At Claremont Railway we have a strong emphasis on social, fun tennis.
We run regular social events throughout the year with something to suit members of all levels. These events are the perfect way for new members to get to meet other club members. Please come and join us, and feel free to bring a friend along to try it out!
For higher level players, we run several club competitions throughout the year and enter all DLTC competitions from Class 1-8. We also run regular team training sessions.
The club welcomes players of all levels – from Class 1 League standard to absolute beginners. We are very much a family oriented club, with emphasis on the development of junior members and a good mix of social and competitive play.
Regular coaching is available for all members from Tennis Ireland qualified coaches.
Location
Park Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin 4
The main entrance to CRLTC is on Park Avenue, close to Sandymount Village and just a five minute walk from Sydney Parade DART station. There’s also a pedestrian entrance near the seafront end of St John’s Road (opposite the Martello Tower on Strand Road) which we share with the Westwood building. Parking is available at the Park Avenue side of the grounds, at St John’s Church and in the seafront promenade carpark.
Railway Union Sports Club
Claremont Railway Lawn Tennis Club is one of 6 sports in Railway Union whose grounds also host a gym facility, a bridge club that plays in the clubhouse, a bar, a car park, and a new building which provides team rooms and classes for Yoga/Pilates/Boxing etc.
The club also hosts a fresh food market every Wednesday & Saturday from 9am to 2pm – please see http://railwayunionsc.com/ for more details.
As a tennis club we work together with the other sports club’s to facilitate an all-inclusive atmosphere with myriad sports and facilities, ensuring that all club members can make the most of their memberships. Membership to each sports club is run separately, however, a discount applies to those who join multiple sports. In terms of club upkeep, each sport contributes a portion of it’s membership income, based on it’s share of costs, to the central Railway Union club which allows a central management committee to run the wider club including the bar, gym, and market.
Club Etiquette
All players (members and visitors) are advised to read up on the club etiquette before playing.
Equipment Tips
Tennis Equipment InfoRackets:Length – Adult rackets are generally 27 inchesWeight – Heavier rackets have the potential to generate more power and are aimed at stronger / more advanced players. Lighter rackets are more manoeuvrable and more suitable for beginner / intermediate players.Head Size – Larger head sizes are more forgiving but less accurate for advanced playersGrip size – can be found on the butt of the racket ranging from 0-4 (and above for people with very big hands!) A good starting point to see if you have the correct size is to see if the index finger of your non dominant hand fits snugly between your palm and fingers when you hold the racket with a forehand grip. Most people are playing with too small a grip size but you can make it bigger with overgrips (each overgrip is 1/4 of a grip size)Further reading: https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/SelectingRacquet.htmlStrings:Lots of variables when it comes to strings but broadly speaking there are 3 types of strings to consider for club players: Synthetic gut, polyester, multifilamentSynthetic Gut – Go to string for beginner intermediate playersPolyester (or poly) – For more advanced players, low power but good durability and tension retentionMultifilament – Best for comfort, a good option for anyone struggling with tennis elbowString tension:Rackets will have a recommended tension range written on the frame. Lower tension equals more power but can lead to loss of control (shots flying out). Higher tension doesn’t necessarily mean more control, it’s about finding the sweet spot that works for you. Poly strings should be strung 10% lower than normal. Strings lose tension over time and should be replaced on average twice a year even if they don’t break. Grandstand Sports in Dun Laoghaire offer an excellent stringing service https://grandstandsports.ie/Balls:There are two types of balls to consider, pressurised (with the ring pull) and non-pressurised (no ring pull). Pressurised Balls – Offer more feel and control initially but don’t last very long before they lose air and bounceNon-Pressurised Balls – Last much longer and recent advancements have given them better feel and control but still not as good as pressurised balls.Shock Absorbers / Vibration Dampeners:As the name suggests, reduces vibrations felt by the player but makes no difference objectively to performance (although the feeling a player gets when striking the ball can have an impact).Members don’t often consider the options available to them when selecting equipment but it is always worthwhile speaking to the salesperson to get the right equipment to increase performance and avoid injury. All the info out there can be confusing but the best approach is to experiment with small changes over time.
Club Management
CRLTC utilise the app Str8 Sets for all club management including court booking and membership payments. All members will require the app on a smart phone (iOS / Google Store) in order to book courts which is made extremely easy while on the go with the Str8 Sets app.
Interested in Renting the Railway Union Club Facilities?
To rent out the bar or any of the sporting facilities, please contact Dee Roberts at railwayunionbarandvenue@gmail.com.
Join us today
Join us and be part of our growing family! Know more about our membership pricing and how to become a member.