Rebuilding and Growth (1946 - 1957)

By 1946, clubs slowly began to re-establish, and the sport entered a period of cautious recovery. However, shuttlecock supply remained limited and expensive, continuing to present logistical and financial challenges. In the late 1940s, Mayo clubs resumed informal inter-club matches, but no structured team tournaments were held. Still, individual tournaments began to re-emerge in towns like Ballina and Ballinrobe.

In 1950, there was growing interest in forming a new Mayo League involving Ballina, Foxford, Crossmolina and Ballinrobe. Although no structured league tournament was established, it showed clear momentum toward more organised competitive play during that time.

In 1952, Charlestown Badminton Club hosted a tournament under American tournament rule (round-robin format) which was very common for this era.  Further reviving local competitive play. Around 1953, the Connacht Branch committee was re-established, leading to the creation of the Connacht Junior and Senior League, the first structured branch leagues in the province since 1941. Clubs from Kiltimagh, Ballinrobe, Castlebar, Ballina, Westport and Swinford took part in the Connacht Junior League. The Junior league was divided into four geographical sections and received strong support from clubs across Connacht. Over the next few years Charlestown and Belmullet Badminton Clubs would also participate in the league. The clubs that did not participate in the Connacht League,continued to play socially and organised challenge matches with other local badminton clubs. 

The launch of the first Connacht Open in 1955 marked a significant milestone for the region. It provided players with the opportunity to compete against opponents from outside the province, raising the standard of play and broadening competitive experience.

In 1958, Swinford hosted the first-ever Mayo Closed Championships, held from March 3rd to 12th. This marked the inaugural county-wide competition exclusively for Mayo clubs. Players from nine clubs participated across five disciplines. The Mayo shield was awarded each season that the competition was held to the club that achieved the greatest success in tournament play. On this occasion it was won by Swinford Badminton Club.   During this period, it was also common for individual clubs to organise their own dinner dances. Badminton clubs continued this tradition in the years that followed, regularly hosting such events. Below are a few examples of their advertisements for these dinner dances as they appeared in the local newspapers.