Welcome to BADMINTON MUSEUM OF IRELAND.

The purpose of the Badminton Museum of Ireland is to preserve the great heritage of Irish Badminton and to make the general badminton public aware of it.

The details displayed this month bear reference to the fact that Terenure Badminton Centre or, Whitehall Road as it is familiarly known, was officially opened 60 years ago.

The Gallery item displays images of three of the players who competed in the Tournament to mark the official opening. A photograph of all the players who took part is already displayed and is no. 46 in the Gallery section

Judy Hashman nee Devlin is regarded as the finest ladies player of all time. She won 10 All-England Singles titles and 7 All-England Doubles titles playing with her sister Sue. She also won 11 U.S. Open Ladies Singles together with 11 Ladies Doubles and 6 Mixed Doubles titles.

Frank Peard played 30 times for Ireland between 1946-57. In the Irish Open Championships he won the Men Singles on one occasion and the Men’s Doubles on two occasions. He was a four time winner of the Irish Close Singles title and won the Men’s Doubles on 9 occasions and the Mixed Doubles on 5 occasions.

Jean Sharkey played for Ireland on 27 occasions. She won the Irish Open Singles on one occasion and also won the Ladies Doubles once. In the Irish Close she was a one time winner of the Singles, a three time winner of the Doubles and double winner of the Mixed Doubles.

I hope my sources are giving me the correct records for these players.

The Historical Item is a press cutting welcoming the fact that Badminton is to get a new purpose built hall in Dublin. Suggested attendance figures seem a little ambitious but the provisions of playing facilities would have expected to develop the game in Leinster and there is no doubt that it did. At that time the Dublin and District Leagues and Cups Committee must have been delighted to get their results shown in the print media.

Recent discussions have given the Trustees some encouragement in the ambition of having a Museum in Dublin. We are anxious that items of a historic nature are not lost and we welcome contact through the website in relation to memorabilia and other queries.

Dick O’Rafferty
Curator