Expansion and Growth in the 1970's
The early 1970s marked a period of steady growth for badminton in County Mayo. At that time, the county league operated with two competitive tiers: the Senior League and the Novice League. In 1971, the Senior League featured six teams, while the Novice League had sixteen. Fourteen clubs were active in the county that year, including two new arrivals. Ballyhaunis Badminton Club was newly established and joined the league, while Enniscrone Badminton Club, Sligo also entered the competition.
Promotion between divisions was straightforward. Winners moved up automatically, while runners-up could choose to advance or remain in their division. Matches typically began at eight o’clock in the evening, but close contests often continued late into the night, sometimes concluding as late as two or three in the morning. This was largely due to the match formats and rules in use at the time, which could produce long and closely fought encounters.
Mayo players were also making their mark beyond the county. In 1971, John Joe Tolan of Crossmolina earned selection for the Connacht team in the Interprovincial Games. In 1973, the Connacht Branch introduced the Secondary Schools Provincial Championships for the first time, reflecting a growing emphasis on youth competition.
Up to 1975, the Connacht League remained a central fixture for clubs across the province. Each of the five counties ran its own league, but as these local competitions grew stronger, the need for the Connacht League diminished. It was eventually replaced by the Connacht Cup Competition, a change that reflected the maturity and strength of county-level play. The Connacht League had served its purpose during an earlier era when individual counties did not yet have enough clubs to sustain their own competitions.
By 1975, the sport’s popularity in Mayo had reached a new high. To meet demand, the county league expanded from two to three divisions. This mirrored the provincial trend, with the number of clubs affiliated to the Connacht Branch doubling from thirty in 1975 to sixty by 1977.
In 1976, the Mayo League comprised three divisions. Division 1 had seven teams, Division 2 had eleven, and Division 3 had twenty-one. That year also saw the revival of the Mayo Closed Championships after several years’ absence, restoring one of the county’s most valued competitions. The Mayo Badminton Association launched a county league for Under-21 players, further strengthening its commitment to developing young talent. On the representative stage, Enda Judge of Crossmolina was selected for the Connacht panel.
The competition calendar continued to evolve. In 1977, the Lynch Cup was introduced for Division 1 teams. Donated by Kevin Lynch of Ballinderreen Badminton Club, it quickly became a coveted title among the county’s leading clubs.
In 1978, the league continued to operate across three divisions. Division 1 had six teams, Division 2 had eight, and Division 3 had sixteen. The following year, Division 1 again had six teams, Division 2 increased to nine, and Division 3 had fourteen. Between 1979 and 1980, the number of clubs in the league rose from fourteen to nineteen, a clear sign of continued growth.
The 1979 /1980 season proved to be a landmark. The first Mayo Open tournament was staged in Swinford and was hailed as a major success by the Badminton Association. In the same season, the Claremorris Open took place over the course of a week, making use of two courts at St. Coleman’s and one at the Sports Complex. This demonstrated the county’s ability to host large and ambitious events.
Throughout the decade, individual achievement was recognised through the Mayo Player of the Year award, which honoured the player whose performances over the season had been particularly outstanding.