New to Forum/Irish Shooting: Shotgun Cert Details

TCos

Note: I have gone through the existing literature on licence acquisition; however, I haven't found any information on the following bits.

Hello all,

I am brand new to this forum and (relatively) new to Ireland as well, having moved to Dublin from Canada about a year ago, and am interested in getting into some shooting here. As a bit of background, I come from a family of hunters, hailing from the Yukon Territory - so I have spent my fair share of frigid dawns stalking dall sheep in the rockies and hunkered down in a northern bog calling moose.

Anyways; while the flashing red links have been very helpful and informative, I have a few specific queries that I have not been able to answer and was hoping to find some insight into here. After receiving some questionable advice, I locked into a lease (before seeing the place) for an apartment right smack in the middle of Temple Bar. As such, I am curious as to whether the location of my place will have an influence on the decision to grant me a license - given the number of drunks milling about on a regular basis. Furthermore, seeing as I am renting (and a poor grad student) the feasibility of purchasing and bolting a gun safe to the wall is limited - it says a shotgun must be taken apart and stored seperately, would having the barrel and the stock in separate guitar cases with a trigger lock suffice? I would love to do some rough/waterfowl shooting, but alas I have neither permissions nor contacts for permissions, as such I will likely be forced to join a gun club to fufill the "good reason" requirement to be able to bring over a shotgun from home. Any recommendations for affordable clubs near Dublin accessible by bus/Luas/Dart?

Now that my rant has concluded, if you have any other bit and bobs that might be of help/interest they would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

Cass

Firstly, welcome aboard.

TCos wrote: »

............. I am curious as to whether the location of my place will have an influence on the decision to grant me a license - given the number of drunks milling about on a regular basis. Furthermore, seeing as I am renting (and a poor grad student) the feasibility of purchasing and bolting a gun safe to the wall is limited - it says a shotgun must be taken apart and stored seperately, would having the barrel and the stock in separate guitar cases with a trigger lock suffice?

Unfortunately only your Superintendant can answer that question. As with all things relating to the SI (Statutory Instrument) for security measures they ones you may have read about are a MINIMUM level and can be raised at the discretion of the Superintendant. If the security measures you have to prevent access to your home are sufficient then he may decide that a trigger lock and the parts being stored seperately will suffice. Again it is a decision only he can make. I would make note of the fact that "cannot afford" a safe will not be accepted as a valid reason for not having a safe. I do not wish to insul you or demean you by saying this. It is only a statement of fact. The Superintendant will state that you can afford the gun club membership, gun and other accessories so you should adapt your budget to include a safe. On that note they can be gotten for as little as €100 or less if you buy second hand.

I would love to do some rough/waterfowl shooting, but alas I have neither permissions nor contacts for permissions, as such I will likely be forced to join a gun club to fufill the "good reason" requirement to be able to bring over a shotgun from home. Any recommendations for affordable clubs near Dublin accessible by bus/Luas/Dart?

For a list of gun clubs try the NARGC website. If you would rather a target orientated club then there is a starter list here.

Now that my rant has concluded, if you have any other bit and bobs that might be of help/interest they would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

I posted this on another thread and i'm getting good mileage from it. Its just my idea of the basics needed to get a license, a checklist if you will. I've reposted it to "compact" the information contained in the red flashing thread on the main forum.

Necessities:

1. License for a firearm
2. Competency course
3. Firearm
4. Extras
5. Gun Safe
6. 2 x Land permissions (to shoot on)
7. Insurance (for landowners peace of mind)

Extras:

1. Membership to club
2. Shooting buddies (to help you get started and show you the ropes)

Necessities explained.

