The Irish karate team recently returned from competing in the SKDUN European Championships in Nuremberg, Germany. The Passage West Karate Club, under the expert guidance of Sensei Joe Hunter, comprised 17 members of the 28-strong Irish team in both junior and senior categories. Their trip comes on foot of the team’s sterling performances in Turkey last year and in Poland in 2014. This year’s European Championships was by far the largest and toughest championship yet. With 24 countries taking part, there were in excess of 1000 senior competitors and an additional 600 junior competitors. Encounters on the kumite floor were bruising; no place for the faint-hearted. Nonetheless, the Irish team delivered a sterling performance with many only narrowly missing selection. Special congratulations to Paul Lynch, who was crowned SKDUN European Masters Kumite Champion and to Holly Rea from Passage West who won silver in under 11 girls kohai (colour belt) kumite. Brian Mulcahy from Dungarvan also won bronze in Veteran’s kumite. The Passage West Karate Club is incredibly proud of all its team members who demonstrated such commitment and skill both during the Championships and in the weeks of training beforehand. The quality of performance delivered by this team just goes up and up. Sincere thanks are also extended to their supporters and to all those who helped with organisation and fundraising.