AIMING FOR MEDALS!
A YOUNG sportswoman from New Ross has taken yet another step on the road to becoming one of the world’s foremost archers having come home with a bronze medal from the European Bowhunter Championships.
Shannon Mernagh was one of 38 Irish Field Archery Federation members who participated in the event which was held in Oberwiesenthal, in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, and in the surrounding countryside of Bozi Dar, in the Czech Republic.
The Irish delegation came home with six medals from the event, which is held every two years. Over 2,000 athletes, from 34 countries showcased their archery skills in the competition.
The championships involved four days of shooting in spectacular terrain. Some of the courses were only accessible via ski-lifts and in some cases participation involved hiking between 8km and 12km.
The competitors had to contend with adverse weather conditions ranging from 26 degrees to six degrees and the courses presented a very gruelling physical challenge as some of the events saw the participants taking over six hours to negotiate the routes.
It was the largest contingent of Irish participants to ever attend the event and for Shannon, who is a member of the Ashgrove Archers, in Kilkenny, the bronze medal placing was not first-time success as she has in the past won a European gold and World bronze medal while representing Ireland.
She has competed for her country on five occasions to-date but as she said in the wake of her latest success, the feeling athletes get when they represent their country is fantastic no matter how often it happens.
‘Sport brings people together and strengthens community spirit,’ she said.
‘ To have represented Ireland at the European Championships gives you, your family, your club, and country great pride and I was truly honoured to be a part of it.’
Shannon is now looking forward to the next European championship, which will take place in Confolens, France, in 2020.