A Club That Defies Mediocrity
By Marcin Malek
It took me a couple of days to figure out where to start with this short piece about Ashgrove Archers, so in my understanding of things, saying that this club is something special wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
As many of you may have noticed, there are very few such clubs in Ireland. Firstly, on account of its unique family structure, and secondly, based on its openness (in the very broad meaning of the word), not only to individuals but also, if not primarily, to different archery organizations. And, to put it in no doubt, this is the key feature of this club, that in the wider perspective represents a great value.
When asking questions for this article I specifically sought Diane to narrate the origins of her club and I must admit that again I found myself surprised, for as usual with Ashgrove, nothing fits into the standard portrayal.
And so, dear readers: a long, long time ago, beyond the seven mountains and seven forests…
Here we are! I caught you! Admit it: you’ve probably got yourself warm chocolate and woollen slippers ready, settling comfortably beside the fireplace – haven’t you?
Well, this time it’s going to be about life, although to tell you the truth it sounds a bit like a good warm Christmas story to me.
Thus, bringing reality to life with Diane’s words: „We were with Dunbrody for years and a Friend of Ivan’s offered his woods to us, so we decided to go out on our own nearing 8 years ago. We started with just our family of 6, Robert was too small. Then our family got bigger and after some time several members from other clubs wanted to join us, so now we have 16. We are not looking for members as we were part of a big club once, and we just want to put on shoots for everyone to enjoy without all the hassle of making people help out, it’s fewer arguments 😊.”
Diane’s frank answer led to my next question on whether it is difficult to run a club affiliated with two different archery organizations. The answer, as you probably expected at this stage, again, slipped out beyond the bounds of obviousness: „We quite enjoy it, really. I love shooting with everyone and do not want to take sides, we shoot with All archers of All organizations. It’s not much different really, most of the shoots are the same. At first, when I opened up, some people would not come if the other organization was there, but with time it has changed for the better. We are open to All now, which is great, so everyone has a choice of what shoot to go to, and it makes us busy all year round.”
As my conversant said: „the pandemic, at least in the early days, as it did to everyone else, gave the Ashgrove Archers a hard time, but we went out and sorted our woods. Then some restrictions were lifted, and it got a little better, so we were able to hold Sifa Championship in 2020, with adhering to all the Covid rules the venue was a great success. This year, no one wanted to hold it again, so we decided to step up and run it with ease.”
Indeed, the spirit of Diane’s answers correlates with the spirit easily felt by anyone who comes to her place. This is a laudable and commendable approach – values are rarely found today.
The more I think about it, the clearer I see what drives people to revisit this club so often and with such eagerness.
I have been to Mooncoin many times, and always took my daughter with me, she simply loves it. The best proof of that is the fact that she can’t part with her hat bearing Ashgrove Archers logo, drawn at the lottery, and given to her by Dave Leigh at the Halloween shoot. She wears it to school and for shooting in other clubs. Besides, I thoroughly enjoy this place myself. First of all, the terrain is quite flat, proving to be friendly for the wide scope of age. The woods are dens on top, offering great shelter against the rain, thus making it an ideal range to be shot at any time of the year. On one side of the road, the terrain rises slightly upwards, delivering multiple possibilities of some interesting target placements. As you all know, there is also a great spot over a small cavern, from where many of you have taken epic shots at distant targets across the same road.
The new layout of the range felt very compact to me, allowing different levels of difficulty, which is very important, especially for those who are just beginning their adventure with archery. In setting up the new field, Ashgrove Archers have reconciled “tradition with modernity”, keeping the best of the previous set-up and introducing some great new shots. And to pique your curiosity – don’t worry, the tiny fella you shoot from the platform is still there, and as of before, heroically stands up to countless hordes of daredevils trying to hit him with a first arrow.
When asked about Ashgrove participation in international competitions and their successes, my interlocutor answers faintly and with modesty: Yes. Every couple of European BHC Championships. Evan and I came 3rd in the France European Championship. Shannon Mernagh came 1st. I came 2nd in the German European Championship. Shannon came 1st.
I like the fact that, despite (so to speak) the workload, the team from Mooncoin still finds time to improve their form and to gain medals. Believe me, with the amount of traffic, I mean the frequency of organized rounds, it is by no means easy, and yet we see them at competitions held by other clubs. In my opinion, this is another feature that should be highlighted – an endless will to face any challenge. Which in life translates into a relentless attitude towards any adversities. It is a special way of looking at and understanding the world around us, perceiving and influencing it through empathy shown not only in words but also in deeds. So don’t be surprised if I like this part of the Ashgrove Archers story the most, as it reveals their true colours. Colours of hope and joy, for as my hostess says: “Hopefully we would make Ashgrove wheelchair friendly in the coming future, we are looking at funding at the moment. What we really want is to provide a great and challenging shoot for everyone to enjoy.”
Well… In principle, after such a statement there is not much to add, nor to take away. So, let this be the best testimony as to what Ashgrove Archers is now and what it wants to be in the nearing future.
