European
Air Gun Championships.
The
European Air Gun Championships will be held this year in Tallinn, Estonia from
1st to 6th March.
Ireland
will be represented this year by Mr. Declan Kelly.
The NTSA
would like to wish Declan every success in Tallinn and would also like to
congratulate Declan on his recent performance in The Netherlands at Inter-Shoot
2005, where he also represented Ireland and set the highest score of an Irish
competitor so far this year at an International competition.
Declan a
member of Dublin Rifle Club, is setting out on his campaign of qualifying for
Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, is currently our top Air Rifle, small bore prone
& 3 positions Athlete. Declan’s form over the past 8 months has shown great
progress, while under the watchful eye, of the Irish International Coach Mr.
Barry Dagger.
Declan
while an experienced international athlete will be joined in Estonia by Mr.
Dagger, who has been working with Declan almost daily. This will be Declan’s 9th
European Air Gun Championships in the Air rifle event.
Declan
has also represented Ireland at many other International, World Cup and World
Championship event’s, at the most recent World Championships in Finland 2002,
Declan recorded a perfect 100 out of 100 on the last string of his Air rifle
match. Declan currently holds the highest recorded international results in
both Air rifle & 3 positions for the Men’s disciplines for an Irish
Athlete. Declan’s personal best score in this event is a 592 ex 600, while in
small bore prone he has shot a 599 ex 600 only last November in training.
But we
have to go back to the European Championships of 1995 for the small-bore
3-position competition in Zurich, Switzerland, where Declan shot a very
credible 396 ex 400 standing at 50m. This Declan says has been his finest hour
to date. With this type of shooting, we can only expect to see good results
from this seasoned athlete over the next year or two. Declan whom is now in his
21st year as a shooter has represented Ireland over a 9 year period,
and appears to be maturing like good wine. We wish him every success in the
future.
Patrick
O'Brien
Chairman.
National
Target Shooting
Association
of Ireland.