This issue finds us in a changed season. A quietness hangs in the air, a space shaped by the memory of George Shields and the enduring grace of Joan Kennedy-Kelly. We carry their presence still—a warmth that gathers near the fire, a known rhythm on the line where a voice once rose and now invites quiet respect. Their stories live through us, stitched into the shape of our gatherings—laughter carried forward, wisdom resting steady in the hands we shake. On these pages, they walk beside us, their spirit shaping our way. Their names speak from the cover with quiet courage, held there by the same love that builds our circle and holds it strong. That love stands in each companioned step, and in the steady presence of those who moved ahead. Their legacy flows through every arrow drawn with care, every gesture shared freely, every small grace exchanged across this field we share.
You’ll find a new shape to the pages in your hands. We’ve given stories their own rooms, with boxed walls to let a highlight breathe, to hold a thought so it might settle deeper. This is our way of drawing the eye to the heart of a piece, of creating a space where the smaller currents of a story can gather their own light. Think of it as building a house for our words, where each contribution has its own hearth and its own window looking out onto the world. It is a design born of care, a wish to make this magazine a place of welcome, a sanctuary for the eye and the mind, where every voice is given the ground it needs to stand firm and be heard clearly.
And what stories we have to share. The bowstring carries both memory and invention in its hum. We move through time, standing beside Harold Godwinson on the high ground at Hastings, the balance of a kingdom pressing into the grip of a shield wall. We walk the Persian sands with Julian, emperor and seeker, each step marked by thought and fire. We follow the arrow through the rich mind of St. Augustine, where the soul aims with sacred longing, and we meet its echo in Rilke’s verse, where the drawn bow speaks of life reshaped by tension. These vast stories meet the ground through the steady rhythm of our own becoming. Andrew Wayland sits down with Gary O’Mahony, asking the questions that reveal the quiet focus and gentle spirit of the person behind the bow, while Peter Gilmore shares his own powerful story of perseverance, a testament to the strength it takes to draw the string again after life has tried to unstring you.
The magazine travels, as we do, following the paths that connect us. We feel the warm camaraderie of the Dunbrody Archers Summer League, where the woods of Wexford fill with laughter and the sound of arrows finding their mark. We see the joy in the faces from the Red Fox shoot and share the pride of the Irish contingent returning from UKIFAC in Scotland, their medals a bright reflection of their dedication. We celebrate the craft of our own James Byrne, whose artistry finds life on the canvas, his brushstrokes as sure and full of intent as any arrow’s flight. Andrew, in his reliably surprising fashion, investigates the mystery behind sportspersons striking that oh-so-familiar archer’s pose. We follow the imaginative trail of Matt Latimer’s Phoenix Archer, a reminder that this craft has always been tied to myth and legend, to the stories that live in the wild places of the heart.
Within these pages, you will also find a story it was my great pleasure to tell—a full page dedicated to our cherished friends, José and Laura of Clout Archery. It is a piece about their journey, their unwavering dedication to bringing something better to our community, something we have long needed. They have built more than a place where we can replenish our archery gear; they have created a place, and more so, they are the people who replenish our belief in good, in friendship that lives beyond gain, in a decency so rare and so unique today that it pushes a tear from the eye of one who has experienced it. Read about them, and reach out to them, as they surely will reach out to you.
The story of James’s art, ‘Art Stirs Life Into Wonder,’ marks the beginning of a new series, a new commitment from us to you. We want to look closer at the people we walk the range with, to highlight the passions and talents that shape the whole person. We recognise the steady hand that draws the bow also shapes words, carves meaning, paints wonder, builds beauty from wood and stone. We welcome your stories—your reaching towards something fuller—and carry them outward to those ready to receive. This stands as an invitation, warm and wide. Step forward with your crafts, your passions, your proud moments beyond the field. Let yourself be seen as you truly are, and as we are honoured to witness. Your light deepens the glow around our shared fire.
This is what we are: a gathering of voices, a collection of paths. We are the quiet focus on the line, the shared meal after a long day’s shoot, the stories told and retold until they become part of us. This issue is a reflection of that spirit, a testament to the fellowship that gives this craft its soul. It is a thing made of many hands and many hearts, a document of our shared journey. May it bring you warmth. May it bring you company.
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