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Displaying items by tag: Old Collegians

#Rowing: UCD and Old Collegians celebrated their world champions at the UCD Boat Club dinner on the campus on Friday night.

Sanita Puspure, who has been with Old Collegians for a decade, received a special award. The world single sculling champion was also honoured by being named on a new perpetual trophy for the winner of the women’s intermediate single sculls at the Irish Championships.

coin tossWilliam Doyle, Trinity captain, and UCD captain Max Murphy look on as Sanita Puspure performs the coin toss for the 2019 Colours races. Photo: Liam Gorman

Puspure also performed the coin toss for the Colours Races, which will be held in early March. UCD men and women both won and opted for the north station. Puspure and her family travelled from their home in Cork for the occasion – and then back again, as Sanita had training in the morning.

David O’Malley and Shane Mulvaney, the under-23 world champions in the lightweight pair, and Andrew Gough, a medallist at the same championships, were honoured. These three, along with Shane O’Connell, formed the UCD four which won at the Irish Championships in 2018. The UCD intermediate eight also won.

In a well-received speech, club captain Max Murphy read out the testaments by UCD rowers recounting what the experience of rowing and interaction with their crewmates meant to them. “People” and “club” were the recurring themes.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Afloat Rower of the Year 2018 is Sanita Puspure. The Old Collegians competitor proved herself the best single sculler in the world. She took silver at the World Cup regattas in Belgrade and Lucerne, running the defending champion, Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland, extremely close (.23 of a second) in the Lucerne final.

Working with coach Dave McKenzie McGowan and high performance director Antonio Maurogiovanni, who set a very heavy training schedule, Puspure decided to miss the European Championships so that she could concentrate on the World Championships in Plovdiv in Bulgaria in September. She won her heat and semi-final, and then overcame bobbly conditions in the final. She established a clearwater lead. Gmelin came back at her in the third quarter; Puspure was not for catching. She won by two lengths of clear water.

Sanita Gmelin glum Lobnig podiumSanita Puspure (centre) smiles after being presented with her gold medal at the World Championships. Jeannine Gmelin (silver) is on the left and Magdalena Lobnig (bronze) on the right. Photo: Liam Gorman

Sanita with Dani and Patrick and gold medalSanita with Daniella and Patrick, her children, after winning World Championship gold. Photo: Liam Gorman

The win was a twin highlight at the end of a wonderful year. The O’Donovan brothers, Gary and Paul, won the lightweight double sculls gold in Plovdiv, making history as the first Ireland crew to take World Championship gold in an Olympic boat. They overcame terrible conditions and a poor lane draw to win in the quarter-final. This was succeeded by a semi-final in which they looked tired and could only take third. The final saw them in the unfavoured lane six for the final.

Gary Paul podium Plovdiv with Italy and Belgium 1Ireland gold medalists Gary and Paul O'Donovan on the World Championship podium in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with Italy (silver) and Belgium (bronze)

In a stirring race, the Skibbereen men saw off Italy. They would describe it as the best race they had ever rowed. They were outstanding in their steadiness, and over the second, third and fourth quarters they were the fastest crew. They took over the lead from Italy between 1200 and 1500 metres and rebuffed the charge by the men in blue to win by three-quarters of a length.

 In a first for a women’s sweep crew from this island in an Olympic boat, Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty, the Ireland women’s pair, also reached an A Final at the World Championships. The World Under-23 Championships were also laden with success, with four A Finalists, gold for Shane Mulvaney and David O’Malley in the lightweight pair and silver for Miles Taylor, Niall Beggan, Ryan Ballantine and Andrew Goff in the lightweight quadruple.

 Come the Fisa World Rowing Awards, Dominic Casey was honoured as the coach of the year.  

 In a season of success, Sanita Puspure is the Afloat Rower of the Year.

Afloat Rower of the Month awards: The judging panel is made up of Liam Gorman, rowing correspondent of The Irish Times, and David O'Brien, editor of Afloat magazine. Monthly awards for achievements during the year appeared on afloat.ie.

