Some of the world’s leading Para badminton players are in Dublin this week as the British & Irish Para Badminton International 2026 takes place at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena until Sunday, June 28th.
The tournament is a BWF Para Badminton International Level 1 event on the BWF Para Badminton World Circuit, bringing an elite international field to Ireland for five days of competition.
The entry list features top-ranked players, Paralympic champions, and at least 29 Paralympic medallists from the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, underscoring the calibre of the competition and the opportunity for Irish supporters to see world-class Para sport up close.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing the tournament live in the company of Badminton Ireland CEO Enda Lynch, and the quality of play was definitely Paralympic Games standard.
Later today, around 300 children from local schools will attend the event, alongside Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue, adding an important dimension of participation and visibility to the week.
For Badminton Ireland, it is a chance not only to stage a major international tournament but also to bring the sport to a new audience of young people and to show the pathway that can exist from first experience through to elite international competition.
Irish interest will be centred on Dean McCarthy, who is listed in the Men’s Singles WH1 main draw, and Neil Joisce, who is listed in the Men’s Singles SL4 main draw. Chris Stewart and Michael Smith are also among the Irish names included in the wider entry list.
McCarthy’s story is one of the strongest Irish narratives around the event. Having previously played wheelchair basketball, he has transitioned into Para badminton and is now targeting Brisbane 2032 as the point at which he hopes to fulfil his potential as a Paralympic athlete of the highest standing.
The British & Irish Para Badminton International is being hosted in Ireland for the second time, following its successful staging in 2022. The competition is supported through the 4 Nations partnership involving Badminton Ireland, Badminton England, Badminton Scotland and Badminton Wales.
That collaboration reflects the growing strength of Para badminton across these islands and gives Ireland an opportunity to position itself as a credible host of major international events in the sport. It also comes at an important time for badminton in Ireland, with the sport looking ahead to the development of the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus, a project formally launched by the Government and Sport Ireland in December 2025.
Supporters can attend free of charge from Wednesday to Friday, with general admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday priced at €5 and under-14s admitted free throughout the event. Matches will also be livestreamed during the week on BWF TV and the Badminton Ireland YouTube channel.
The finals will take place on Sunday, June 28th, followed by the medal ceremony, closing out five days in which Dublin will host some of the best Para badminton players in the world and, perhaps just as importantly, introduce hundreds of young people to a sport with growing reach, ambition and Irish potential.
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