Fitty years young: Badminton club in Offaly celebrates anniversary

THE function room of the Tullamore Court Hotel was full when past and present members of Killoughey Badminton, their family and friends met to celebrate 50 years of badminton in Killoughey Community Centre.

Aisling Duffy welcomed the guests to the evening and gave a brief description of what Killoughey Badminton had meant to her brothers, sisters, cousins and friends. Aisling was followed to the podium by Rev. Yvonne Hutchinson who invoke the Lord’s blessing on the badminton club, the celebration, and the community before saying grace before the meal.

Following the delicious meal served up by the Tullamore Court Hotel staff, MC for the night, Kevin Daly, called on Judy Bryant to tell the history of the club. Judy is the only member to have been there all 50 years, even though she stressed, she is not a founding member.

In her speech, Judy recalled some funny incidences in the early days of the club. She recalled when a carload of players were coming home on a frosty night, and rally car driver supreme, Mick Nevin was driving. Coming from Portlaoise, Mick turned the steering wheel to take the cut-off to avoid Mountmellick, only the car decided to keep going on the main road.

And the time when Derry Grogan was driving and they went round and round in circles before they found the way home. Remember, this was all before sat navs in cars. She recalled their first foray into league competition when they met Ferbane in the league final. Peter Commins and Derry Grogan were first up for Killoughey.

They won 1st Men’s in 3 sets. Killoughey went on to win 3 more games in 2 sets and Ferbane won 4 games in 2 sets. Ferbane were declared Offaly champions 9 sets to 8, thanks to the extra set they took in first men’s. It wasn’t until the 1989 that made the breakthrough and won an Offaly championship. Mick Nevin was captain and Bernie Mahon, now Ryan was the only other team member that can be confirmed. Meanwhile, a Mothers’ and Daughter’s social club had started.

When Geraldine Ryan was told she should take up a sport to help her asthma, the Juvenile club was born and most of the ladies came into the mainstream adult section or the ladies had an early session on Monday night and then the team members came in. Judy remembered the club’s early mantra was “brute force and ignorance,” but when Sue Peard was appointed Leinster coach for a Westmeath, Offaly, Laois U16 development squad, badminton in Offaly stepped up a notch, and with it stepped Killoughey. Coming off the squad, John Joe Cronley, Fergal Lambe, Triona Doolan, and Fiona Nevin formed the core of a Killoughey team that went forward to win Offaly Division 5 in 1997.

With other team members Hugh Mahon, Hugh Bracken, Ger Flanaghan, Patricia Molloy and Patricia Lambe the team marched through Leinster. When they were playing a Wexford team, one of the team was heard to remark, “they are just a crowd of kids.” The “kids” won and went on to play in Division 6 All-Ireland, and won. They arrived back to the Blueball to a bonfire and lorry.

The team and cup made their way up on the lorry and were introduced. Willie Gorman stepped up and raised the cup and said, “I never thought I would see the day when a Killoughey team would bring home an All-Ireland.” John Lynch and James Halpin joined the team next year, and they went on to win Division 5 All-Ireland. Not without their trials. Mobile phones were just becoming the “new toy.” John Lynch had one and Esther Lambe had one, fortunately. John’s car broke down on the way to a Leinster match. He contacted Esther.

They managed to get all the team to the venue for the match, and won. They went on to win the Division 5 All-Ireland. This team wasn’t finished. The next year Paul Christie replaced James Halpin and Olivia Mahon came onto the team for Patricia Molloy. The team played Division 4 Southwest Leinster and won. History repeated itself—the team completed the treble, three All-Irelands for “just a crowd of kids.” The kids were adults now and went their separate ways to college, to work, and to marriage.

In 2007, the core team pulled in Colin Franks, Jon Moyles, and Ann-Marie Lalor from Country Club and Mags Mahon, former Killoughey player. They were now in Division 2, as some had played with other clubs in Div. 3 and had done well. They did well in Division 2, winning Southwest Leinster League, winning Leinster, and achieving the ultimate, winning the All-Ireland. After this, the team went their separate ways. Some members played on in other clubs. Offaly leagues reformed and folded again. The teams mostly played in Southwest Leinster Leagues.

The next All-Ireland came ion 2012 when Eoghan Phelan won All-Ireland Young Volunteer of the Year. At this time, Kilcormac/Killoughey had a vibrant Community Games programme. In 2014, Joe Daly, Kevin Daly, Aaron Goulding, Connor Brady and Stephen Dunican won another All-Ireland. They followed that up the next year with a win in Division 2 U16 PPS All Ireland.