Published in Rower of the Year

#Rowing: Claire Lambe and Sally O’Brien have been named in the Cambridge University women’s squad for the Boat Races. Lambe, who started rowing with Commercial, has represented UCD and Old Collegians. She competed for Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games, partnering Sinéad Lynch in a lightweight double which reached the A Final. Sally O’Brien, who started rowing in Neptune, competed for Trinity and was captain of Dublin University Boat Club in 2014/2015. She played Gaelic Football at underage level.

 The men’s and women’s Boat Races are on April 2nd. The chief coach of Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club is Rob Baker, the former Ireland under-23 coach.  

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Irish eight which won at the World Masters Regatta at Lake Bagsvaerd, Denmark, have been chosen as the Afloat Rowers of the Month for September. There were a number of good results by Irish crews at the event, which is one of the biggest international events of the year. Among the competitors this year was Denmark legend Eskild Ebbesen. The Irish E eight (55 years or older), was drawn from five clubs (Commercial, Belfast Boat Club, Neptune, Old Collegians and Waterford Boat Club) and outpaced German and British rivals in a field of seven crews. They had also won last year at this level. The crew was: John Hudson, Denis Crowley, Gerry Murphy, Mick Heavey, Colin Dickson, Colin Hunter, Fran O’Toole, Donal Mc Guinness and cox Al Penkert.  

Rower of the Month awards: The judging panel is made up of Liam Gorman, rowing correspondent of The Irish Times, and David O'Brien, editor of Afloat magazine. Monthly awards for achievements during the year will appear on afloat.ie and the overall national award will be presented to the person or crew who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to rowing during 2016. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2016 champions list grow.

Published in Rowing

#rowingworldmasters – Ireland had an impressive set of wins at the World Masters Regatta, the four-day event which finished today in Hazewinkel in Belgium. There was a notable win in the men’s eight in the E category (average age 55 or more) where the Irish crew beat one of Russia’s best clubs, Dynamo Moscow, by less than a canvas - .31 of a second. The strokeman of the Russian crew, Vitali Eliseev, stroked the World Championship-winning four in 1981. The Irish crew was a composite of Old Collegians, Belfast Boat Club, Neptune, Waterford and Commercial. Denis Crowley – who was in the eight – won single sculls races in three different age categories. 

World Masters 2015

The Irish composite which beat Dynamo Moscow at the World Masters Regatta

World Masters Rowing Regatta, Hazewinkel, Belgium (Ireland Wins):

Men – Eight, E (Average 55 yrs or more): Old Collegians, Belfast BC, Neptune, Waterford, Commercial (John Hudson, Denis Crowley, Gerard Murphy, Michael Heavey, Colin Dickson, Colin Hunter, Francis O’Toole, Donal McGuinness, Al Penkert) 3 min 11.13 (1,000m)

Four, coxed, E (Average 55 yrs or more): Commercial, Belfast, Old Collegians, Waterford. Pair, E: Belfast BC. Pair, D (Avg 50+): Commercial. Pair, F (Avg 60+): Cappoquin.

Sculling – Double, F (Avg 60+): Carlow, Athlone. Single: B (36+), C (43+) and D (50+): Commercial (D Crowley). C (43+): Galway RC (S Heaney). 

Women – Sculling, Single, A (27+): Three Castles (B Quinn).

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: UCC gave them a good race, but NUIG/Grainne Mhaol moved away in the closing stages to prove themselves the top men’s four at Cork Regatta. The experience of Sean Jacob and Dave Neale also told in the men’s double scull, with the Ireland under-23 double of Sam McKeown and Andrew Griffin had to give way to the Old Collegians men. The women’s four and double went to young Skibbereen crews: Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty, who are both 16, were part of the winning four and then switched into the double and won again.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results)

Sunday

Men

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 NUIG/Grainne Mhaol (sen) 6:07.807, 2 UCC A 6:10.83, 3 Carlow (sen) 6:15.543. Four, coxed – Div Two – A Final: Skibbereen (Club Two) 6:43.837. B Final: Trinity (Club Two) 7:04.517; 3 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 7:06.357.

Sculling

Double – Div One – A Final: 1 Old Collegians (D Neale, S Jacob; sen) 6:29.50, 2 Portadown/Skibbereen (sen) 6:34.43, 3 Shandon (jun 18A) 6:44.873. B Final: Waterford (inter) 6:46.473. C Final: Lee (inter) 6:48.227; 4 Methody (Club One) 7:10.627.

