Sport in The Republic of Ireland - Other Sports - Target Shooting

Target Shooting

Target shooting in Ireland comprises a large number of disciplines including amongst others the Olympic shooting disciplines (administered by the NTSA), Metallic Silhouette shooting (administered by the NSAI), Precision Pistol, Benchrest Rifle, Gallery Rifle and Sporting Rifle disciplines (administered by the NASRPC)), the Tetrathlon (administered by the Pony Club) and Olympic Penthathlon (administered by the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland), Clay Pigeon Shooting (administered by the ICPSA) and various long-range rifle shooting disciplines (administered by the NRAI).

Ireland has had a strong presence in international target shooting competitions, including the Olympic Games. The Irish Olympic clay pigeon team won the World Championships team event in Olympic Trap in 2002 and Irish shooter Philip Murphy claimed the silver medal in the 2007 World Shotgun Championships; he has also placed in the top ten in two World Championships and two World Cups. His teammate Derek Burnett won bronze in the 2010 European championship, silver in the 2007 World Cup in Maribor, has been ranked 5th in the 2002 World Championships in Lathi and 9th in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and has placed in the top ten in three World Championships, two World Cup Finals, 13 World Cups and two European championships, and he has been ranked in the top 20 trap shooters in the world. Another teammate, David Malone, won gold in the 2004 World Cup in Cairo, and has ranked in the top ten in two World Championships, one World Cup Final, five World Cups and a European Championships. The team has also won several World Cup medals in both team and individual events. The clay pigeon high performance director has also been appointed head of the ISSF coaches' committee and the head clay target instructor with the ISSF Training Academy in recognition of these successes.