Portumna

Portumna Lawn Tennis Club can be dated back to 1880, when six grass courts were established in Portumna.&nbsp;
The courts existed to the right of the Church of Ireland in what is now the car park at the Shannon Oaks Hotel. &nbsp;
The Rector at the time was instrumental in securing the land for the provision of a club in Portumna.
The Tennis club facility also included a wall-ball and a clubhouse where senior citizens would go regularly to socialise and play cards, bridge mainly.&nbsp;
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The wall ball was made of timber with no sides and this wall allowed patrons to practise their shots while waiting for a game.
In 1913 a British vessel was commissioned to carry out a hydrological survey on Lough Derg; the vessel was known as the “Chanqsha” vessel.&nbsp;
The crew was skippered by a man called Tommy Suggat. Tommy Suggat was captain of that vessel and spent much of his spare time, as did the crew, playing the game at the club in Portumna.&nbsp;
The crew was ordered back to Britain in 1914, when world war one broke out and donated a cup to the club called the Chanqsha Cup which was made out of sterling silver.&nbsp;
There was also a cup donated for the ladies but there was no name given to this cup!
Unfortunately, both cups were never returned after the last tournaments prior to 1960 and the location of these cups remains unknown.
<h2>Decline and Renewal</h2>
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In the 1920's the club was again beginning to falter. In 1923 Mr. Moran embarked on a campaign to entice more members to join and maintain membership of Portumna Lawn Tennis Club.&nbsp;
The O’Kelly family was instrumental in getting families to join the club and membership of the club increased, an offshoot of table tennis emerged from this.&nbsp;
The members, at this time, held table tennis competitions in an upstairs room at <a href="https://xploreapp.io/portumna/attraction/the-irish-workhouse-centre-swwtt" target="_blank">Portumna Workhouse</a> during the winter months.
It is interesting to note that an outdoor court also existed in the grounds of the Portumna Workhouse. The courts were kept in good condition and were taken care of by a man named Joe Coniry.&nbsp;
Joe had made a bargain with the club that he would take care of the courts if his donkey was allowed to graze on the courts during the winter months!&nbsp;&nbsp;
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When there were enough members in the club, a committee was finally formed.&nbsp;
<h2>Black Beads</h2>
When new members wanted to join the club, the committee would vote by placing white beads if they were in favour and black beads if they were not in favour into a jar.&nbsp;
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This was a practice used by the free masons also and the term "black balled" was used when someone was excluded using this process of voting.&nbsp;
The black beads and the white beads were counted and if the black beads outnumbered the white beads, then the prospective member could be excluded from joining the club.&nbsp;
The Club organised competitive tennis matches against nearby clubs in Nenagh, Birr, Athenry and BallinasIoe.&nbsp;&nbsp;
It was common at the time for the ladies of the town to bake delicious strawberry cakes that were consumed in the pavilion and these events became very important socially for quite a number of years.&nbsp;

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Members of <a href="https://xploreapp.io/portumna/lifestyle/portumna-lawn-tennis-club-hce" target="_blank">Portumna Lawn Tennis Club</a> were also instrumental in starting the <a href="https://xploreapp.io/portumna/lifestyle/portumna-players-htaga" target="_blank">Portumna Players Drama group.</a> In the mid-forties a meeting was held to raise funds for a Table Tennis Club, it was proposed to stage a play to raise funds.  
The last Chanqsha Tennis Tournament took place in St. Mary's in 1960 and the competition was won by Sean O'Dwyer but the cup was never presented because at some stage it had not been returned to the club. There is no known account of the equivalent cup for the ladies.
<h2>Portumna Lawn Tennis Club Finds A New Home</h2>
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In 1967 a number of entrepreneurial minded business men embarked on a very ambitious project. the provision of a hotel, The Westpark Hotel, to support the needs of the thriving local tourist industry.&nbsp;
A site was secured but there was a problem with the lack of car park facilities adjacent to the hotel itself.&nbsp;
Rev. Fr. Solan, who was curate at the time in the parish of Portumna, negotiated with the Tennis Club to give up their facility on the west side of the hotel in return for three hard courts further out St. Joseph's Road.&nbsp;
The Tennis Club agreed to this and they gave up six grass courts and their pavilion and agreed a hundred year lease with Town Development and the Hotel at that particular time.&nbsp;
The Hotel provided the three courts and the Pavilion was built by the club itself. The indenture was made on the 26th of November, 1969, between Portumna Hotels Limited and the Portumna District and Development Company.
<h2>The Present Day</h2>
Over recent years a tremendous effort has been made to restore the facility at St. Joseph’s Road and provide tennis in Portumna yet again.&nbsp;
Today, Portumna Lawn Tennis Club is once again a thriving club community with two all weather tiger turf courts complete with floodlights, pavilion with kitchen, lounge, changing shower and toilet facilities.

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The club is open to new members - the black/white beads has been retired!
The membership year runs from 1st January to 31st December and they offer two membership options: 6 months and 12 months.
The club runs regular coaching sessions for juniors and adults throughout the year. These include camps for juniors held during both the Easter and Summer holidays and open nights for adults.
Members can book courts Courts 8.30am - 10.00pm every day for 1.5 hr sessions via the online court booking which will be set up when you join
<a href="https://xploreapp.io/portumna/lifestyle/portumna-lawn-tennis-club-hce" target="_blank">Portumna Lawn Tennis Club </a> is open for new memberships and supports all ages, individuals, families seeking healthy active lifestyles.
With social events and competitions running throughout the year they welcome all and encourage people willing to try out a new sport.
Interested in learning more about the glory days of Irish Lawn Tennis? You can learn more about our great tennis champions here: <a href="https://xploreapp.io/portumna/news/a-brief-history-of-tennis-nvrzd" target="_blank">Trailblazers of Irish Lawn Tennis </a>

The Birth of Lawn Tennis in Portumna

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