Excellent medal haul for Ennis in championships

THE WSKF Ennis Karate Academy made another successful raid on the capital at the weekend, picking up four medals at the Japan Karate Shotorenmei Irish Open Championships in Tallaght.
The first success came in the U-19 male fighting, which saw near-neighbours Conall Tunney and Patrick Tierney go head to head in the final. On this occasion, the gold medal went to Tunney but the silver won by Tierney inspired him to a string of victories in the senior men’s event.
Eventually, he was narrowly beaten in the semi-final by six-times Irish all-styles champion Mark Sheridan in one of the best fights of the day.
The draw for the team fighting category showed groups from Scotland, England, Denmark and Italy in the race for honours.
Nevertheless, when it came to the business end of the day, the two Ennis teenagers found themselves anchoring a WSKF Ireland B team that was in the shake-up for the medals.
In a clash with the Ireland A team it was Conall Tunney’s turn to face off against the vastly experienced Sheridan. Once again, the Ennis fighter came within a whisker of the win, with many believing he should have got the verdict.
Despite this defeat, the B team came away with the bronze medals in a very creditable display.
“We travelled to the JKS without some very talented fighters,” said coach John Tunney.
“The absentees are Leaving Cert students and it’s just too close to the exams to be risking injury.
“Still, Patrick and Conall showed that it’s only a matter of time before our guys are beating the fighters who have been amongst the leading Irish competitors of the last decade.”
For Tierney and Tunney, it’s back to the hard slog of getting ready for the trials that will be used to pick the Irish team to travel to the Inaugural Shotokan Karate World Cup in Nicosia in Cyprus in October.