Archers Talkin' Archery - An Interview with Grace Brennan

1 – What is your favourite dinosaur?

Gallimimus

2 – What club are you a member of?

Lough Cuan Bowmen

3 – What is your preferred shooting style?

Barebow, recurve.

4 – How did you get into archery?

When I was younger I took part in a have-a-go, but had to wait until I was older to pursue the sport. I ended up getting beginner's course for Christmas, and then swiftly began shooting every week at the club.

5 – Who is your favourite fictional archer?

Legolas from Lord of the Rings.

6 – What is your favourite competition type?

3D Target competitions, especially when there is a large polar bear in the middle of a forest.

7 – What is your favourite shooting venue?

Clandeboye Estate

8 – What is your favourite weather to shoot in?

Sunny weather, (get your A4 pages ready).

9 – Would you rather do archery whilst riding a unicorn or a pegasus?

Unicorn

10 – What is the oddest thing you have seen during a competition?

I tree branch with 'longbow' carved into it.

11 – What is the highest level of competition you have shot in?

I have mainly only done fun club shoots, however I might try other competitions in the future.

12 – What is the best shot you have made in a competition?

I was able to shoot a reindeer [3D target] in the eye from far away (it didn't give me a good score, but was worth it).

13 – Which fictious archers would you want on your side for a team match?

Hawkeye and Legolas

14 – What are your goals in archery?

Overall, I just want it to be a fun activity that I do in my spare time.

15 – What is your proudest achievement in the sport?

I haven't completed many official competitions yet, but I did we our club's Halloween prize for shooting an apple in half.

16 – What is the best advice you have been given in archery?

Don't let anything that happens on the shooting line effect you, focus on your own arrow, and once it is in the target boss, forget about it.

17 – How do you think you would have fared in the stone age with a bow and arrows?

Not very well.

18 – What is the one thing you really enjoy in the sport?

The camaraderie that everyone has with each other.

19 – What one thing in the sport irritates you the most?

Having to constantly pull, mine and other people's, arrows (Yes, Katherine, I mean yours).

20 – What would you like to see in terms of improvement within archery as a sport?

I would love to encourage more women to join such a wonderful sport. We may have elbows that are easily hit when we are starting out, but it is so much fun.

21 – What do you think would make a great mascot for the sport of archery?

A lion, as they work together, but are great on their own.

22 – Who is your most fervent supporter?

My best friend and fellow archer, Katherine.

23 – If you could shoot another bow style, what would it be?

Anything from the traditional category, as those archers always have amazing arrows.

24 – Any advice for girls/women in archery?

Don't let someone tell you that you can't do something because of your gender. We can do anything we put our minds to. You are stronger than you think, particularly when it comes to putting away target bosses.

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Photo one, Lego cover photo, credit - Matt Latimer

Photos, two, three, for and five of Grace Brennan, credit - Matt Latimer