Knights in shining armour: Irish full-contact medieval combat team set to showcase skills

Medieval fight club isn’t for the faint of heart but other than a few cuts and bruises, it is safer than other sports and ends with contestants exchanging hugs and smiles, says Caroline Delaney

The first rule of fight club might be not to talk about fight club – but not so when it’s a medieval fight club. Members of the Irish full-contact medieval combat team are proud to showcase their skills to anyone interested in armoured fighters going head to head. The team are hosting an international tournament in October/next week at Claregalway Castle which is open to the public to watch.

Brendan Halpin, 28, captain of the Irish team, describes the sport as a revival of the medieval foot tournament: “Imagine Conor McGregor wearing armour with a sword in hand, you wouldn’t be too far off.”