I don't think the nine-patches are right for a single Irish Chain in any of the photos. The chain should be uninterrupted in both directions, which means that the background color cannot be used for the corners of the nine-patches.
Also, the middle photo does not qualify as an Irish Chain because the nine-patches do not contain the background fabric.
http://www.quilt.com/Blocks/IrishChain/IrishChain.html shows correct placement of background colors for single IC.
The dominant color in a single Irish Chain is the background fabric. I kind of like the first photo because the grey is neutral and creates a great foil for the colorful batik chains. The blue fabric competes with the chains. My 2 cents....