Arthur Percival Gwynn (11 June 1874 – 14 February 1898) was an Irish cricketer and rugby union player.
Life
Arthur Percival Gwynn was born in
Ramelton,
County Donegal,
Ireland, the fifth son of the Very Rev John Gwynn D.D. and Josephine O'Brien.
[ Burke's Irish Family Records, 1976]
He was educated at St Columba's College, Rathfarnham and Trinity College Dublin. He excelled academically as well as on the sporting field. The most outgoing of the Gwynn brothers at Trinity College, he cut a handsome and dashing figure. He graduated from Trinity College in 1896, taking a double first in his finals. After completing the induction course for the Indian Civil Service in the autumn of 1897 he travelled to
Burma for his first tour of duty. Tragically his promising career came to an abrupt end a few months later: in February 1898 he died in
Rangoon of septicaemia resulting from a tooth infection.
Cricket career
A right-handed
batsman and
wicket-keeper,
Arthur Gwynn played for the Ireland cricket team five times between 1893 and 1896
[ CricketEurope Stats Zone profile ] and also played four first-class matches for Dublin University in 1895.
[ First-class matches played by Arthur Gwynn at Cricket Archive]
He made his debut for Ireland in a match against WH Laverton's XI, scoring one run in the only Irish innings. The following year, he played twice for Ireland, against I Zingari and South Africa. He scored 62 in the second innings against South Africa, his top score for Ireland.
May 1895 saw him make his first-class debut, playing for Dublin University against the MCC on 20 May.[ Scorecard of Dublin University v Cambridge University match in July 1895] his highest first-class score.
In all matches for Ireland, he scored 220 runs at an average of 36.67. He took six catches and one Stumped.
Rugby Union
Arthur Gwynn also played once for the Ireland national rugby union team, in the 1895 Four Nations tournament against Wales.
[ Rugby Union statistics from scrum.com]
Personal life
Arthur Gwynn came from a cricketing family. His elder brother
Lucius Gwynn played several times for Ireland, and a younger brother
Robert Gwynn also played for Dublin University and Ireland. A fourth brother Jack after several seasons with the university team went on to play first-class cricket in India. Each of these four brothers had his turn as captain of the Dublin University XI. A cousin Donough O'Brien played for Ireland and the MCC, and a nephew John David Gwynn also played for Dublin University.
[ Cricket Archive profile]
See also
-
List of Irish cricket and rugby union players