Single – Div Two – A Final: Belfast BC (A Murray; jun 18B) 7:35.483, 2 Cappoquin (Aherne; club two) 7:5.052; 4 Lee (Jackson, jun 16) 7:49.427. B Final: Clonmel (Dundon; jun 16) 7:49.347. C Final: St Michael’s (O’Byrne; jun 16) 7:48.40.

Women

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 7:08.330, 2 Shannon (sen) 7:12.137, 3 Skibbereen (sen) 7:27.62.

Sculling

Double – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (A Casey, E Hegarty; jun 18A) 7:28.957, 2 Lee (jun 18A) 7:33.43, 3 St Michael’s (inter) 7:43.430. B Final: Belfast BC A (inter) 7:39.570.

Published in Rowing

# Rowing: The composite quadruple from UCD and Old Collegians were impressive victors at Cork Regatta. Commercial, who beat them at Dublin Metropolitan, were left behind as the crew of Dave Neale, Albert Maher, Sean Jacob and new man Turlough Hughes won well. Skibbereen won the women’s Division One quadruple, while Commercial won the women’s Division Two eights in an exciting race. UCD’s intermediates were the top coxed four – beating Queen’s in a good race.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results)

Saturday

Men

Four, coxed – Div One – A Final: 1 UCD (inter) 6:27.52, 2 Queen’s (inter) 6:28.52, 3 UCD B (inter) 6:29.16; 4 Skibbereen (sen) 6:38.0. B Final: St Michael’s (inter) 6:53.83; 2 St Michael’s (jun 18A) 6:39.19.

Sculling

Quadruple – Div One – A Final: 1 Old Collegians/UCD (sen) 5:58.95, 2 Commercial (sen) 6:06.11, 3 Castleconnell (jun 18A) 6:15.80. B Final: Cork B (jun 18A) 6:24.97.

Double – Div Two – A Final: 1 Cork C (jun 16) 7:07.81, 2 Lee (jun 16) 7:14.63, 3 Shandon A (club two) 7:20.63; 6 Carlow (jun 18B) 7:27.78. B Final: Waterford A (jun 16) 7:26.43. C Final: Shannon B (jun 18B) 7:22.38.

Women

Eight – Div Two – A Final: 1 Commercial (Club Two) 6:47.24, 2 Queen’s (Club Two) 6:51.15, 3 Col Iognaid (Jun 16) 7:06.11.

Four – Div One, coxed – A Final: 1 NUIG (inter) 7:15.85, 2 Shannon (sen) 7:20.47, 3 Commercial (inter) 7:21.80. B Final: Garda (Club One) 7:48.47.

Sculling

Quadruple – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 6:51.67, 2 Lee (Jun 18A) 7:00.6, 3 Galway (jun 18A) 7:27.46.

Double – Div Two – A Final: 1 Workmen’s (jun 16) 7:43.13, 2 Cork (Club Two), Cork (jun 16) 7:48.08, 4 Shandon (jun 18B) 7:48.74. B Final: Lee (jun 18B) 8:05.00. C Final: Workmen’s (jun 18B) 8:41.15.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Commercial won the battle of the men’s quadruples at Dublin Metropolitan Regatta. The established unit were tested by Skibbereen down the Blessington course, but won well. The experienced oarsman in the Old Collegians boat, with Albert Maher joining Sean Jacob, Dave Neale and Eimantas Grigalius, finished third. The NUIG/Grainne Mhaol men’s senior eight set a good time while winning the Division One final, despite being clearly superior to their intermediate opposition. UCD provided the top women’s pair and four. The women’s single had a strange set of finals. Elise Maurin won her heat but the progression by fastest time (of which she was unaware) consigned her to the B Final – which she won in a much faster time than set by junior competitor Erin Barry in winning the A Final.

The new timing system for heats worked well and the regatta ran exactly to schedule in excellent conditions.

