell for Hooke & MacDonald and Simon Ensor for Sherry Fitz had featured on that occasion too.
No doubt the preparations are already under way for another highly charged showcase event at the auspicious 30th anniversary next year. The Irish Times team is already in training.
