Mountmellick & District Game Preservation Association and Gun Club Ltd.
History of the club
The Mountmellick Gun club was formed in the late fifties, early sixties,
and at the AGM of March 6th 1963 the new committee of twelve started drawing
plans that would see the start of a well managed and successful club. With
Mr. R.G. Roper as president, Mr James Furlong, Chairman, Mr Ted Laffey, Secretary
and Mr Tony Lynch, Treasurer along with the rest of the committee, the first
item on the agenda was to seek affiliation with the Regional Game Council.
They also agreed to formulate a proper set of club rules and be recognised
by the Department of lands. It was not until that August that the certificate
bearing the ministers seal was in hands recognising the Mountmellick Game
Preservation Association and Gun Club by the Department of Lands.
The year 1963 was a very successful year in the history of a relatively new club. Jumping forward to 1972 the first Duck pond was dug out by hand by 25 men approximately over a period of 7 to 8 weeks. Work was carried out on Sunday's and pheasant release pens were erected on nearby land.
Not all was to run smoothly because success was to get a knock, 1976 was to see a great fire, cover and forestry destroyed. The latter part of the seventies saw the land purchased by a developer, pheasant pens, duck ponds, forestry and cover were bulldozed flat for pastureland and sold to local farmers.
In 1982 a local man, Noel Deffew, R.I.P., ran for the local Lord Mayor Contest on behalf of the Gun Club. The club was to benefit financially from this exercise. In 1984 the club sought to purchase approximately twenty acres in the lower forest area in Mountmellick and in 1986 the purchase of seven acres in the lower forest area was finalised for development as a game Propagation Centre, Sanctuary and Wildlife Education Centre.
In 1996 at the AGM a proposal from the floor to clean up the Lower Forest because of severe local dumping was passed. Plans were immediately drawn up to take on the sizeable project. Support from the local Councillor, John Maloney and Charles Flanagan T.D. was sought to approach the County Council and gain their co-operation.
This was achieved and with free access to the dump, machinery supplied by the council and from local people (farmers) the club launched its clean up campaign. The local paper, the Leinster Express, was also contacted to help the Gun Club portray the seriousness of the dumping that was practised in the area. With the correspondence behind and the machinery and members ready, March 30th started the clean up. It took two Saturdays and an alarming sixty tons of rubbish was removed. The club also sought the erection of no dumping signs and with the same success the council did that. Lower Forest now looks clean, the way it should be with the dumping locations levelled and re-seeded. The club members are very proud of their work and to look back on a worthwhile project.
Club Goals
- The club should do all in its power to preserve game and control vermin.
- To further the interest of members by providing sport.
- When and where possible acquire shooting rights for members.
- Increase the stocks of game where necessary.
- All members shall do their best to suppress poaching, observe annual close season, control vermin and report breaches of the clubs rules.
- Members are expected to assist farmers in every way by closing gates and avoiding damage to gaps and fences etc.
Success Story
In 1998 the club was well rewarded for their hard work by winning the NARGC
"Club of the Year".
Clay Pigeon shooting is run by the association and is open to members of the public owning a legally held shot gun.
For further information on Clay Pigeon shooting please send your queries via E-mail.
