Kerry Badminton Special Tribute Night

Four Great Servants to Kerry Badminton Honoured

The Kerry Badminton Association organised a special event for four former members of the executive committee of the organisation at the Riverside Hotel in Castleisland last Tuesday night (March 5th).

Addressing a large audience made up of past and present members of clubs from throughout the county plus family and friends of those being honoured the President of the Association Johnny Brosnan informed the crowd that “between the four of them they had given 110 years of service to Kerry Badminton”.

The first person honoured on the night was Marian O Neill who has been involved with badminton in Kerry since the 1980s. Marian served as treasurer for the Ashe club in Tralee and subsequently with the County Club after the Ashe club disembarked.
She spent several years as treasurer of the Kerry Badminton Association and also managed the Grade E Kerry team with Catherine Murphy for four years.

In honour of her work for badminton in Kerry the Ladies Doubles Division 4 Cup has been dedicated in Marian’s name.

Next up to receive worthy praise was former Vice-Chairperson of the Association Mike Corridon. In paying tribute to Mike fellow Moyvane clubman and current Vice-President of the Association Olly Conyard said that “he was involved in the club since its inception back in the 1970s and part of a Club Mixed Final team that reach a County Final in 1986 and many times subsequently”. He spent many years as Chairperson of the club and was still 2016 when Moyvane were award All-Ireland Club of the Year. At Kerry level Mike spent 17 years as Vice-Chairperson and when it came to looking for sponsorship there was no better man than Mike to get it”.

As a gesture of thanks for the service Mike Corridon has given to badminton in Kerry the Division 4 Mixed League Cup has been named in his honour.

Introducing the next recipient of honours on the night Tom Clear the Vice-Chairperson of the Kerry Badminton Association spoke of the dedication Brid Murphy gave to the game that she first feel in love with whilst in 5th class in primary school. He spoke about the wonderful treble success of Singles, Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles which Brid achieved as a player at the Division 4 grade back in 2001. Brid won a Division 3 county doubles title in 2003 with Marie O Connor and in 2011 captured a Division 2 singles title and a special doubles title with her sister Catherine.

Brid has spent several years as secretary of her local Kingdom Club in Castleisland and also spent several years as Assistant Secretary at Kerry level before taking over the role of Secretary in 2016 and Tom Clear described Brid as “Miss Reliability, dependable and able”.

In honour of Brid the Ladies Doubles Division 2 Cup will has been named in her honour.

Last and certainly not least new Kerry Badminton Chairperson Tom Bourke paid a deserved glowing tribute to the great Junior Griffin who finally decided to step down from his role as Chairperson of the County Board after giving it a wonderful 42 years of service.

Speaking of Junior Tom said

Junior, diminutive by name, magnificent by nature. Given three words to describe him – Innovative, Committed and Personal.

Prince of the Pen – Master of the written word, with a quintessential turn of phrase, how we so looked forward to reading his weekly reports. Junior always maintains that a picture paints a thousand words but his words painted many a priceless picture such was his wonderful command of the English language. How many of us have plagiarised and paraphrased his words over the years?

He was also a master with the spoken word, a master of persuasion …”

Tom went on to read out several lovely tributes people had submitted about Junior including a great anti-dote by fellow clubman Mark Loughnane who clearly illustrated his powers of persuasion. According to Mark “when Junior worked as a Shop Assistant in McKenna’s of Listowel you might approach him looking for a patch for a bicycle puncture but walk away with a Waterford Crystal Vase”.

Tom Bourke thanked Peggy Horan for co-ordinating the event and Johnny Brosnan of the Kerry Badminton Association made a special presentation to Junior.

Junior Griffin Role of Honour

1964 Junior started playing badminton.

1969 Kerry County Doubles Champion with playing partner John Keane

1971 Kerry County Doubles Champion with playing partner Brendan Cronin

1972 Initiated Listowel Invitation Tournament

1975 Kerry County Doubles Champion with playing partner Sean Comerford

1975-2018 Chairman Kerry Badminton

1981-2003 Secretary Munster Badminton Association

2007 Elected Honorary President Munster Branch

2008 Special ‘Club Person of the Century Award’ by Listowel Club

2010 1st Honorary life member Munster Badminton Association

2011 Honorary life member Kerry

Share this to