Culmullen welcomes Kerrie home from Tokyo

Paralympic archer feted by community

As Tokyo was hosting the closing ceremony for the Paralympics, Drumree was having its own celebration to mark Kerrie Leonard’s participation in the delayed 2020 games.

Friends and neighbours in Culmullen gathered with Kerrie and her family in the grounds of Culmullen church after Mass on Sunday morning to welcome the archer home from Japan.

Kerrie had returned on Wednesday after two and a half weeks away, a week in the holding camp followed by a week and a half in the athletes’ village.

“My competitions were over four days – it was great but very hot,” Kerrie says. “Which can create difficult shooting conditions.”

She reached the last 16 and finished in ninth place.

“I’d love to have finished a bit higher,” she says. “But I am delighted with my personal performance – what’s written on black and white on paper doesn’t always reflect the overall experience.”

She was also delighted with the unexpected reception at Culmullen on Sunday, which offered the community a chance to get together for the first time since coming out of the Covid-19 restrictions.

“I’d like to thank everyone for organising it, catering, and all who came along,” she says. “There was lots of catching-up done.”

Local priest Fr Joe Clavin said the community was very proud of Kerrie and her achievements.