You may remember back in September; the Killarney Advertiser published a story about a father-daughter duo who were heading to Spain to compete in the World Jigsaw Championship. Well, Killarney’s Emma Quirke and her father, Darren Quirke, have since returned home from the competition held in in Valladolid, Spain, after delivering impressive performances on the international stage. The duo, representing Ireland, competed in both the individual and pairs categories.

Emma Quirke, a 24-year-old teacher, stunned commentators as she soared through the preliminary rounds of the individual competition, comfortably securing her place in the semifinals. In her semifinal heat, Emma completed a 500-piece puzzle in just 36 minutes and 36 seconds, finishing in a remarkable 4th place.

Advancing to the highly competitive final, Emma faced a new, unpublished jigsaw challenge. Although the final proved tougher, Emma still performed admirably, finishing 33rd overall with a time of 49 minutes and 26 seconds. For a first-time competitor, her result far exceeded expectations, especially given that she was relatively unknown in the international jigsaw scene prior to the competition.

In the pairs category, Emma teamed up with her father, Darren Quirke, to take on the challenge of a 1,000-piece puzzle specifically designed for the final. The puzzle, showcasing Valladolid, tested the skills of the competitors, and the Quirke duo proved up to the challenge. They completed the puzzle in 1 hour and 23 minutes, securing 73rd place out of 180 pairs - a commendable result in their debut international competition.

Upon her return, Emma and some of her Irish competitors established the Irish Jigsaw Association on Facebook, aiming to promote jigsaw puzzling throughout Ireland through fun events, puzzle swaps, and competitions. Emma has also introduced a jigsaw club at the school where she works, encouraging her students to step away from screens and engage with the rewarding pastime of puzzling. The club has already been a hit with students, who are eagerly embracing their new found hobby.

You can follow Emmas Instagram account, @thequirkeypuzzler