Dublin Metropolitan Regatta, Blessington, Saturday

Men

Eight – Division One – A Final: NUIG/Grainne Mhaol (sen) 6:11.863, 2 Rudergesellschaft Wiking Berlin (inter) 6:21.173, 3 UCD (inter) 6:22.163; 4 St Michael’s (jun 18A) 6:41.850.

Div Two – A Final: 1 Cork BC (Club Two) 6:15.297, 2 NUIG (Club Two) 6:15.873, 3 Commercial (Club Two) 6:22.777; 4 UCD (Nov) 6:21.543; 5 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 6:40.310.

Four – Division One – A Final: 1 NUIG/Grainne Mhaol (sen) 6:21.603, 2 Commercial (sen) 6:28.590, 3 Carlow (sen) 6:39.810.

Four, coxed – Div One – A Final: 1 Rudergesellschaft Wiking Berlin (inter) 6:48.173, 2 Skibbereen (inter) 6:51.123, 3 UCD A (inter) 6:52.57; 5 UCD A (Club One) 7:09.843, 6 Athlunkard (jun 18A) 7:12.387. B Final: CAI (jun 18A) 8:37.280. Div Two – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (Club Two) 7:06.850, 2 NUIG A (Club Two) 7:18.223, 3 Col Iognaid A (jun 16) 7:27.490. B Final: 1 UCD (Club Two) 7:22.253; 3 Lee (jun 18B) 7:46.653.

Pair – Division One – A Final: 1 Carlow (sen) 7:00.373, 2 St Michael’s (sen) 7:01.760, 3 Carlow (inter) 7:09.357; 4 St Michael’s A (jun 18A) 7:12.590. B Final: 1 UCD A (inter) 7:14.300, 2 St Michael’s (Club One) 7:17.827.

Sculling,

Quadruple – Div One – A Final: 1 Commercial (sen) 6:31.557, 2 Skibbereen (sen) 6:34.490, 3 Old Collegians (sen) 6:36.673; 5 Cork BC (jun 18A) 6:49.217. Div Two – A Final: 1 Cork BC 6:59.537, 2 Lee (jun 16) 7:04.77, 3 Cork BC (jun 18B) 7:06.493. B Final: Graiguenamanagh (jun 18B) 7:39.147; 2 Commercial (club two) 7:46.617. C Final: Neptune (nov) 8:33.443.

Double – Div One – A Final: 1 Old Collegians (sen) 7:07.373, 2 UCD/Portadown (sen) 7:11.603, 3 St Michael’s (inter) 7:13.740; 4 Garda (Club One) 7:15.670. B Final: Lee (jun 18A) 7:59.930. Div Two – A Final: 1 Shandon B (Club Two) 7:30.470, 2 Waterford (Club Two) 7:46.707, 3 Three Castles (jun 16) 7:47.227; 5 St Michael’s (jun 18B) 7:57.393. B Final: Skibbereen (jun 18B) 8:08.357.

Single – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (E Rowan, sen) 7:23.600, 2 Portadown (S McKeown, sen) 7:23.817, 3 Garda (D Kelly, inter) 7:33.333. B Final: 1 Shandon (S O’Sullivan; jun 18A) 7:40.700; 5 Garda (R Allen; Club One) 7:47.357. C Final: 1 UCD (R O’Sullivan; Club One) 7:46.767. Div Two – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (K Mannix, jun 18B) 7:48.270, 2 Commercial (E Meehan, jun 16) 7:54.950, 3 Graiguenamanagh (A Lennon, jun 18B) 7:57.740; 5 Shandon (D Smith, Club Two) 8:00.627. B Final: Castleconnell (A Mozdzer, Club Two) 8:04.933. C Final: Graiguenamanagh (K Scully, jun 18B) 8:05.560.

Women

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 7 mins 6.773 secs, 2 Trinity (sen) 7:13.667, 3 St Michael’s (jun 18A) 7:15.690; 4 Trinity B (Club One) 7:55.210. Division Two – A Final: 1 Commercial (Club Two) 7:32.520, 2 Shandon (jun 16) 7:43.393, 3 NUIG (Club Two) 7:44.207; 4 Galway (Jun 18B) 7:46.857. B Final: 1 Commercial (jun 16) 7:59.867; 2 Trinity (nov) 8:10.273.