That same year, Kathlyn Goulding, Grace Leonard, Anna Dohery, Kerri Leonard, and Áine Leonard won Community Games Girls All-Ireland. In 2017, the boys lost Aaron and replaced him with Rory Gleeson, and defeated old rivals Roscrea/Country Club for the PPS U19 Division 2 All-Ireland title. Later that year, Kerri Leonard, Grace Leonard, Sarah Meacle, Katelyn Halpin, Emily-Rose Johnson and Jill Casey won another Community Games All-Ireland.

2018 was another vintage year. Richard Bracken, Richard Casey, Adam Screeney, James Mahon, and Andrew Johnson won U14 PPs All-Ireland, and Emily-Rose and Katelyn added Sarah Doherty, Kerri Healion, and Caroline Meacle to the team to complete the Girls Community Games All-Ireland treble.

This year, Community Games was back in KK, A group of girls made it through Offaly, Leinster, and to the All-Ireland, but only finished 3rd. Katelyn and James Halpin are the only 2 generations of one family to have been part of the 12 Killoughey All-Irelands. Down through the years Killoughey teams competed in Southwest Leinster League, and even though they were winning League titles in both Men’s and Ladies, 4 person leagues had no All-Ireland. Following Judy’s Club History, Kevin Daly called on Michael McGrath, President of Badminton Ireland, to speak. President McGrath congratulated Killoughey on 50 continuous years and spoke on how Badminton Ireland is helping clubs.

When Michael was finished, Tommy Phelan, vice-chair of Killoughey Community Centre spoke on what badminton has meant to the Centre and the Community. He spoke particularly about the badminton marathons which for years raised maoney to help pay some or all of the Hall insurance. The evening wasn’t over yet. Judy was called back up on stage. A trophy and cup had been sitting quietly on the table. She presented the Green Trophy for the club with the most wins in Offaly Juvenile Doubles, which has been in Killoughey possession for most of the last 20 years. Then she lifted the Cave Cup, one of the famous All-Ireland Cups and one that lived in Killoughey parish for 26 years.

The Cup was presented to the Ireland Badminton Association for the “Gentlemen’s Singles National Winner in 1904. In 1907,08,and 09, 90 years before Killoughey won 3 in a row, Arthur M Cave won the Gentlemen’s Singles and retired the Cup. In 1914, the now Rev. Cave came to serve the Killoughey parish at the Blacklion Church. He was rector there until 1940. He, his wife, and infant daughter are buried in the local churchyard. Mrs. Mathews Sr. remembered seeing the Cup on the mantel when she was a young girl visiting the rectory. Following the presentation of the trophy and Cup, she presented Founder Member medals to Maureen Butterfield, Brid and Mick Guinan, Della Grogan, and in his absence, Derry Grogan.

Cecil McDonald was mentioned as a Founding Member who is living in Mayo and wasn’t able to travel down. Paul Curry, Pat Fox, and Danny Feighery are deceased founding members. She also presented “in the Beginning” medals to players or their representatives who were early members of the club but never played on a team that won a league. Among the men and ladies was Liam White Sr.. the oldest living person who was a member of the club.

Following the presentation, a raffle was held. Each place at a table was given a raffle ticket. Grace Johnson went from table to table asking persons to draw a number from the Cave Cup, and Judy and Kevin presented the prizes. Finally, the biggest family group was called for. The Guinan Girls and the Mahon Family were nearly neck and neck for the honours. Another member added to the Mahon family, so they were presented the prize. When photos were taken of the groups, it was discovered that the extended Guinan Girls family had 15 members to only 11 for the Mahon’s, who very sportingly handed over the prize.

Following the raffle, John Joe Cronley was called to the microphone to speak. John Joe spoke about what Judy meant to the club, how she had kept it going down through the years and the generations. What it meant to him and his teammates to pile into her car and to be driven to a competition or to be left home after training. How she treated everyone fairly and the same and with respect. He then called on Fergal Lambe to make a presentation. Judy was presented with a framed photo of Killoughey Community Centre with a poem composed by Zara and John Joe, two vouchers for Aer Lingus flights, and a Claddagh Necklace with an Emerald heart, her birthstone. Fiona Hanlon read the poem to the guests. Judy stepped to the microphone and thanked everyone for the wonderful gifts, and acknowledged the standing ovation she was given.

The evening concluded with music from the Buckley’s from Ballyboy.