ESPN TIMBERSPORTS

FARMLEY, Ireland — Three months ago, Rauri O'Shea of County Kildare, had never cut a log. On Tuesday with the two towers of Burnchurch Castle shading the stage, the Irish lumberjack took third place among eight of his fellow countrymen during the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Irish Championship held at the National Ploughing Championships.

On Tuesday, O'Shea's third-place finish became a symbol for how just how far the Irish program has come.

Defending Irish champion, County Meath's Wesley Monaghan took the second spot on the podium and Eamon Burke, hailing from County Tyrone, took top honors at a spirited competition in front of a crowd of thousands of Irish supporters.

This year marked just the second year Ireland has held its own national championship.

"I didn't know much about all of this until I came here today," Burke said after first being recognized as the chopping champion.

Pardon the pun, but to say the Irish national team is a bit on the green side would be an understatement. Active in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series since 2006, many on the Irish squad are relative newcomers to lumberjack sports, but the determination and competition displayed to earn the lone spot in Wednesday's world championship made for truly exciting action.

"After seeing how far they've come so far, I know it won't be too long before Ireland is right there at the top of the sport," ESPN host Tommy Sanders said before the crowd assembled.

Training hard since June 29 of 2007, when the team held its first camp, grueling sessions have been the norm, including several trips to other countries where lumberjack sports are more established.

"I went to Australia and learned much from the chopping circuits over there," Burke said.

"I saw this at the Ploughing Championships two years ago," Monaghan said. At just 22-years-old the former rugby player said he learned a few tricks from watching the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Professional Series on television.

The team parlayed some of their knowledge to garner a win this summer at a Welsh lumberjack competition. And most would agree, the recent win coupled with the exposure at the National Ploughing Championship is helping these eight Irishmen build the sport's popularity at home.

"This Irish team is really a microcosm of what has happened across Europe," Carson Bosworth, competing on Wednesday for the United States, said. "Many European teams began just like they did."

To make sure Alec Spain had support on Tuesday, he bussed in a crew of supporters from his hometown in County Laois. Asked about having time to train when he wasn't working as a tree surgeon he responded:

"I'm single with no kids — I find it quite easy, really."

Maybe the Irish team could have used a little more work on the springboard. One of the sport's more challenging events, the boys from the Emerald Isle each struggled through the course of the event, which included four time disqualifications.

Still, the group seemed undaunted by the challenge of the event.

"We can only improve from here," Seamus Ryan said. "There's a long way to go for some of us, still."

In the end, after the three gold, silver and bronze finishers climbed down from the podium, the remaining five Irish lumberjacks immediately circled the men to congratulate them. The Irish team knows they have their collective work cut out for them, but they also know they will ultimately succeed as one unified team.

Final Irish Results

1. Eamon Burke - 35
2. Wesley Monaghan - 29
3. Ruari O' Shea - 29
4. Alec Spain - 28
5. David Cahill - 26
6. Patrick Henehan - 21
7. David Mullins - 18
8. Seamus Ryan - 8

The Irish Championships took place Sept. 23 in Farmley, Cuffesgrange in County Kilkenny, Ireland at the National Ploughing Championship. Burke will represent Ireland in the 2008 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Championship on Sept. 24.

ESPNOutdoors.com will provide coverage of both events on stihltimbersports.com.