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 UCD (sen) 8:25.937, 2 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 8:26.170, 3 NUIG (sen) 8:33.670.

Four, coxed – Div One – A Final: 1 UCD B (inter) 7:20.803, 2 UCD A (inter) 7:24.170, 3 NUIG (inter) 7:28.417. Div Two – A Final: 1 NUIG (Club Two) 8:01.323, 2 Commercial (Club Two) 8:16.833, 3 Athlunkard (Club Two) 8:28.237.

Pair –Div One – A Final: 1 UCD (sen) 8:31.340, 2 Commercial B (inter) 8:34.460, 3 Bann (jun 18A) 8:39.267. B Final: 1 St Michael’s (jun 18A) 9:05.617; 2 Athlunkard (Club One) 9:31.823.

Sculling

Quadruple – Div One – A Final: Lee (jun 18A) 7:10.203, 2 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 7:14.900, 3 Bann (jun 18A) 7:15.943; 4 Carlow (Club One) 7:32.560. Div Two – A Final: 1 Commercial (jun 16) 7:38.500, 2 Shandon A (jun 16) 7:46.817, 3 Garda (Club Two) 7:50.140; 5 Cork BC (jun 18B) 7:54.523. B Final: Commercial A (nov) 7:57.957.

Double – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 7:35.167, 2 Bann (jun 18A) 7:42.297, Skibbereen (sen) 8:12.747; 4 Castleconnell (Club One) 8:14.730. Div Two – A Final: 1 Bann (jun 18B) 8:00.347, 2 Garda (Club Two) 8:12.923, 3 Carlow (jun 18B) 8:48.290; 5 Castleconnell (jun 16) 9:10.130. B Final: Castleconnell (jun 18B) 9:00.677.

Single – Division One – A Final: 1 Bann (E Barry; jun 18A) 9:06.307, 2 Lee (C Synnott; jun 18A) 9:09.533, 3 Bann (B Mullin; jun 18A) 9:20.487. B Final: 1 New Ross (E Maurin; sen) 9:00.437; 2 St Michael’s (A O’Sullivan; inter) 9:01.187, 3 Fermoy (S Bouanane; Club One) 9:19.283. C Final: Skibbereen (B Walsh; sen) 9:41.843.

Div Two – A Final: 1 Bann (H Scott; jun 16) 9:02.560, 2 Bann (F Chestnutt, jun 18B) 9:12.593, 3 Garda (S Kenny, Club Two) 9:20.207. B Final: Castleconnell (R Kilkenny; Club Two) 11:35.533. C Final: Fermoy (A Collins; Club Two) 9:39.823.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Dave Neale had a good day at Queen’s Regatta on Saturday. The Old Collegians man won the senior single sculls from Sam McKeown of Portadown and teamed up with Sean Jacob to take the senior double for Old Collegians at Castlewellan Forest Park in Co Down. McKeown won the intermediate single. The top senior eight were Portora, with Commercial and Carlow second and third. Carlow won the senior four.

Queen’s Regatta, Castlewellan Forest Park, Co Down, Saturday (Selected Results):

Men

Eight – Senior: 1 Portora, 2 Commercial, 3 Carlow. Club One: 1 Belfast RC, 2 Queen’s B. Junior 16: 1 Portora A, 2 Commercial, 3 Methody A.

Four – Senior: 1 Carlow, 2 Lady Elizabeth/Commercial, 3 Belfast RC. Club One, coxed: 1 Queen’s C, 2 Carlow, 3 Belfast RC A. Junior 18A, coxed: 1 Portora, 2 Bann, 3 Athlunkard. Jun 16, coxed: 1 Portora, 2 Coleraine AI B.

Pair – Senior: 1 Queen’s B, 2 Queen’s A, 3 Neptune. Intermediate: 1 Portora, 2 Neptune, 3 Carlow A. I

Sculling,

Quadruple – Club One, coxed: 1 Sligo, 2 Methody, 3 Coleraine AI. Jun 18A: 1 Commercial, 2 RBAI, 3 Carlow. Jun 16, coxed: 1 Methody A, 2 St Michael’s, 3 Three Castles. Jun 15, coxed: 1 Commercial A, 2 St Michael’s, 3 Coleraine AI A.

