By Jonathan Brown
GLASDRUMMAN teenager Eoín O’Flaherty is taking a shot at glory at this week’s World English Sporting Clays Championship.
Eoín, representing the Ireland Junior English Sporting Clays team in San Antonio, Texas, will compete against junior shooters from around the globe in one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of clay pigeon shooting.
The former St Louis Grammar School pupil, who gets his tournament under way today, has been shooting competitively for three years in the English Sporting Clays discipline.
English Sporting Clays is one of the UK’s most popular forms of clay shooting, designed to mimic real-life hunting scenarios by presenting targets in different ways; left to right, incoming or outgoing, high driven or rolling along the ground.
Eoín was given his first gun at the age of 15 as a Christmas present from his dad Martin, and it wasn’t long before he began practising with a clay pigeon trap on his mum Julie’s family farm.
In 2023, he joined the ICTSA (Irish Clay Target Shooting Association) and began training under the stewardship of Aidan Collins, one of the leading shooters and coaches in Ireland.
Before long, he began competing in national competitions, going on to win a host of titles; Junior Colt Irish Close champion 2023, Junior Colt Irish Open Compak champion 2024, Junior Colt English Sporting champion 2024 and Junior Irish Open Compak champion 2025.
Eoín, who travels to Balbriggan, Dublin, to take part in ICTSA junior training sessions every Saturday, also represented Ireland at last year’s World Championship in Buckinghamshire and Home International Championship, held in Wales.
The 18-year-old’s rise has been impressive, and now, as he prepares to compete on the world stage, he’s clear on his ambitions, as he explained he wants at least a top ten finish in the English Sporting Clays Junior competition in Texas.
His first shoot takes place today, as he looks to make it through to Sunday’s Super Final, which will feature the top five shooters based on scores from the preliminary rounds.
Going forward, Eoín, who currently works as a joiner, wants to forge a career in clay pigeon shooting, and is taking inspiration from highly accomplished shooter Phil Gray, who has been coaching the Glasdrumman native for the past two years after being introduced through the ICTSA.
Englishman Gray has won major clay pigeon shooting titles on the international stage, and after working as a scaffolder for 11 years, recently became a full-time coach, while taking part in international competitions.
“Phil shoots all around the world – Dubai, USA, Africa, Europe.
“That would be my aim, to live off shooting and coaching shooting,” Eoín said.
