{{Short description|Northern Irish international badminton player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Use British English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Jayne Plunkett | image = | image_size = <!--Only for images narrower than 220 pixels.--> | caption = | nationality = British (Northern Irish) | birth_date = 10 August 1971<ref name=ISN>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004162/19961214/072/0009 |title=Jayne eyes an Irish recall |work=Ireland's Saturday Night |p=9 |date= 14 December 1996 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> | birth_place = Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Badminton | club = Alpha BC, Lisburn | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry| {{NIR}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Irish Nationals}} {{MedalGold|1995, 1998|women's doubles}} {{MedalGold|1998–2001|mixed doubles}} }}
'''Kathleen Jayne Plunkett''' (born 10 August 1971), is a former international badminton player from Northern Ireland who competed at three Commonwealth Games and was a six-time champion of Ireland.
==Biography== Plunkett was a member of the Alpha Badminton Club in Lisburn<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19960817/187/0021 |title=Alpha discover Euro opposition |work=Belfast Telegraph |p=21 |date=17 August 1996 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> and represented Ulster at provincial level.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19980209/179/0023 |title=Badminton |work=Belfast Telegraph |p=23 |date=9 February 1998 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> and made her full senior debut as a 19-year-old.<ref name=ISN/> She specialised in doubles play and partners included Claire Henderson and Ann Stephens in the women's doubles<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004162/19961005/101/0011 |title=Bruce top seed for two titles |work=Ireland's Saturday Night |p=11 |date=5 October 1996 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> and Bruce Topping and Graham Henderson in mixed doubles.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19931116/602/0025 |title=Graham back |work=Belfast Telegraph |p=25 |date=16 November 1993 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref>
Plunkett represented the 1994 Northern Irish team<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004162/19940604/119/0016 |title=Who's going to the Games? |work=Ireland's Saturday Night |date=4 June 1994 |page=16|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005119/19940614/266/0039 |title=The best ever, says McColgan |work=Belfast News-Letter |date=14 June 1994 |page=39 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> where she competed in the badminton tournament.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3043/48/all |title=Northern Ireland Victoria 1994 |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=23 March 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925162905/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3043/48/all |archive-date=2021-09-25}}</ref> At the Games she partnered Ann Stephens, reaching the quarter-finals of the women's doubles and also teamed up with Graham Henderson in the mixed doubles. <ref name=CT>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005290/19940817/489/0042 |title=Graham faces top class Malaysians |work=Coleraine Times |p=42 |date=17 August 1994 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> By 1996 she had earned over 30 caps<ref name=ISN/> and attended a second Commonwealth Games for the 1998 Northern Irish team<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005119/19980616/305/0045 |title=Hot-shot Bobby misses party |work=Belfast News-Letter |date=16 June 1998 |p=45 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she competed in four events.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3044/48/all |title=Northern Ireland Kuala Lumpur 1998 |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=23 March 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021191346/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3044/48/all |archive-date=2021-10-21}}</ref>
In 1999 Plunkett had 85 Irish caps and was living in Newtownards, working as a senior care nurse.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/sport/othersports/ireland-v-us-in-templemore/27463975.html |title=Ireland V US in Templemore |website=Irish Independent |date=12 March 1999 |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref>
She was a six-time Irish champion at the Irish National Badminton Championships, winning the women's doubles in 1995 and 1998<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eirball.ie/badminton-ireland-national-champions-ladies-doubles-1923-present/ |title=Badminton Ireland National Champions Ladies Doubles 1923-Present | website=Eirball |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> and the mixed doubles in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.badmintonireland.com/page/badminton-ireland/badminton-ireland-history/irish-senior-nationals-winners |title=Irish Senior Nationals Winners |website=Badminton Ireland |access-date=23 March 2026}}</ref> A third Commonwealth Games appearance arrived for the 2002 Northern Irish team<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/2026969.stm |title=NI Commonwealth squad revealed |website=BBC Sport|date=5 June 2002 |access-date=24 March 2026}}</ref> at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005119/20020606/448/0045 |title=Manchester on their mind |work=Belfast News-Letter |date=6 June 2002 |page=45 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=24 March 2026}}</ref> where she competed in women's doubles and mixed doubles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3028/48/all |title=Northern Ireland Manchester 2002 |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=24 March 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018072732/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3028/48/all |archive-date=2021-10-18}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plunkett, Jayne}} Category:Living people Category:1971 births Category:Badminton players at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Badminton players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:Badminton players at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Category:Badminton players from Northern Ireland