Judo club wins 26 medals at Irish Open Championships
Sarah Jane Porter and Oisin McLaughlin underline their elite status
Local judo club Samurai Uladh, based in Moville Community College, Aileach Youth Club and Templemore Sports Complex, had great success last weekend, winning 26 medals at the Irish Open Judo Championships at the City West Hotel in Dublin. The club claimed six gold, twelve silver and eight bronze medals in total.
Head coach, Moville Community College teacher Seamus Gallagher, said he was delighted with the club’s overall performance that saw them land such a haul at a top quality competition that attracted competitors from as far afield as North Africa, Eastern Europe, Sweden and Britain as well as from Ireland.
Local winners included Inch girl Sarah Jane Porter who won four contests in a round robin format on Sunday to win the girls U12 under 33kg class. The win marked Sarah Jane’s fifth consecutive Irish Open title.
Carndonagh schoolboy Oisin McLaughlin won five contests on Saturday to claim gold in the U14 66kg+ division. Oisin has been in dominant form all season, losing just one bout in the nine tournaments in which he has competed.
That defeat came to the number one ranked Briton at the Heart of England tournament, but Oisin defeated him at the North West Championships.
Both Sarah Jane and Oisin are members of the Irish Elite development squad, which sees them attend monthly training sessions in Dublin.
Oisin’s dad Tony completed a family double winning gold in the veteran’s category.
Other Inishowen medal winners included Kathleen McNaught, silver (U20) and bronze (adult); Samantha Weir double silver at (U16 and U20); Ethan O’Kane (U16) and Barry McLaughlin won bronze at U14; Michael McKay won bronze at U20; while the evergreen Manus O’Donnell won silver in his veteran’s category.
The club also had a number of Derry-based medallists.
