PICTURES: Clare Taekwon-Do athletes take home ten gold medals from world championships

Clare’s Taekwon-Do community is celebrating a remarkable achievement on the world stage, as athletes and coaches from Quin, Shannon, Inagh and West Clare played a leading role in Ireland’s historic success at the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships 2025.

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Taking place in Poreč, Croatia, Team Ireland was crowned World Champions, finishing first overall among nearly 60 nations, with an incredible total of 31 medals - ten gold, seven silver and fourteen bronze.

Leading the charge was Stephen Ryan, Team Ireland Head Coach and Lead Instructor at Quin Taekwon-Do, alongside Jamie Williams (Shannon TKD) and Jamie Rigney (Inagh TKD), who both served as Team Ireland Coaches. Their leadership and preparation proved vital as Irish athletes produced one of the finest performances in the country’s Taekwon-Do history.

Taking home an array of medals, their achievements are: 

• Senior Male Team Sparring – Gold (featuring Clare athletes Shane Tuite, James Tuite and Luke Moriarty from Quin Taekwon-Do)
• Ethan Sweeney, Gold in Junior Male -60kg Sparring (Quin Taekwon-Do)
• Bartosz Bartnik, Gold in Pre-Junior Patterns (Shannon TKD)
• James Tuite, Gold in Senior Male -69kg Sparring (Quin Taekwon-Do)
• Luke Moriarty, Gold in Senior Male -75kg Sparring (Quin Taekwon-Do)

• Senior Female Team Sparring – Silver  (including Christine Franks – Quin Taekwon-Do, and Alyssa Wealleans – West Clare TKD)
• Junior Male Team Sparring – Silver (including Ethan Sweeney – Quin Taekwon-Do)
• Bartosz Bartnik, Silver in Pre-Junior -55kg Sparring (Shannon TKD)
• Alyssa Wealleans, Silver in Junior Female -55kg Sparring (West Clare TKD)

• Senior Male Team Pattern – Bronze (including David Larkin – Quin Taekwon-Do, and Odin McNulty – West Clare TKD)
• Oisín Cope, Bronze in Junior Male -50kg Sparring (West Clare TKD)
• Brian Corkery, Bronze in Junior Male -55kg Sparring (Quin Taekwon-Do)
• Maria Woźniak, Bronze in Junior Female -50kg Sparring (West Clare TKD)
• Odin McNulty, Bronze in Patterns (West Clare TKD)
• Jeffrey Lin, Bronze in Junior Male -57kg Sparring (Inagh TKD)
• Christine Franks, Bronze in Senior Female -60kg Sparring (Quin Taekwon-Do)

Bartosz Bartnik of Shannon TKD was also awarded Best Overall Pre-Junior Competitor, a remarkable individual honour highlighting his consistency and excellence across multiple disciplines.

Head Coach Stephen Ryan praised the athletes and coaching team, calling it “a truly historic moment for Irish and Clare Taekwon-Do.”

“To see Ireland crowned world champions, and to have so many Clare athletes playing key roles in that success, is something incredibly special,” said Ryan.“It’s a reflection of the dedication of our athletes, the support of our clubs, and the strong community we’ve built across the county. Everyone in Clare can be proud of this achievement.”

The success of these Clare athletes has brought immense pride to their local communities and Taekwon-Do clubs in Quin, Shannon, Inagh and West Clare, inspiring a new generation of martial artists across the county.