Geraldine Barniville
| Country (sports) | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 November 1942 |
| Died | 30 January 2026 (aged 83) |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1961, 1964) |
| US Open | 2R (1964) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1972) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1964) |
Geraldine Barniville (nee Houlihan; 7 November 1942 – 30 January 2026) was an Irish squash and tennis player.[1] She was a native of Birr in County Offaly and came from a prominent legal family (of the D.A. Houlihan law firm).[2]
Career
As a tennis player, Barniville won a record nine Carrickmines titles during her career, the first in 1963. At the 1964 U.S. National Championships she faced the eighth-seeded Carole Caldwell in the second round and pushed her deep into the third set.[3] She played in 10 Federation Cup ties for Ireland between 1964 and 1977.[4]
Barniville played more than 70 times for Ireland in tennis and also competed for Ireland in squash.[5] Despite not picking up squash until the age of 24, Barniville ended up competing at the World Championships.[6] She competed three times with the Irish national team at the World Teams Championships and, from 1978 to 1983, was part of the team that was six times in a row runner-up in the European Teams Championships.
Personal life and death
Barniville was married to the late tennis player Harry Barniville and their son David is a High Court judge.[2] She died on 30 January 2026, at the age of 83.[7]
References
- ^ "Offaly native was a multiple tennis international". Offaly Express. 25 March 2022.
- ^ a b OCallaghan, John (24 June 2022). "New President of the High Court has strong Offaly links". Offaly Express.
- ^ "Australian shows Power". Arizona Daily Star. 6 September 1964.
- ^ "Final faithful to proud tradition". The Irish Times. 19 July 2006.
- ^ Reporter, Tribune (25 March 2022). "Offaly native was a multiple tennis international". www.offalyexpress.ie. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Geraldine all set for another `stage'". Irish Independent. 1 June 1998.
- ^ Irish Times death notice.
External links
- Geraldine Barniville at the Women's Tennis Association
- Geraldine Barniville at the Billie Jean King Cup (archived)
- Geraldine Barniville at the International Tennis Federation