CúChulainn Archers win medals at Dundalk IT

All roads led to the Dundalk Institute of Technology Sports Centre last weekend, where the Irish Field Archery Federation was hosting the IFAF National Indoor Championships.

More than 80 archers from all over the country competed over the two days of competition to try to gain the title of National Champion. Saturday's competition was a Flint Round, which is a real test of skill.

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The archers shoot six ends of five arrows at different distances, moving backwards and forwards, changing their point of aim every five arrows.

At the end of those 30 arrows, the archers change the position of their target faces so the two archers whose target faces were at the bottom of the Archery buttress now place them high and the two whose targets were high move them to the bottom and then the next 30 arrows are shot.

This continues in the afternoon with another 60 arrows being shot. With all 120 arrows shot, the archers disperse to their homes, hotels, B&Bs, etc. to prepare for the next day's competition.

All returned on Sunday to compete in the second part of the Competition. This time, there was a different round, a Double 30 Round, which consists of two sets of 30 arrows.

Among those competing for CúChulainn Archers were: Aoife McCann, Roseanne O'Donnell, Nichola McCann, AnnMarie O'Connor, Paul McCooey, Alan Convery, Niall Bradley, Fiachra Judge,  Éamonn Rogers, Adria Quinn, and Gilbert McClelland.

The club did extremely well in what was, for some, their very first national competition.

The results are as follows: Paul McCooey, Gold Medal and National Title in Adult Male Freestyle Senior Recurve; Alan Convery, Gold Medal and National Title in Professional Masters Freestyle Unlimited. 

Rosanne O'Donnell, Gold Medal and the National Title in Young Adult Female Barebow Recurve.

Aoife McCann, Gold Medal and National Title in Junior Female Barebow Recurve, her mother Nichola McCann, Silver Medal in  Adult Female Barebow Recurve, Niall Bradley, Silver Medal in Professional Masters Freestyle Unlimited.

Fiachra Judge, Silver Medal in Senior Men Freestyle Unlimited, AnnMarie O'Connor, Bronze Medal in Adult Female Barebow Recurve, Éamonn Rogers, Bronze Medal in Adult Male Freestyle Unlimited.

Adrian Quinn, Bronze Medal in Adult Female Freestyle Unlimited, Gilbert McClelland, Bronze Medal in Senior Men Freestyle Unlimited, and Kevin Navarro, DKIT, Silver Medal in Adult Male Freestyle Senior Recurve.

All the archers then headed north, south, east and west through the stormy weather towards their homes, tired but content with a weekend well spent.

CúChulainn holds beginner courses throughout the year. Enquiries to cuchulainnarchers@hotmail.com