Tipperary's Darragh Stakelum does his county proud at this year's Blind Golf Irish Open

Darragh Stakelum from Thurles is a Complementary Therapies student in Templemore College of Further Education. Last year he achieved a Diploma in Anatomy and Physiology and Body Massage in the college and is continuing with his studies this year. What makes Darragh unique is that he is blind but he can still pursue his studies in Templemore.

His other passion is sport and he can indulge this through golf for both the blind and visually impaired.

Darragh represented Ireland in the ISPS Handa Irish Blind Golf Open 2023 which took place in Mount Wolsey Hotel and Golf Resort in county Carlow from 11-13 September.

There were competitors from around the world. Darragh was happy with his performance but didn’t make the winners podium on this occasion.

Blind Golf is played strictly to the Rules of Golf. They have published A Modification of the Rules of Golf for Golfers with Disabilities.

This allows blind golfers to ground their club in a hazard and their coach/guide to stand on the line of the shot without penalty while the shot is played.

Each player has a sighted coach/guide who describes the hole, helps with club selection and then ensures that the club head is directly behind the ball. From then on it's down to the blind golfers' swing. There are three categories of blind golfer determined by the individual's level of sight.

ISPS is the International Sports Promotion Society founded by Dr Handa in 2006, funding sports events around the world with emphasis on blind and disabled golf.

Darragh had the pleasure of meeting with Dr Handa at a previous golf tournament in Northern Ireland.