George McVeagh

Early life Trevor McVeagh was born on 14 September 1906 in Drewstown House, Athboy, County Meath. His father, George Joseph Brooke McVeagh, was a landowner and local magistrate serving as the High Sheriff of Meath in 1891. His mother, Grace Alice Maude, was a daughter of a British army lieutenant-general Charles Annesley Benson.

McVeagh was intended for Harrow School and Cambridge University, but he was sent instead to St Columba's College and Trinity College due to a downturn in the family's fortunes. and led the team to the Leinster Senior League title in 1927.

McVeagh was capped for the Irish cricket team in 1926

During the 1930s, having left University, he played cricket both for the Phoenix Cricket Club and the national team, His last recorded cricket match was in June 1960 when he played for St Columba's College team. At Trinity College he played with Shaun Jeffares and together they defeated University of Cambridge team.

From the mid-1930s onwards, tennis replaced cricket as his main summer sport. He represented Ireland in the Davis Cup 1933–1938 and 1946–1948.

In 1933 The Manchester Guardian praised McVeagh as "perhaps the most improved player of the year". Notable in this period was a series he played against legendary American player Bill Tilden in London where he won 2 out of 3 practice matches against the professional. He was known for an "unorthodox style of play… supplemented by his excellent ball skills and limitless energy and stamina in the game". On May 14, McVeagh gave Ireland a two-to-one lead over Sweden defeating Curt Östberg in the second round. On June 5, McVeagh and George Lyttleton Rogers defeated Hector Fisher and William Steiner taking a two-to-one lead over Switzerland in the third round. On June 6, after a surprising defeat of George Lyttleton-Rogers by Fisher, McVeagh managed to defeat Max Ellmer to carry Ireland into the semi-final. It was the first and only time that Ireland reached the European zone semi-finals.

In summer 1936 McVeagh played for Ireland at Wimbledon with B. T. Leader and lost to Kay Lund of Germany and Enrique Maier of Spain. At mixed doubles he played with Hilda Wallis against the American duo of Don Budge and Sarah Palfrey Cooke.

In May 1937, George Lyttleton-Rogers and McVeagh played at Davis Cup in Montreux and were defeated by a Swiss team. In June, at Wimbledon they were defeated by the American players Charles Harris and Hal Surface. and by George Patrick Hughes and C.R.D. Tuckey. At mixed doubles he played with Miss Thomson against Norman Farquharson and Kay Stammers and lost.

In 1938 McVeagh was defeated by Vanni Canapele from Italy in the first round of the Davis Cup in Dublin at singles. At doubles, McVeagh and George Lyttleton-Rogers lost to Ferruccio Quintavalle and Valentino Taroni.

In February 1946, McVeagh was appointed non-playing captain of the Irish Davis Cup team. He returned to the team in 1948 winning at doubles at age forty-two. In 1950, at the age of 43, he won the Fitzwilliam Championship held at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club. and captained the Irish teams that won three Triple Crown (an unofficial title "awarded" to the team that beat all three of the other home nations in the same season) in a row in 1937–39.

Professional career As a solicitor, McVeagh served his apprenticeship with John George Oulton. McVeagh was admitted in Hilary sittings 1931 and practiced as senior partner in the firm of Messrs T.G. McVeagh & Co., 32-22 Kildare Street, Dublin.

Death McVeagh died in Dublin on 5 June 1968 from a heart attack, following a game of tennis at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club with Cyril Kemp.