Walter Glynne: The demise of Walter Glynne has left a void in a huge area around Tyrrellspass, Co Westmeath, and the claybird shooting world. Farmers, motorists, and sportsmen knew him all over the midlands. He was also a truly outstanding marksman in the field of claybird shooting at national and international level.
Walter was the only son of Walter and Frances Glynne, who had five children. As a post-war teenager he assisted his father in installing wind chargers used to generate light then. They had a bicycle shop and car repair garage for those who were privileged to own a car at that time. This business was taken over by Walter junior in 1966 and eventually became a widely known tractor and machinery garage maintaining the Zetor agency through three decades.
He had a great analytical brain, which was used to solve almost any problem with tractors, cars, machinery or guns. If a part was obsolete or hard to locate, he would make a perfect copy on one of his lathes.
His analytical mind made him a first-class shot; he could look at a moving target and calculate its speed, distance and the lead required for a clean break.
His first shooting record was in 1966 in Garnafeillagh, near Athlone, where he achieved a maximum score of 175 - consisting of Down the Line and Sporting clays all with first barrel. He was involved in the setting up of St Hugh's gun club, Tyrrellspass, where a shooting international was held in 1986. He also enjoyed rifle shooting - target and vermin.
He first started shooting at international level in the early 1970s and qualified to shoot at international level at every sporting and skeet shoot from then until he retired.
He represented Ireland at international level in many different varieties of claybird shooting through the years 1970 to 1985.
He was selected to represent Ireland in the World Skeet Championships and the World FITASC Championships and he qualified for the Moscow Olympics. He was one of the team which represented Ireland in the European Championships in 1977.
"Waltie", as he was known to his many friends, set up a new Irish record in skeet shooting in 1975 by scoring 99 kills out of 100.
Some of his other achievements included winning the Irish Open Skeet Championships four times between 1972 and 1984, winner of the Irish Close Skeet Championships in 1973and 1978, winner of the Irish Open Sporting Championships three times and of the Irish Close Sporting Championships twice.
Walter was a unique type of person. Even though he loved shooting, nature came first. Birds and animals were the love of his life and he always had good dogs. If he walked along a moor, he would listen intently and could retrace every step he took.
He loved restoring vintage tractors, cars and machinery, and his guns were maintained in pristine condition. He had a passion for Browning guns and he always said: "If it's worth having, it's worth looking after".
A great husband to Myra, father to Sharon, Olga and Yvonne, grandfather to Leya, Alex and Kyle, he will be remembered as an honest, loyal friend and whose word was his bond. The size of the crowd at his funeral was a real sign of the high esteem in which he was held.
Walter Glynne: born 23rd June, 1935; died 30th August, 2005