#Angling - Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) offers its congratulations to the Irish Home Nations boat and shore angling teams, representing the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers (IFSA), who recently completed a historic double by winning the Home Nations Boat and Shore Championships.
The Boat Championships, which were fished out of Weymouth in England, pitted the best boat anglers from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland against each other. The Irish team consisted of Michael Patton, Shane Gilvarry, Dave Jolly, Dave McCormack, Liam Longmore and Martin Kennedy, and was led by manager Liam O’Callaghan.
Trailing England by 8% after the first day, they all produced fine individual performances to win on the second day, relegating England into silver medal position by 36%.
This year’s win at the Boat Championships represents the second successive win for Ireland and IFI fisheries officer Michael Patton, based in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, the only angler to feature on both winning teams. Patton has represented Ireland on several occasions.
The Shore Championships were hosted by Ireland, and held in Co Wexford. The winning Irish team, represented by Paul Coady, Harry McKee Jr, Aidan O’Halloran, Joe Carley and Alan Mulcahy, achieved five zone wins and a total of 31 points.
The standout individual performances were by Harry McKee and Aidan O’Halloran, with two zone wins each to their credit. Wales finished in second place with 29 points, with England and Scotland in joint third on 20 points.
The Shore Championships also featured a strong performance from Ireland’s ladies team of of Nikki Foley, Linda Manton, Tracey Whelan, Jane Cantwell and Lisa Gormley – who scored 30 points, and were unlucky to lose out to a better-funded and more experienced England team, with 35 points.
Commenting on the championship wins, IFI chief executive Dr Ciaran Byrne said: “Winning the Home Nations double, and the boat competition for a second successive year, is a fantastic achievement and I congratulate the Irish team on their historic wins.
“Following the Shore Angling World Championship win in 2010, this is further evidence of the high calibre of sea anglers we have in Ireland, and of the great work developing youth angling by the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers over the years.
"It is also testament to the high quality of sea angling available in Ireland, where these anglers honed their skills, and which will attract international anglers from all over the world in September, when Ireland hosts the World Boat Angling Championships in Bundoran, Co Donegal."
Dr Byrne added that IFI "is fully committed to supporting this major event, and we wish the Irish team the very best of luck and continued success.”
