Irish Senior Championship

Lisburn was the venue for the 2010 Irish Senior Badminton Championship and the success story of Laura Butler continues as the young Davidstown player reached her 1^st national senior badminton final when she & partner Jennifer King qualified for the ladies doubles final. 

Laura’s participation in the national senior final was the first for a Wexford player since Maeve Moynihan back in the 1980’s. 

After a series of impressive results during the season Butler & King were the 2^nd seeds in the ladies doubles competition and the Wexford/Dublin pairing maintained their recent good form to reach the final against the defending champions & current Irish Internationals Karen Bing & Keeling Fox. 

The top seeds Bing & Fox were aware of the steady progress of the new partnership during the season and were taking no chances in the final against the pretenders to their throne.

They quickly gained the upper hand and using all their fire power and experience they retained their title with a 21/11, 21/8 victory.

Laura also advanced to the semi-finals of the ladies singles where she lost in straight sets to the number 2 seed Sinead Chambers 21/7, 21/12.

It was a good weekend all-round for Butler who with partner William Gourley also qualified for the mixed doubles quarter final before losing to the 3^rd seeds Mark Topping and Keelin Fox 21/17, 21/19.

In the men’s singles Alan Mackay lost in the opening round going down 21/17, 21/18 to Ulster’s Conor Hickland. 

After some fine performances of late Vincent Mackay will be disappointed with his opening venture in the nationals as the Eagles player was below par when losing  21/3, 21/10 in his opening game to Stuart Lightbody. 

In the men’s doubles brothers Vincent & Alan Mackay turned in a fine performance and were very unlucky to lose out to Graham Davidson & William Gourley 29/27, 21/16.