Trio from Hilltop Shooting Club to represent Ireland
THREE members of a north Wicklow shooting club will represent their country at the BDMP German Open this weekend.
In fact, members of Hilltop Shooting Club in Newtownmountkennedy make up one half of the six-strong Team Ireland competing at the international event in Leitmar, Germany, from Friday, November 9, to Sunday, November 11.
Newtownmountkennedy resident Eugene O’Rourke will be competing for the first time for Team Ireland, after shooting in national competitions around the country. Eugene, who runs AvantGarde Chauffers, has built up his scores over the last year and been selected based on his top three scores from the previous 12 months.
Len Regan has also been selected for the German International based on his scores. Len has been on each selected national team for the last two years and was a member on the IGRF World Cup winning team in 2017 – a title Ireland will defend next year in South Africa. Len lives near Blessington and is the PRO for the national governing body the National Association of Rifle and Pistol Clubs (NASRPC).
They will be joined by Gorey man and fellow Hilltop member Karl O’Brien on the German leg of the IGRF international target shooting competition.
During the event, competi- tors will shoot at paper targets at varying distances from ten to 50 metres; each target has a time limit and different number of shots to be fired. The international competition is called ‘1500’ and individual competitors will also travel to compete alongside teams.
Ireland are current world champions in target shooting in both smallbore and centrefire disciplines and also hold the individual world champion titles as well.
Mick McGrath, chairman of the NASRPC, has wished Team Ireland the very best as they prepare to take on competitors from around the world.
‘ The NASRPC wish all the competitors travelling to Germany the best of luck. It is a great honour to represent Ireland and I know each competitor will represent their country and target shooting at the highest level,’ he said.