# Ireland at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Ireland competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom from August 29 to September 9, 2012. There are 49 participants representing Ireland at the games, competing across ten sports.
These were the best Paralympics for Ireland since 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea winning 13 gold, 11 silver, and 18 bronze. For its efforts the Team was presented with a People of the Year Award in September 2012.

## Medallists

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
| Gold | Bethany Firth | Swimming | Women's 100 metre backstroke S14 | 31 August |
| Gold | Darragh McDonald | Swimming | Men's 400 metre freestyle S6 | 1 September |
| Gold | Jason Smyth | Athletics | Men's 100 metres T13 | 1 September |
| Gold | Michael McKillop | Athletics | Men's 800 metres T37 | 1 September |
| Gold | Michael McKillop | Athletics | Men's 1500 metres T37 | 3 September |
| Gold | Mark Rohan | Cycling | Men's road time trial H1 | 5 September |
| Gold | Mark Rohan | Cycling | Men's road race H1 | 7 September |
| Gold | Jason Smyth | Athletics | Men's 200 metres T13 | 7 September |
| Silver | Catherine Walsh Francine Meehan (pilot) | Cycling | Women's Ind B Pursuit | 2 September |
| Silver | Helen Kearney on Mister Cool | Equestrian | Ind. Championship Test - Grade Ia | 2 September |
| Silver | Catherine O'Neil | Athletics | Women's discus F51/52 | 7 September |
| Bronze | Team Ireland | Equestrian | Mixed Team Championship | 2 September |
| Bronze | Helen Kearney on Mister Cool | Equestrian | Individual freestyle test grade Ia | 4 September |
| Bronze | Orla Barry | Athletics | Women's Discus Throw F57/58 | 4 September |
| Bronze | James Brown Damien Shaw (pilot) | Cycling | Men's road time trial B | 5 September |
| Bronze | Catherine Walsh Francine Meehan (pilot) | Cycling | Women's road time trial B | 5 September |
Medals by sport :
| Sport | | | | Total |
| Athletics | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Cycling | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Equestrian | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Swimming | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 8 | 3 | 5 | 16 |

## Key Moments

On 1 September, Paralympics Ireland celebrated one of their most successful days at any Paralympic Games by earning three gold medals. Of these gold medals, two were world record breaking performances. Jason Smyth retained his Men's 100 metres T13 title, by breaking his own world record with a time of 10.46 seconds, making him the fastest Paralympian in the world over 100 metres. The same day, Michael McKillop set a new world best of 1.57.22 in the Men's 800 metres T32 race, also retaining his win in Beijing. On 2 September, Catherine Walsh accompanied by pilot Francine Meehan, won Paralympics Ireland's first ever cycling medal of any colour at the Paralympic Games.

## Boccia
### Individual events

| Athlete | Event | Seeding matches | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank |
| Roberta Connolly | Mixed individual BC2 | Bye | Mezik (SVK) L 2-5 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Tom Leahy | Mixed individual BC2 | Bye | Valente (POR) L 1-6 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Johnny Cronin | Mixed individual BC3 | Taha (SIN) W 6-4 | — | Taha (SIN) L 1-7 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |

### Pairs and team events

| Athlete | Event | Pool matches | Pool matches | Pool matches | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank |
| Roberta Connolly Tom Leahy Padraic Moran Gabriel Shelly | Team BC1-2 | South Korea (KOR) L 3-14 | Brazil (BRA) L 2-11 | 3 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |

## Equestrian
### Individual

| Athlete | Horse | Event | Total | Total |
| Athlete | Horse | Event | Score | Rank |
| Eilish Byrne | Youri | Ind. champ. test grade II | 73.429 | 5 |
| Eilish Byrne | Youri | Ind. freestyle test grade II | 75.250 | 4 |
| James Dwyer | Orlando | Ind. champ. test grade IV | 68.516 | 6 |
| James Dwyer | Orlando | Ind. freestyle test grade IV | 74.400 | 6 |
| Helen Kearney | Mister Cool | Ind. champ. test grade Ia | 76.700 | |
| Helen Kearney | Mister Cool | Ind. freestyle test grade Ia | 78.450 | |
| Geraldine Savage | Blues Tip Top Too | Ind. champ. test grade Ia | 68.800 | 7 |
| Geraldine Savage | Blues Tip Top Too | Ind. freestyle test grade Ia | 72.300 | 5 |

### Team

| Athlete | Horse | Event | Individual Score | Individual Score | Individual Score | Total | Total |
| Athlete | Horse | Event | TT | CT | Total | Score | Rank |
| Eilish Byrne | See above | Team | 67.714 | 73.429 | 141.143* | 428.313 | |
| James Dwyer | See above | Team | 69.719 | 68.516 | 138.235* | 428.313 | |
| Helen Kearney | See above | Team | 72.235 | 76.700 | 148.935* | 428.313 | |
| Geraldine Savage | See above | Team | 68.000 | 68.800 | 136.800 | 428.313 | |
* Indicates that score counts in team total

## Powerlifting
### Men

| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank |
| Roy Guerin | -67.5kg | 131.0 | 10 |

## Rowing

| Athlete(s) | Event | Heats | Heats | Repechage | Repechage | Final | Final |
| Athlete(s) | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Helen Arbuthnot (cox) Sarah Caffrey Anne-Marie McDaid Kevin du Toit Shane Ryan | Mixed coxed four | 3:33.95 | 5 R | 3:34.85 | 4 FB | 3:36.72 | 4 |
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); R=Repechage

## Sailing

| Athlete | Event | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Net points | Rank |
| Athlete | Event | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11* | Net points | Rank |
| Anthony Hegarty Ian Costelloe John Twomey | Sonar - 3 person keelboat | 11 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 2 | (13) | 10 | 10 | — | 76 | 11 |
* Due to a lack of wind Race 11 was cancelled

## Shooting

| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Score | Rank | Score | Rank |
| Sean Baldwin | Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 | 1112 | 17 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Sean Baldwin | Men's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 | 553 | 29 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Sean Baldwin | Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1 | 585 | 18 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Sean Baldwin | Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 | 589 | 43 | did not advance | did not advance |