Traditional Field Archery

Traditional Field Archery is very different from modern target archery. Modern archery (like in the Olympic games, for example) uses all sorts of modern technology to shoot incredibly accurately over measured distances on a level surface.

Traditional field archery, on the other hand, uses traditional equipment in natural surroundings (rough ground, woods, fields,) and a style of instinctive shooting which would be more familiar to the archers of times past. 

There is archaeological and literary evidence of archery in Ireland in medieval times and earlier, but more research is needed in this area. 

The targets are either three dimensional lifelike models of animals, or life-size photos or drawings of animals. We never shoot at live creatures (at least not in Ireland, anyway!).

Traditional field archery tries to recreate the age-old challenge of hunting with a bow and arrows in a safe and exciting way that everyone will enjoy.

Three main types of bow are used: Longbows, Recurves, and Flatbows. 

The Longbow would be familiar to fans of Robin Hood! Its part in historical warfare is well documented, as evidenced at Agincourt and Crecy.

The Recurve (also called ‘Hunting Tackle’ as a classification) bow is traditional to (but not exclusive to) Eastern Europe and Asia.

The Flatbow was common among the Native Americans.

The arrows are hand-made or assembled from manufactured components and are of wood with feather fletching. Many archers make their own equipment, as traditional archery is as much a craft as a sport.