Double – Senior: 1 Old Collegians, 2 Commercial A, 3 Commercial B. Club One: 1 Sligo, 2 Garda, 3 Commercial B. Novice, coxed: 1 Methody, 2 Belfast RC, 3 RBAI B. Jun 18A: 1 Carlow, 2 Methody A, 3 Commercial. Jun 16: 1 Three Castles, 2 Methodist A, 3 Methody B. Jun 15: 1 St Michael’s A, 2 Commercial D, 3 Methody.

Single – Senior: 1 Old Collegians (D Neale), 2 Portadown (S McKeown), 3 Commercial (F Groome). Inter: 1 Portadown (McKeown), 2 Garda (D Kelly). Club One: 1 Carlow (O Nolan), 2 Carlow (L Keating), 3 Sligo (G Patterson). Jun 18A: 1 Bann (D Mitchell), 2 Commercial (R Baskerville), 3 Belfast BC (A Murray). Jun 16: 1 Three Castles (O Clune), 2 Bann (J Bell), 3 Three Castles (T McKnight).

Women

Eight – Club Two: 1 Queen’s A, 2 Commercial, 3 Neptune. Novice: 1 Queen’s A, 2 Belfast RC, 3 Methody. Junior 18A: 1 Portora, 2 Bann. Junior 16: 1 Portora A, 2 Commercial, 3 Methody.

Four – Club One, coxed: 1 Garda, 2 Queen’s A, 3 Commercial.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 Queen’s B, 2 Commercial A, 3 Queen’s A.

Sculling

Quadruple – Club One, coxed: 1 Methody, 2 Neptune. Novice, coxed: 1 Commercial, 2 Sligo, 3 Belfast RC. Jun 18A: 1 Bann, 2 Carlow, 3 Neptune. Jun 16, coxed: 1 Commercial, 2 Carlow, 3 Methody A. Jun 15, coxed: 1 Bann, 2 St Michael’s, 3 Portadown.

Double – Club One: 1 Belfast BC, 2 Queen’s, 3 Belfast RC. Jun 18A: 1 Methody, 2 Belfast RC A, 3 Belfast RC B. Jun 15: 1 St Michael’s A, 2 St Michael’s B, 3 Portora.

Single – Intermediate: 1 Belfast BC (S Quinn), 2 Trinity (H O’Neill). Club One: 1 Belfast BC (O Blundell), 2 Belfast BC (K Turner), 3 Methody (C Deyermond). Jun 18A: 1 Bann (F Chestnutt), 2 Belfast RC (L Taylor), 3 Belfast RC (C Coulter).

