MARTIAL ARTS | Dundalk Martial Arts Club stars ready to fly the flag at World Championships in Austria
Eight members of the club will compete across 19 categories
Eight members of Dundalk Martial Arts Club (DMAC) flew out to Bregenz in Austria on Monday morning to represent their club, town and country at the WKU World Championships.
Bernard Duffy (Executive Men), Catherine O’Grady (Women -50kg) and Eugene McEnteggart (Junior Boys -75kg) will all compete in three different categories. After taking part in the opening ceremony on Wednesday, the action gets underway today (Thursday) with the finals due to take place at the weekend.
Louise Dollard (Women +65kg), Conor Watters (Junior Boys -65kg) and Oisin McDermott (Kids Boys -40kg), along with brother and sister Joseph Cassidy (Junior Boys -60kg) and Maisy Cassidy (Kids Girls -55kg) will compete in two sections.
With months of intense training behind them, DMAC coach Bernard Duffy is hoping that the group will return home on Monday with a number of medals in their hand luggage.
“We have all put in four months of heavy training and over the past few weeks, we have upped it to three or four classes a week. Everybody has put in a great effort and I’m confident that they’ll all do well,” he told Dundalk Sport.
The DMAC students will be hoping for some luck in the draw. As multiple world and Irish champions, the vastly-experienced duo of Duffy and O’Grady will be kept apart from fighters of a similar ranking but in the younger age groups, where Oisin McDermott and Conor Watters are making their debut, it’s an open draw.
A number of parents have also made the trip to cheer on the DMAC crew. Barry and Tara McDermott, Oisin’s parents, along with Eugene McEnteggart Sr and Aine O’Brien, mother of siblings, Joseph and Maisy, are in Austria to lend their support.
“It’s great to have some of the parents with us,” said Bernard. “They have all been really supportive and a big help with the fundraising for the trip. Even though we are representing Ireland, each member of the team has had to get sponsorship themselves.
“It can be very expensive, especially for the likes of Aine who has a son and daughter competing, but we have held flag days, we’ve done bag packing and had help from local businesses so we’re all looking forward to it now,” he added.
DMAC will celebrate its sixth anniversary at the end of this month. The club caters for almost 80 members, from junior to adult grade, and holds classes two nights a week at the Redeemer Family Resource Centre. For more information, contact the club’s Facebook page.
