National Federation for Shotgun Events
Irish Clay Target Shooting Association
Conor Mooney
Forest View
Birr
Co Offaly
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.icpsa.ie/
National Federation for Pistol & Rifle Events
Target Shooting Ireland CLG
86 Hillside
Greystones
Co. Wicklow
Contact: Joe Kinane, Honorary Secretary
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.targetshooting.ie/
History in the Olympics
The first World Shooting Championships were fired in Lyons, France, in 1987. The local shooting club organized the international 300 meter rifle match to celebrate it’s 25th anniversary. Women’s events first appeared at the 1958 Championship event. Today, World Championships for men and women in all disciplines are held every four years.
French nobleman Baron Pierre de Coubertin orchestrated the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens, Greece. It began with nine competitive sports, including shooting. A former French pistol champion, de Coubertin supported the inclusion of four pistol and two high-power rifle events on the Olympic program.
Shooting events have been a part of all the Olympic Games except the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri, and the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Individual and team events were fired until 1948, when team contests were eliminated by the Union Internationale de Tiro (UIT).
The number of Olympic shooting events has ranged from a low of two at the 1932 Los Angeles to a high of 21 events in Atwerp in 1920. Beginning in 2008 at the Beijing Olympic Games, the Olympic program now includes 15 events: six for women and nine for men. The athletes are divided into shotgun, rifle and pistol disciplines.
What are the shooting disciplines
Shooting is made up of Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun competitions.
In Pistol and Rifle events, competitors fire bullets at a target from a set distance.
They score points according to the accuracy of their shots. The targets consist of 10 rings, with a ‘bullseye’ at the centre that counts for 10.9 points in Olympic finals.
Pistol targets are either fixed at 50m and 10m, or turn to set time sequences at 25m.
In the Shotgun event, competitors fire lead pellets (‘shot’) at moving clay targets. These are launched from different directions, and in random sequences.
How too get involved in shooting sports
Shooting sports have a long history in Ireland and the Olympic shooting sports have a range of clubs throughout Ireland specialising in either the Rifle/Pistol or Clay Target events.
Internationally, the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) is the world governing body for the Olympic Shooting Sports.
In Ireland, the National Target Shooting Association represent the rifle and pistol disciplines whilst the Irish Clay Pigeon Shooting Association represent the clay target events. Both associations are active members of the ISSF and regularly hold coaching and introductory days for beginners.
