Kilkenny man Martin Gahan was part of the winning team of three blind and visually impaired tenpin bowlers who represented Irish Blind Sports at the recent bowling tournament in Hampshire, England.
Ten teams competed in the event earlier this month which was run by British Blind Sports.
The winning Irish team was made up of Martin Gahan, from Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny; Kay O’Brien from Wellington Bridge, Co Wexford; and Catherine Leacy from Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. The three are members of Irish Blind Sports, the officially recognised national governing body (NGB ) with responsibility for organising sporting activities for blind and visually impaired people in Ireland.
The event was Martin Gahan’s first trip representing Irish Blind Sports while Wexford woman Kay O’Brien has previously represented Ireland in Malmo, Sweden, where she secured a special commendation for her bowling. Catherine Leacy, also from Wexford, has previously competed in Glasgow, Prague, and twice in Malmo where she has won a total of three golds and one silver.
Each of the players recently competed in the Irish Blind Sports Annual May Games. They are now preparing for the next Blind Sports bowling tournament in Bray, Co Wicklow, on November 6.
“Irish Blind Sports is very proud of our tenpin bowling team and their fantastic result in England,” said Irish Blind Sports chairman Fintan O’Donnell. “We look forward to the upcoming bowling tournament in November and wish each member of the team continued success”.
Irish Blind Sports provides sporting opportunities in a number of sports including swimming, athletics, golf, angling, chess, equestrianism, football, tandem cycling, walking, and tenpin bowling. People can get involved with Irish Blind Sport through actively participating in a sport, as a sighted assistant or guide to a player, or as a coach for a sport in order to help develop sporting skills.
Irish Blind Sports provides support for blind and visually impaired people, from those who are learning a sport for the first time, to those who are participating in the Paralympics or World Games for their chosen sport. For further information about Irish Blind Sports contact 01 202 0118 or info@ibsports.ie
