HISTORY

This is an excerpt from a book about Edenderry Methodist Church by Garfield England.

"In 1922 the Trustees of the Church received an application from a few of the young ladies and the young men of the Edenderry Memorial Congregation for the use of the field at the rear of the church for recreation, i.e. the playing of Lawn Tennis. They are prepared to pay the same amount of rent as you are at present receiving from it. The application was signed by Herbert McClatchey, James Magowan and Twinem Jackson.

A decision was at first postponed but permission was granted later in the year. Such was the beginning of the Edenderry Tennis Club whose president has always been a minister of the church".

As a matter of interest two of the above applicants, Messrs H McClatchey and T Jackson were Mayors of Portadown in later years.

In the early years the club had 3 grass courts and in the late twenties one was converted to clay court. A few years later a second court was changed to clay and during the 1939 - 1945 war years many service men played as guests of the club.

In the latter part of the Forties the 3rd court became clay and the 3 clay courts were of a high standard. Edenderry Tennis Club was a founder member of the Mid Ulster Tennis League and eventually joined the Belfast & District League, of which it is still a member.

Over the years its membership became more widespread and for many years it has been open to all denominations. The club has always provided tennis for children, and its present Captain, Mr David Binks has provided coaching classes on Saturday mornings during the season.

Several years ago the church had a major re-building plan and due to this one court was lost, but the club remains very active.

website maintained by Sharon Muir