Tuhia he whakamāramatanga mō tēnei rārangi - he tamaiti tino pai a Nick Patterson ki te hākinakina. I toa ia i te Irish Chess Championship i te tau 1969. I tētahi kēmu roa i te Chess Olympiad o Siegen
I te tau 1970, i te wa i purei ai ia mo Ireland, i tutaki ia ki te rangatira nui o Denmark a Bent Larsen, ko ia tetahi o nga kaitakaro 10 o te ao i taua wa, a ka taea e ia te mahi i te 93 nekehanga.