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Hosted at the Dargle Valley field course by Wicklow Archers, this event alternates between north and south of the border. The course has been described as one of the best in Europe. Set in a disused golf course, it has the scope for severe ups and downs, as well as long flat shots.

This year after an agreement we had the two main archery organisations in attendance. The course has rarely seen gappers or compound barebow but this year it did. Most IFAF courses tend to be flattish, although our distances would have been shorter than their maximum. Still, the extreme angles they were required to adjust stances, and make cuts, for caught them a little off-guard. They shot well and by no means disgraced themselves. They all seemed to enjoy the challenge. It was a historic day, 24 years in the coming and required a major rift in the IFAF for the winds of change to allow for new horizons.

One of the wettest winters in living memory and a gusting wind left the first day a bit of a lottery and the conditions very slippery on the slopes. The second day was dry and conditions under foot a lot better.

I'll let the pictures do the talking, except to say it's very hard to properly capture angles.

If these don't show up for everyone (I'm linking to pictures uploaded to Facebook, I'll host them elsewhere).

 

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[stevelong]

thanks for posting these up, some pretty good down & up angles there.

 

[Bowcephalus]

Another great photo-thread!

 

[aroadik]

Thanks Aidan, i'd love to come over for a shoot and a guiness, ancestor search, sight see etc. Howerver my inter national travelling days are over.

 

[SteveInNJ]

Awesome course!

 

[Demmer]

Thanks for sharing Aidan! Looks like a whole bunch of fun. I dig the angles!

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk

 

[ROD JENKINS]

Great photo work !

 

[K31Scout]

Lot's of serious archers there, thanks for the pics. Weve got a few abandoned golf courses around here that could be put to good use like yours.

 

[Matt_Potter]

One of these years I'll turn up on your doorstep for that shoot.

 

[Glynn Sluder]

Wow, you guys make the leftys shoot separately together? Not so tricky on the fans, eh?

 

[Mitch]

Awesome looking range!:cheers:

Looks like some tough shooting…..:shooting:

 

[barebowjo]

Loving the Pics Aidan My Andy doesn't look have bad.... but don't tell him that ! It was great shooting with you on Saturday and I could tell you have been working well.

The course like you said was fantastic but definitely not for the faint hearted. I cant make up my mind whether last years was worst or slightly easier than this years !

Glynn, the the lefties shooting together that was just by accident really. We normally shoot the details according to the ranking from the previous days scores. So the 2 lefties had similar score and shot together.

 

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Glynn, the the lefties shooting together that was just by accident really. We normally shoot the details according to the ranking from the previous days scores. So the 2 lefties had similar score and shot together.

That's when we let them shoot at all!!



Matt and others, I think the club, Wicklow Archers, who run the shoot would be delighted to have any international participation; you would need membership of a WA affiliated organisation. While the shoot wasn't 100% occupied both days, initial bookings, by computer for the first time, were 100% within a few days. We had Alister Wittingham booked in for a while.

The next such competition in early May will be a first for the club with two full courses in operation. They may try to make it harder but all they would need is help from the Wind gods. They first day was exceptionally windy.

You might be able to access this clip.

 

[TradArcher]

Wow! Thanks for the pics Aidan… It sure looks like a great shoot…and with great cooperation of the weather!
Tom

 

[ben maher]

Awesome, great pics eh !

 

[beleg2]

Thanks for sharing!!
You shoot very good, how it feels?
Where can we see results?
Martin