Another unforgettable NASRPC Irish Open has come to a close, and what a championship it proved to be. This year’s event was made even more special as Fermoy Rifle & Pistol Club welcomed competitors from around the world for the IGRF World Championships 2026 alongside the Irish Open.

Over four glorious days of competition, shooters from Ireland, Great Britain, Germany and Australia as well as all our other international-born members around the country battled it out across an incredible range of Gallery Rifle, Pistol, Prone and Benchrest disciplines. The temperatures were as intense as the competition itself—so much so that even our visitors from Australia admitted they were struggling with the Cork sunshine! Thankfully, the friendly atmosphere, good humour and excellent sportsmanship never wavered despite the heat.

Once again, Fermoy Rifle & Pistol Club proved to be exceptional hosts. The ranges were presented in superb condition throughout the competition, allowing competitors to perform at their very best. Behind every firing line, scorecard and relay to the stats office was an army of volunteers whose hard work ensured the event ran seamlessly from start to finish. Hosting a World Championship is no small undertaking, and everyone involved at Fermoy can be immensely proud of what they achieved.

IGRF World Championship Team Events

The IGRF 1500 Team Championships, held on Saturday, produced some of the closest international competition seen for many years.

In the Smallbore Team Championship, Great Britain claimed the World Championship title just marginally ahead of Ireland, with Germany taking bronze and Australia finishing fourth. Just four points separated the gold and silver medal positions, demonstrating the incredible standard of shooting throughout the match. The Centrefire Team Championship was even closer. Germany edged out Ireland by the narrowest of margins to secure gold, with Great Britain taking bronze and Australia once again putting in a strong performance on the world stage. Amazingly, only a single point separated first and second place—a testament to just how evenly matched the world’s best competitors have become.

It was fantastic to welcome the Australian team to Ireland for the Championships. Their willingness to travel halfway around the world to compete speaks volumes about the strength of the international Gallery Rifle community, and their presence helped make this a truly global championship. While fierce rivalries were evident throughout the weekend, they were always accompanied by the camaraderie and sportsmanship that make the shooting community so unique. Every medal was hard earned, every point mattered, and competitors were just as quick to congratulate one another as they were to compete.

Irish Success on the World Stage

One of the defining moments of the Championships came when Courtlough’s Eamonn Gallagher was crowned Individual IGRF Gallery Rifle Centrefire World Champion. It was a landmark achievement for Irish shooting. The last Irish competitor to claim this prestigious title was Jeff Kehoe in 2017, making Eamonn’s victory a moment that will be remembered for many years to come. Winning a World Championship on home soil, against such a strong international field, is a remarkable accomplishment and one that the entire Irish shooting community can celebrate.

Gallery Rifle & Pistol

Gallery Rifle once again showcased the extraordinary standard that continues to develop within the sport. Across the Timed & Precision 1 matches, competitors produced several perfect scores, illustrating just how competitive the discipline has become. With margins often decided by how many X-counts in the first or second round alone, there was simply no room for error. Throughout the Smallbore and Centrefire disciplines, shooters delivered consistently high-quality performances across 25 and 50 Precision, Timed & Precision 1 and 2, Multi-Target and the demanding 1020 and 1500 events. Every competition featured tightly contested matches.

Sporting Rifle & Benchrest

The Sporting Rifle and Benchrest competitions continued to attract strong entries and excellent performances across all classes. Competitors demonstrated remarkable consistency despite the challenging temperatures, with close contests throughout the weekend and high-quality shooting from experienced competitors and newcomers alike.

A Growing Sport

One of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s Championships was the continued growth of the sport. An all-time record of sixteen women competed across the weekend, highlighting the increasing participation of women in Gallery Rifle and Sporting Rifle disciplines. It was equally encouraging to see several junior competitors taking to the firing line (and volunteering), demonstrating that the future of our sport is in safe hands. These competitors represent the next generation of Irish and international shooting, and their enthusiasm and dedication were evident throughout the competition.

Thank You

Events of this scale simply do not happen without an enormous team effort. Our sincere thanks go to every competitor who travelled to Fermoy, particularly our international visitors from Great Britain, Germany and Australia, whose participation helped make this a truly memorable World Championship. A special word of thanks must also go to every volunteer, range officer, statistician, scorer and helper who gave their time throughout the four days. Another word of thanks has to go to our team shirts designer, Joanne from Shirts4U.ie and our sponsors this year, Paddy and Ellen from gunshop.ie

Finally, our deepest appreciation goes to Fermoy Rifle & Pistol Club for once again providing outstanding facilities and hosting an event that showcased Irish shooting at its very best.

Congratulations to every medal winner, every competitor who achieved a personal milestone, and everyone who contributed to another outstanding NASRPC Irish Open and IGRF World Championships.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the firing line again next year.

Results

The full results from the NASRPC Irish Open & IGRF World Championships 2026 can be found here.

Queries or Challenges

Competitors are requested to review the published results carefully. Any queries or challenges must be submitted by 10:00 pm on Friday, 10th July. Following this deadline, the results will be deemed final.

Please note that, while every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, a small number of medals presented during the event may need to be reallocated if any scoring corrections are confirmed after review. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation.

Lots More Photos

Check out all our photos from the four days of the Open and World Championships on our Facebook Page here!

What’s next?

Next up is the Kingdom, An Ríocht National in Kerry at the end of the month — no rest for the wicked! If you want to keep up with notices, photos, and future match reports, check our Facebook page, and be sure to join us in An Ríocht on 25th and 26th July.