• You can get the application (FCA1) for a firearms license here. You need to fil it out completely and give in landpermissions, photos, GP details, 2 referrees (people that can vouch for you), gun details, source and previous experience, if any.
• Competency courses are mandatory for those that have not held a firearms license for a particular type of firearm. So whether it be a shotgun or rifle if you have not been licensed or held one before you will need to do one of these courses. Details of such courses can be gotten from the MNSCI website, or NARGC website to name a few.
• Which type of firearm are you interested in. Shotgun, rifle. Look around, or visit ranges to get an idea od the different tyoes and models available. Then shop around. Do not buy from the first shop you come a cross and never overlook second hand. They are often in as good a condition as new and come complete (as in rifle, scope, mounts, etc).
• Never forget if buying a rifle you must not overlook the extras that must come with it. Mounts, rings, case, bipod, ammo, etc are all needed and will cost money so factor these into your budget.
• A gun safe is always a requirement in my book. For a single shotgun a safe may not be necessary however i would suggest buying one anyway. Shows you are serious and security conscious.
• Regardless of the hunting you are doing you will need permission letter from 2 landowners allowing you to shoot on their lands. This is a minimum and a must have.
• Although not a requirment you will find more landowners willing to give you permissions if you have your own insurance. Look into this. Details can be gotten from IFA or Countryside Alliance.

Extras Explained:

• Membership to a gun club will provide you with insurance, experienced shooters to go with and learn from plus and introduction to locals, farmers and hunting in general. Worth looking into. Also if you have membership to a club then the land permission letters from the landowners is not needed.
• As mentioned before i discourage new shooters from going out alone. For both a safety reason but also from a learning perspective. For that reason if you cannot get membership to a club why not bring out an experienced shooter or two with you. Learn from them and watch for how they conduct themselves.

Any other questions feel free to ask and hope you get started. Its a great sport and thoroughly enjoyable.

TCos

Thanks a mill! Appreciate the help.

Cheers.

J.R.

TCos wrote: »

I would love to do some rough/waterfowl shooting, but alas I have neither permissions nor contacts for permissions, as such I will likely be forced to join a gun club to fufill the "good reason" requirement to be able to bring over a shotgun from home. Any recommendations for affordable clubs near Dublin accessible by bus/Luas/Dart?

QUOTE]

Welcome

I don't want to burst your bubble but:

I would imagine that you will find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to join a gun club accessible by Bus / Luas / Dart if you do not have members to recommend you. Most clubs insist on a new member being proposed by an existing member. It could also be awkward / difficult to travel on public transport with shotgun, accessories etc.

AS the shooting land around Dublin shrank rapidly during the boom with houses & roads building many clubs have lost land and do not have the room / land to take on new members.

If you do not succeed in joining a club you need 2 landowners permissions to get licence which could be difficult if not known to them.

Sorry, but these are the realities of the situation.

I live in Dublin and friends of mine have been very interested in getting into shooting but find it increasingly difficult to get into a club. (the club I'm in has no openings - lost lots of land due to motorways)

Cass

If i can make a suggestion Tcos.

Why not try joining a target club that offers clay/shotgun shooting. This will get you shooting and expose you to other shooters that may lead to some informal shooting as a guest and possibly membership to a club down the road. Hilltop or Courtlough spring to mind.

I'm not suggesting this for any other reason other than to get you shooting and obviously cannot give any guarantees that things will work out, but you have a better chanc of getting into the shooting you want to do if you are among like minded people.

Remember everything here (Ireland) takes time. From the licenses to permissions, etc. Be patient and you will get there.

IRLConor

TCos wrote: »

an apartment right smack in the middle of Temple Bar.

You're pretty close to me then, though I'm in a different Garda district on the other side of the river.

TCos wrote: »

As such, I am curious as to whether the location of my place will have an influence on the decision to grant me a license - given the number of drunks milling about on a regular basis.

It didn't affect my license application. It may have been taken into account, but it didn't negatively impact it.

TCos wrote: »

Furthermore, seeing as I am renting (and a poor grad student) the feasibility of purchasing and bolting a gun safe to the wall is limited

If you have a suitable solid wall, it's worth asking your landlord. The worst they can say is no.

Are you a grad student in TCD? If so, you have a target shooting club (DURC) within easy walking distance. €4 to join. Even if the type of shooting isn't your thing, there are a few hunters in the club with whom it may be worth chatting.

TCos wrote: »

- it says a shotgun must be taken apart and stored seperately, would having the barrel and the stock in separate guitar cases with a trigger lock suffice?

As ezridax said, only your local Gardai can answer that. The Gardai in Pearse St are very reasonable in my experience.

TCos wrote: »

Any recommendations for affordable clubs near Dublin accessible by bus/Luas/Dart?

The laws regarding transporting firearms by public transport are pretty labyrinthine. Be very careful about using public transport (including taxis) with any firearm.