David Byrne
Staff Writer
A staggering 40 fencers took part in this year’s DUFC club championships. Current and past club fencers of all levels were eligible to take part in this internal competition. Our beginners gained valuable competitive experience, and our more experienced fencers had pride and silverware to play for, facing off against friends both old and new.
The competition proved to be a great success, and was one of many important platforms for our fencers to hone their skills in the run up to this year’s intervarsities.
DUFC Club Champions:
Men’s Foil: Deaglan Gibbons
Women’s Foil: Rebecca Ryan
Men’s Épée: Colm Flynn
Women’s Épée: Emily Greenan
Men’s Sabre: Tadhg Garton
Women’s Sabre: Olivia Murray
The inaugural NUI Maynooth Novice cup was held last weekend, open to any fencer with two years or less experience fencing. Our fencers acquitted themselves and our club extremely well, taking home silverware in several weapons.
On Saturday only two events were scheduled: men’s and women’s foil. All good things come in threes, as the saying goes, and this proved to be the case on Saturday. Rebecca Ryan and Thomas McCarton both took home bronze medals on the day, whilst Rachel Thomas went one better and won a hard fought silver medal, finishing runner up.
Sunday was a busier affair, with four weapons being fenced: men and women’s épée and sabre. After witnessing the success of our fencers the day before, Sunday’s DUFC entrants were not to be outdone. In men’s épée beginner Tim Porter took home a well deserved bronze medal, and David Byrne finished 2nd, taking home silver, losing by one point in a nerve wracking final. Our only women’s sabreur entrant, Olivia Murray, ensured that gold would be added to the spoils taken from the weekend, winning the women’s sabre event in fine fashion.
The strong performance of our novices at this competition is indicative of our club’s focus on developing fencer’s abilities, which is integral to maintaining the success of our club in the future.
