By Junior Griffin

With the Listowel Races over for another year, the long nights are closing in very fast and many people will be looking for a sporting pastime of some nature in order to pass away those long winter nights. Are you one of those people?

Why not consider the game of Badminton which is acclaimed in the Guinness book of Records as the world’s fastest racquet sport and this sport is played extensively in our own Kingdom of Kerry.

It is not known when and where the sport was introduced first into the Kingdom but it is known that the sport was played in the old Gymnasium based in the town of Listowel  in the old Sportsfield where the Frank Sheehy Park is now situated way back in 1908 which will  see the current Listowel Club celebrate their 110thbirthday   this coming 2018/19 badminton season.

Outside of Listowel there are  very progressive clubs in these current times in areas such as Killarney, Castleisland, Moyvane, Annascaul, Iveragh, Ballyheigue, Causeway,   Ballyheigue and the good news from North Kerry is that Ballybunion may be reforming a Badminton Club again in the local Community Centre after close on a twenty year absence from the sport.

The Kerry Association have a very strong juvenile section with most of the above clubs catering for juveniles from the under 11 age group to under 15.

The Kerry Badminton Association  will hold their Annual General this  coming Friday night  at the Grand Hotel, Tralee to commence at 8 pm. All interested are invited to attend.