Dublin University Fencing Club’s (DUFC) fruitful year continued last weekend, with the club winning two silvers and four bronze medals in the 2018 Northern Ireland Open. The event was held in Grosvenor Grammar School in Belfast, and featured fencers from both sides of the border, as well as several English clubs.
In the women’s section of the competition, DUFC won four medals. Crystal Percival started the day strongly, taking the bronze medal in the women’s foil competition. DUFC had a double success in the women’s sabre competition with Imogen McGuckin winning bronze and Manon Nouvian taking home the silver. In the women’s épée, Camille Hindsgaul added another silver medal to Trinity’s tally.
In the men’s competition Colm Kelleher and Alex Reilly both won bronze in the men’s sabre section of the tournament.
The competition in Belfast was a continuation of an excellent season so far for DUFC. Before the Christmas break DUFC saw success in three competitions held in University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin City University (DCU) and at home in Trinity.
Nouvian’s silver medal in the women’s sabre came fresh off the back of a gold-medal victory in the Belfield sabre competition, which took place in UCD last month.
McGuckin’s bronze in the women’s sabre was her second in as many months after placing third in the Belfield Sabre in UCD. McGuckin also represented Ireland women’s team in the Five Nations Fencing Competition in late November, along with Percival, Tadhg Garton and Lucy Johnson. Garton and Johnson, who lined out in the men’s sabre and women’s épée respectively at the Five Nations Competition, did not feature in Belfast at the weekend.
DUFC’s members will look to continue in the same vein as their promising start to 2018, further cementing the club’s reputation as one of the most successful on campus.
