“The Irish Championships were held in the Charlesland Golf & Country Club in Greystones, Co Wicklow from 5-14 July 2002 and controlled by Michael Crowe. The combination of magnificent sea views, rolling parkland and the backdrop of the Wicklow mountains made it an ideal location for playing chess, although the vagaries of the local rail service caused some problems.

The Senior event resulted in a win for 19 year-old Sam Collins, following second place finishes in the two previous championships. A win over last year’s champion Stephen Brady in the penultimate round meant that he required just a draw in his final round game to take the title. This he duly achieved after a hard fought game with Paul Dempsey, another young player who impressed throughout the week. However Paul was edged into third place by local star John Joyce, thanks to the latter’s last round win over former champion Philip Short.”

— Herbert Scarry, Irish Chess Online, 2002.