An Cosantóir

July/August 2014

An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.

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An Cosantóir July/August 2014 www.dfmagazine.ie 36 | 2014 DF Relay Orienteering Championships By COMDT DóNAL BuRKE, OIC INF WPNS WG, MIL COL PhOTOS By CPL PAuL MILLAR E mo Court, Co Laois, was the venue for the 2014 Defence Forces Relay Orienteering Championships, on April 10th. The estate house, built in 1790 for the Earl of Portar- lington, proved to be a great backdrop for the event and the grounds, a mixture of well-maintained gardens and mature forestry, provided enjoyable and scenic terrain to compete over. The many civilian visitors to the OPW-run estate wit- nessed over 20 teams from across the Defence Forces partici- pating on the day. There was a mixture of experienced and not-so-experienced orienteerers tackling the challenges of the various courses. An orienteering relay event consists of a three-person team, with each member of the team running a different course. This event had short (2.8km), medium (3.4km) and long (6.6km) courses. The event began with a mass start, with each competitor only knowing which course he was running. Some people got caught up in the excitement on the day and followed the wrong person or punched the wrong control site, but this is all part of the sport, and here lies the secret to an orienteering relay event; focus on your own map and don't be distracted by those around you! The event was well received, with the vast majority of participants really enjoy- ing the experience. The GOC DFTC, Brig Gen Ó'Giollaín presented the prizes to the winning team from the Air Corps: Lt Holohan, Cpl Smy th and Capt O'Grady. The orienteering season is now over for the summer and will kick-off again this autumn with brigade-level events. Please contact your brigade orienteering representative if you are interested in taking up this most military of sports, which helps to develop fitness, navigation, decision-making and situational awareness. It is an ideal sport for anyone preparing for recce, sniper, SOF Q, or career courses. 1 Bde Capt Danielle Buckley danielle.buckley@defenceforces.ie 2 Bde Capt Daniel Morrogh daniel.morrogh@defenceforces.ie DFTC Comdt Donal Burke donal.burke@defenceforces.ie DFHQ Comdt Oliver Clear oliver.clear@defenceforces.ie AC Capt Maeve O'Grady maeve.ogrady@defenceforces.ie DF Rep Comdt Niall Verling niall.verling@defenceforces.ie For those who would like to try this sport outside the Defence Forces, a list of nationwide events is available on www.orienteering.ie.

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