Meath"s cool customers

MEATH has produced heroes in a variety of sports from rugby to racing. Now ice skating can be added to the long list of local sporting activities. Two young ice skaters from the Royal County, Brona Nic Gabhann and Ciara Traynor, achieved success in the Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) second annual Figure Skating competition at Dundalk Icedome. Traynor won the 'Advanced Elements" competition while Nic Gabhann was third in the 'Girls Free Programme" against more than 40 competitors from the age of six upwards from counties Louth, Meath, Down, Cavan, Monaghan, Offaly and Dublin. There was a vibrant atmosphere on the day among all of the competitors, supporters and spectators and it was a close competition in all events. In the Advanced Elements event the skaters go onto the ice on their own and perform five technical figure-skating elements in quick succession. These elements include different types of jumps, spins and footwork. The skater does not perform to music and they are judged simply on how competently they can perform each individual element. The 'Girls Free Programme" includes various compulsory technical elements all linked together with step sequences. The skaters are judged on how competently they perform the various elements and also on their interpretation of the music. So far nearly 250 people from all across Leinster have participated in the Emerald Skate Programme at Dundalk Icedome which teaches the fundamentals of skating in a group format. It provides a fun and safe skating experience for beginners as well as more advanced skaters of all ages over a six-week course with new members able to join at the beginning of each new course. The programme prepares skaters for the ISAI"s Emerald Skate Tests which are conducted at the end of each course and, once passed, allow skaters to move onto a higher level. The Emerald Skate lessons are held at Dundalk Icedome on Friday evenings, 6.30 to 7.30 and Saturday mornings, 10.15 to 11.15. Once a skater has completed Levels one to eight they can progress to Junior Skate School which teaches more complex jumps, spins and footwork. Junior Skate School is held on Thursday evenings from 7.30 to 8.30 and on Saturday mornings, 8.0 to 9.0. The Ice Skating Association of Ireland is the governing body charged with the guidance, development and promotion of figure skating disciplines in Ireland.