James Cecil Parke
Encyclopedia
James Cecil Parke was an Irish rugby
player, tennis
player, golf
er and Olympic
medallist.
Parke was born in Clones
, County Monaghan
, Ireland
. He played rugby with both Monkstown
and Dublin University
and between 1901 and 1908 played ten times for Leinster
. Between 1903 and 1909, he won twenty international caps.
As a tennis player he won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title in 1912 and 1914. He won the Australian Men's singles and doubles tennis titles in 1912. He was Singles Champion of Europe in 1907 and played for Britain in the Davis Cup
. In 1908
he won an Olympic silver medal in the Men's Doubles. He won eight Irish Lawn Tennis Singles titles, four doubles and two mixed tides. In 1914 he was ranked No.6 and in 1920 he was ranked No.4. He recorded his greatest feats in the Davis Cup
where he defeated Norman Brookes
and Rodney Heath
in the Challenge Round on 28-30 November 1912 when his team, the British Isles captured the Cup and next year he beat Maurice McLoughlin
and Richard Norris Williams
in the Challenge Round on 25-28 July 1913, though his nation lost the meeting against the USA
. He also won the depleted Australasian Championships
in 1912.
He played golf
for Ireland in 1906 and was also a top-class track and field sprinter and a cricket
er. He played chess
for the Clones team when he was nine years old. He died in Llandudno
, Wales
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medallist.
Parke was born in Clones
Clones
Clones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He played rugby with both Monkstown
Monkstown Football Club
Monkstown Football Club is an Irish rugby club based in Dublin. They currently play in Division One of the Leinster League.In addition to the First XV, they also have Second , Third and Fourth XV's, a mini rugby section and a Golden Oldies team.-History:The club was founded in 1883 in Monkstown...
and Dublin University
Dublin University Football Club
Dublin University Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
and between 1901 and 1908 played ten times for Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
. Between 1903 and 1909, he won twenty international caps.
As a tennis player he won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title in 1912 and 1914. He won the Australian Men's singles and doubles tennis titles in 1912. He was Singles Champion of Europe in 1907 and played for Britain in the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
. In 1908
Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Six tennis events were contested at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. Indoor tennis events were held for the first time, along with the usual outdoor events. Women's tennis returned, with women's singles and indoor women's singles. 50 players, 40 men and 10 women, competed...
he won an Olympic silver medal in the Men's Doubles. He won eight Irish Lawn Tennis Singles titles, four doubles and two mixed tides. In 1914 he was ranked No.6 and in 1920 he was ranked No.4. He recorded his greatest feats in the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
where he defeated Norman Brookes
Norman Brookes
Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939...
and Rodney Heath
Rodney Heath
----Rodney Heath was an Australian male tennis player.Heath was the men's singles champion at the inaugural Australasian Championships in 1905...
in the Challenge Round on 28-30 November 1912 when his team, the British Isles captured the Cup and next year he beat Maurice McLoughlin
Maurice McLoughlin
Maurice Evans McLoughlin was an American tennis player. Known for his powerful serve and overhead volley, McLoughlin was the first male tennis champion from the western United States.-Biography:...
and Richard Norris Williams
R. Norris Williams
Richard "Dick" Norris Williams II , generally known as R. Norris Williams, was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was born in Geneva, Switzerland....
in the Challenge Round on 25-28 July 1913, though his nation lost the meeting against the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also won the depleted Australasian Championships
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
in 1912.
He played golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
for Ireland in 1906 and was also a top-class track and field sprinter and a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He played chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
for the Clones team when he was nine years old. He died in Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.