The Best Irish Designers at Roundhouse kicks

David Garavin David Garavin

Irish web and graphic designers can seem like a nerdy glasses wearing gang, talking about fonts and Macs. However, truth be told they also frequently practise martial arts. To blow off steam. At this year’s Irish designers Roundhouse Kick competition (2024), held at St. Laurence’s Parish Hall Kilmacud on Sunday February 23nd, a number of Irish designers broke all previous records. Participants have to Roundhouse kick footballs off polls, as many as possible inside a 30 second window. Here is a list of incredible designers/roundhouse kickers from the Irish design scene, who placed well on the day.

  1. Diarmuid Slattery, New Graphic
    Diarmuid, a director at New Graphic, smashed through the competition kicking 15 balls in 30 seconds. One very two seconds. A student of the Naomh Mearnóg style of kicking, his prowess is second to none.
  2. Colin Farmer, Unthink
    Colin, coming from a White Crane kung fu style background, channeled his hero Bruce Lee to kick a solid 12 balls. Not quite at Slattery’s kick rate but certainly more graceful.
  3. Declan Behan, New Graphic
    The Drogheda kid who is notorious amongst Irish designers for his roundhouse kicking work rate will be disappointed with his third place position. He will have been hoping to kick Slattery out of first place.
  4. Ivan Mato, Elmwood Brand Consultancy
    Iván Mato flew into Dublin for the event. The usually London-based creative director displayed his Muay Thai chops to roundhouse kick his way into a solid fourth place. 
  5. Killian Walsh – Creative Director – KOR & Grandson
    Killian representing Dundalk Karate, where he practices every Monday and Thursday evening in his favourite training hall the Redeemer Family Resource Centre, was very disappointed with his lacklustre performance only roundhouse kicking 4 balls in the allotted time.
  6. Tom (‘Grasshopper’) Gillan – Kooba
    The Wicklow native showed his expertise stretched beyond designing websites and apps into kicking balls. A respectable 6th place.

This is not satire, it’s a fact based report.

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