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 Bann, Bell, J View 2nd  
 3 Castles, McKnight, T View 3rd  
 3 Castles, Quinn, R View 4th  
 SMRC, Keating, M View 5th  
 Methodist, Young, X View 6th  
 Bann, McNeill, B View Competed  
 Carlow, McHale, F View Competed  
 Commercial, O Toole, O View Competed  
 Methodist, Ryder Moore, O View Competed  
 Portadown, Martin, C View Competed  
 RBAI, Hetherington, H View Competed  
 SMRC, Guilfoyle, M View Competed  
 SMRC, Kiely, J View Competed  
 3 Castles, Irwin, A View Competed  
Mens J15 4X+ Commercial A View 1st  
 SMRC View 2nd  
 CAI A View 3rd  
 Commercial B View 4th  
 Methodist A View 5th  
 Methodist B View 6th  
 CAI B View Competed  
 Commercial C View Competed  
 Methodist C View Competed  
 Portadown View Competed  
Mens J15 2X SMRC A View 1st  
 Commercial D View 2nd  
 Methodist View 3rd  
 Commercial A View 4th  
 SMRC B View 5th  
 Commercial C View 6th  
 CAI View Competed  
 Commercial B View Competed  
 Portadown View Competed  
Womens Intermediate 2- QUBLBC B View 1st  
 Commercial A View 2nd  
 QUBLBC A View 3rd  
 QUBLBC C View Competed  
 Commercial B View Did not start  
Womens Intermediate 1X Belfast BC, Quinn, S View 1st  
 DULBC, O'Neill, H View 2nd  
 Garda, Ryan, J View 3rd  
 Portadown, Martin, A View 4th  
Womens Club 1 4+ Garda View 1st  
 QUBLBC A View 2nd  
 Commercial View 3rd  
 Belfast RC View 4th  
 QUBLBC B View 5th  
 DULBC View 6th  
 QUBLBC C View Competed  
Womens Club 1 4X+ Methodist View 1st  
 Neptune View 2nd  
Womens Club 1 2X Belfast BC View 1st  
 QUBLBC View 2nd  
 Belfast RC View 3rd  
 Portadown View 4th  
 Castleconn View Did not start  
Womens Club 1 1X Belfast BC, Blundell, O View 1st  
 Belfast BC, Turner, K View 2nd  
 Methodist, Deyermond, C View 3rd  
 Carlow, Byrne, A View Competed  
 Commercial, Edwards, C View Competed  
 Garda, Galvin, L View Competed  
 Garda, Moore, M View Competed  
 Garda, Sheila, K View Competed  
 Portadown, Martin, A View Competed  
 QUBLBC, Smylie, R View Competed  
 3 Castles, Feeley, A View Competed  
 3 Castles, Greve O' Meara, J View Competed  
Womens Club 2 8+ QUBLBC A View 1st  
 Commercial View 2nd  
 Neptune View 3rd  
 QUBLBC B View 4th  
 Belfast RC View 5th  
 QUBLBC C View Did not start  
Womens Novice 8+ QUBLBC A View 1st  
 Belfast RC View 2nd  
 Methodist View 3rd  
 QUBLBC B View Did not start  
Womens Novice 4X+ Commercial View 1st  
 Sligo View 2nd  
 Belfast RC View 3rd  
 Methodist View Did not start  
Womens J18A 8+ Portora View 1st  
 Bann View 2nd  
Womens J18A 4X- Bann View 1st  
 Carlow View 2nd  
 Neptune View 3rd  
 Belfast RC View 4th  
 Methodist View Did not start  
Womens J18A 2X Methodist View 1st  
 Belfast RC A View 2nd  
 Belfast RC B View 3rd  
 Sligo View 4th  
 Portadown View 5th  
Womens J18A 1X Bann, Chestnutt, F View 1st  
 Belfast RC, Taylor, L View 2nd  
 Belfast RC, Coulter, C View 3rd  
 Portadown, Flack, C View 4th  
 Commercial, Bartley, A View 5th  
 Sligo, Dunbar, T View 6th  
 Bann, Mullan, B View Did not start  
Womens J16 8+ Portora A View 1st  
 Commercial View 2nd  
 Methodist View 3rd  
 Portora B View 4th  
Womens J16 4X+ Commercial View 1st  
 Carlow View 2nd  
 Methodist A View 3rd  
 Belfast RC View 4th  
 Methodist B View 5th  
Womens J16 1X Belfast RC, Hobson, E View 1st (private race) 
 SMRC, Devereux, J View Did not start (private race) 
 Portadown, McCann, K View Did not finish (private race) 
Womens J15 4X+ Bann View 1st  
 SMRC View 2nd  
 Portadown View 3rd  
Womens J15 2X SMRC A View 1st  
 SMRC B View 2nd  
 Portora View 3rd
Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Two of the big wins of the evening session of finals at the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre in Cork came to crews with very different levels of experience.

The Cork Boat Club junior women’s eight made a breakthrough for the club at this level by beating Portora and Bann in a fine race. The senior men’s quadruple was taken by the crew of Albert Maher, Sean Jacob, Con Collis and Michael Maher, who held off a challenge from the Castleconnell/University of Limerick crew. Jacob and Maher are both in their forties and have over 40 ‘Pots’ between them.

The women’s senior pair was won by Barbara O’Brien and Aifric Keogh, representing NUIG, while Sarah Quinn of Belfast Boat Club won the Club singles.

The junior men’s quadruple gave Shandon’s young crew – two are junior 17 athletes and one a junior 16 – a fine win over Skibbereen, who faltered before the finish.

