Trinity College Dublin

"Fencing has been practiced at Trinity since the college was founded, as dueling was commonplace among the gentry for one hundred and fifty years thereafter. John Hely-Hutchinson, Provost TCD, 1774-1794, promoted fencing as a manly accomplishment and a 'Gentleman's Club of the Sword' existed in the college in the 18th century. The present fencing club dates from 1941 and has blossomed in the Luce Hall. For many years, one of Ireland's premier fencing clubs, Trinity has produced a string of International and Olympic fencers and in 1990-91, the club retained the Russell Cup for Irish Intervarsity fencing for a remarkable 13th consecutive year"

Dr. Trevor West, "The Bold Collegians" 1991. (Dublin)

Early 1500s	Rapiers first developed
1592	Elizabeth I's charter founds Trinity College Dublin. Swords were worn as everyday dress for the next 150 years. Reports of dueling within college walls occur from the early 17th century to the early 18th.
1599	George Silver's "Paradoxes of Defence" published.
1602	Shakespeare's Hamlet first performed.
1603	Elizabeth I - James I
	James I conquers Ireland. TCD students involved in duels between those who supported William and the few that supported King James. James turns college rooms into prison cells for dissenters, further angering students.
1605	Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote".
1625	James I - Charles I of England and Ireland
1649	Charles I executed. Republic until 1653 (Charles II)
1685	Charles II - James II
1689	James II - King William and Mary
1690	Battle of the Boyne
1700s	Blunt tipped fencing foil invented. Fencing gains a new respectability and becomes a pursuit of the nobility and gentry. A 'Gentleman's Club of the Sword' exists in Trinity throughout the 18th century.
1702	William II - Queen Anne
1714	Queen Anne - George I
1729	George I - George II
1760	George II - George III
1763	Domenico Angelo, "The School of Fencing"
1774	Trinity Provost Hely-Hutchinson wishes to build a fencing school, horse riding arena, dancing and foreign language school in college grounds to learn 'gentlemanly' pursuits, but these plans were denounced by the board and widely satirised. Fencing was regarded as training for duels, more than the modern Olympic sport is was to become.
15th April, 1789	Theobald Wolfe Tone, auditor of the TCD Historical Society reproves members for dueling within college grounds. "It has been my fortune to be unwilling witness to many quarrels in this Society, very few of which came to termination in the field, and in none did any serious mischief occur, except to the reputation of this institution. I did with great satisfaction congratulate myself that the demon of dueling was laid, though not in a Red Sea, and, as I hoped, would walk within these hallowed walls no more"
1800s	Swords no longer worn as everyday dress. The great fencing masters - Angelo, Nadi, Pinao, Senac, defined techniques of the sport of fencing.
1822	Walter Scott, "Ivanhoe"
1835	The Historical Society Auditor condemns the recent outbreak of dueling in college.
1844	Alexander Dumas, "The Three Musketeers"
1845-1849	Great Irish Famine
1850s	Fencing Mask adopted for training
1852	Last duel fought in England at Priest Hill, Surrey.
1860s	Santelli, Barbassetti, Borsody develop Sabre technique.
1891	Amateur Fencers League of America founded.
1894	Anthony Hope "Prisoner of Zenda"
1896	Modern Olympic Games - Men's Fencing Event
1901	Queen Victoria - Edward VII
1913	Féderation Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) founded in Paris
1914-18	World War I
1916	Easter Rising in Dublin
1921	Fencing European Championships
1924	Women's Event in the Olympics
1929	Film, "The Iron Mask"
1935	Films, "The Three Musketeers", "Captain Blood"
1937	Films, "Prince and the Pauper", "Prisoner of Zenda"
1938	Film, "Adventures of Robin Hood"
1939-45	World War II
1941	The modern DUFC founded
1940s	Electric Épée first used
1950s	Electric foil introduced
1955	Trinity win Russell Intervarsity Cup (photo: DUFC's first Maitre d'Armes, Prof. Patrick J Duffy)
1973	Film, "The Princess Bride"
1980s	Electric Sabre introduced
1990s	Films, "Braveheart" "By The Sword", "Robin Hood"
2007	Ex-Junior England Commonwealth Manager, Tristan Parris joins DUFC as coach
2008	Ex-International Swedish Sabreur, Thomas Årnfelt joins DUFC as sabre coach