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.