Dorothy Cunningham

Dorothy Cunningham
née Haslam
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Northern Irish)
Bornc.1949[1]
Sport
SportBadminton
ClubMalone
St. Jude's BC
Medal record
Representing  Northern Ireland
Irish Nationals
Gold medal – first place1977singles
Gold medal – first place1975–76women's doubles
Gold medal – first place1977mixed doubles
Irish Open
Gold medal – first place1978singles

Dorothy Cunningham née Dorothy Haslam (born c.1949) is a former international badminton player from Northern Ireland who competed at two Commonwealth Games and was a four-time champion of Ireland.

Biography

Born Dorothy Haslam, she represented Ulster at the provincial level[2] and all-Ireland at the international level.[3] Haslam made her Irish debut on 21 November 1968.[4]

She married a fellow badminton player called Frank Cunningham[5] and played under her married name thereafter and in 1972 switched clubs from Malone to St. Judes.[6] Cunningham won the 1976 Ulster Open and 1978 Irish Open.[7]

Although primarily a singles player,[8] she also played doubles and partners included John Scott,[2] Clifford Mcllwaine, Elizabeth Thompson, Yvonne Kelly and Barbara Beckett.[1]

Cunningham represented the Northern Irish team[9] at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand,[10] where she competed in the three events.[11]

Cunningham represented the Northern Irish team again at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada,[12] where she competed in the four events.[13]

She was a four-times Irish champion at the Irish National Badminton Championships, winning the singles in 1977, doubles in 1975 and 1976 and mixed doubles in 1977.[14]

Cunningham also represented Ulster at tennis.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dorothy serves up a new first". Belfast Telegraph. 16 June 1977. p. 32. Retrieved 15 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. 1 2 "John Scott - Dorothy Cunningham". Ireland's Saturday Night. 31 December 1977. p. 5. Retrieved 16 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ↑ "Dorothy is Irish star". Belfast Telegraph. 26 November 1976. p. 24. Retrieved 16 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ "Dorothy Haslam". Belfast News-Letter. 22 November 1968. p. 16. Retrieved 16 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Badminton hat-trick for Barker". Belfast Telegraph. 12 February 1977. p. 13. Retrieved 17 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Badminton changes". Belfast News-Letter. 17 October 1972. p. 12. Retrieved 17 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "Jim gives Open miss". Belfast News-Letter. 6 November 1976. p. 10. Retrieved 16 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Fine win by David Doherty". Belfast News-Letter. 3 October 1973. p. 28. Retrieved 16 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Christchurch contenders". Belfast Telegraph. 6 October 1973. p. 14. Retrieved 15 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Mike Go For Gold". Ireland's Saturday Night. 19 January 1974. p. 7. Retrieved 15 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ "Northern Ireland Christchurch 1974". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Julie (13) for Games". Belfast Telegraph. 13 June 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 15 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ↑ "Medal Standings Edmonton 1978". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "Irish Senior Nationals Winners". Badminton Ireland. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
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