History

Newry Tennis Club is established, making it one of the earliest tennis clubs on the island of Ireland. The club would go on to serve the community for decades before eventually folding in the 1950s — though its story was far from over.

In 1976 the Newry Tennis Courts on the Warrenpoint Road, which had lain derelict for 20 years, were taken over by a newly formed committee, with the assistance of Newry and Mourne District Council who bought the site. The then Sports Development Officer for the Council, Raymond Turley, worked closely with the Committee to get the new club off the ground.

That opening year the club had two hundred members including a thriving junior section — so popular that membership had to be closed. The first tournament of the new era also took place in 1976, with Sean Hollywood winning the men's singles and Belle O'Loughlin taking the ladies' singles.

In 1977 the club employed the well-known Ulster coach Sammy Tuff to coach the growing junior section, assisted by Lennie McCaigue, now an international Hockey coach.

By 1978 the club had acquired a new all-weather court and entered the Belfast and District League, winning the junior ladies' knock-out cup. By the end of the season there were five courts, two of which were all-weather. That year, Leo Russell, then a first year student, won the New University of Ulster's Open Tennis Tournament at Coleraine.

Newry took over from Newcastle in running the South Down Open Championships — later known as the Newry and Mourne Open Championships. At the time this event was on the prestigious Harp Grand Prix Circuit. The first men's singles champion was Lyle Carson, then playing for Ulster; Angela Ray of Edenderry won the ladies' final against local girl Leo Russell.

Over the next seven years, the Newry and Mourne Open Championship became one of the major events in the Ulster tournament calendar, attracting all the top players in the province as well as from Leinster.

Some notable local achievements included Frank McCormick's narrow defeat by Lyle Carson in the first Open; the excellent match between Stephen Philpott and Peter Lowther (then Ulster number one); and Nicola McCormick's performance against South African Margaret Redfearn in the 1985 final. Nicola was number one junior in Ireland at the time. Redfearn went on to become the Irish Open Champion.

In 1986 floodlights were installed and in the early nineties the courts were relaid. The senior team reached Division One of the mixed league and the club also won the intermediate and junior men's knockout cup in those years.

During the nineties, following the loss of the Newry and Mourne Open, the club went through a quieter period. However, a new pavilion — shared with the bowlers — helped to revive interest.

A welcome increase in junior membership saw the club enter four teams in the Belfast and District junior league, with the under-fourteen boys winning their division.

2006 also saw the passing of Father Tom McConville, longstanding club president, affectionately known as Father Tom. He and Belle O'Loughlin — winner of the very first ladies' singles in 1976 — were both survivors of the original Newry Tennis Club which had folded in the fifties.

In 2008 new polymeric courts were laid, and from the mid-2000s onwards membership of the club grew steadily. The club now has teams entered in the Belfast & District League at all levels — junior and senior — with the men's singles team reaching the first division for the second time in three years.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the club's rebirth in 1976. From two derelict courts on the Warrenpoint Road to a thriving club with a full tournament calendar, strong junior programme, and members across all ages and abilities — the best is yet to come.