The women’s lightweight single sculls final turned into a battle between Claire Lambe of Old Collegians and Siobhán McCrohan of Tribesmen, with the Dubliner coming out on top.

Turlough Hughes of UCD had a remarkably straightforward win over David O’Malley of St Michael’s in the men’s intermediate single sculls, while UCD held off a late charge by Queen’s to win the men’s novice eight.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Selected Results; Finals)

Men

Eight – Intermediate: 1 Trinity 5:46.25, 2 NUIG 5:50.28, 3 UCD 5:56.96. Novice: 1 UCD 6:59.50, 2 Queen’s 7:02.31, 3 Trinity 7:03.29.

Four, coxed – Junior: 1 Cork BC 6:35.99, 2 Presentation 6:36.22, 3 Portora 6:38.08.

Pair – Senior: 1 UCD (M O’Donovan, N Kenny) 6:46.05, 2 NUIG 6:49.95, 3 Commercial B 7:00.16.

Sculling, Quadruple – Senior: 1 Old Collegians/Commercial (C Collis, S Jacob, A Maher, M Maher) 5:59.84, 2 Castleconnell/University of Limerick 6:00.60, 3 Queen’s 6:07.90.

Junior: 1 Shandon 6:08.24, 2 Athlone 6:13.34, 3 Skibbereen 6:15.52.

Single – Intermediate: 1 UCD (T Hughes) 7:13.0, 2 St Michael’s (O’Malley) 7:20.72, 3 NUIG (O’Connor) 7:25.14. Club: Lee (D O’Sullivan) 7:31.80, 2 St Michael’s (P O’Connor) 7:36.24, 3 Belfast BC (A Murray) 7:39.44.

 

Women

Eight – Novice: 1 Queen’s 7:19.74, 2 Trinity 7:55.75. Junior: 1 Cork BC 6:39.32, 2 Portora 6:41.90, 3 Bann 6:45.27.

Sculling, Double – Intermediate: 1 Killorglin (F Foley, M Dukarska) 7:17.17, 2 Commercial 7:20.83, 3 Skibbereen 7:39.99.

Pair – Senior: 1 NUIG (B O’Brien, A Keogh) 7:33.89, 2 St Michael’s 7:42.32, 3 Shannon 7:42.48.

Single – Lightweight: 1 Old Collegians (C Lambe) 7:41.70, 2 Tribesmen (McCrohan) 7:43.80, 3 Skibbereen (Hayes) 8:01.34. Club: 1 Belfast (S Quinn) 8:09.22, 2 Queen’s (Edwards) 8:10.61, 3 Lee (McGuire) 8:39.69.

Junior: 1 Cork BC (O Forde) 8:06.14, 2 Belfast BC (J English) 8:07.11, 3 Commercial B 7:00.16.

Published in Rowing
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Ireland's offshore islands

Around 30 of Ireland's offshore islands are inhabited and hold a wealth of cultural heritage.

A central Government objective is to ensure that sustainable vibrant communities continue to live on the islands.

Irish offshore islands FAQs

Technically, it is Ireland itself, as the third largest island in Europe.

Ireland is surrounded by approximately 80 islands of significant size, of which only about 20 are inhabited.

Achill island is the largest of the Irish isles with a coastline of almost 80 miles and has a population of 2,569.

The smallest inhabited offshore island is Inishfree, off Donegal.

The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing.

Starting with west Cork, and giving voting register numbers as of 2020, here you go - Bere island (177), Cape Clear island (131),Dursey island (6), Hare island (29), Whiddy island (26), Long island, Schull (16), Sherkin island (95). The Galway islands are Inis Mór (675), Inis Meáin (148), Inis Oírr (210), Inishbofin (183). The Donegal islands are Arranmore (513), Gola (30), Inishboffin (63), Inishfree (4), Tory (140). The Mayo islands, apart from Achill which is connected by a bridge, are Clare island (116), Inishbiggle (25) and Inishturk (52).

No, the Gaeltacht islands are the Donegal islands, three of the four Galway islands (Inishbofin, like Clifden, is English-speaking primarily), and Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire in west Cork.

Lack of a pier was one of the main factors in the evacuation of a number of islands, the best known being the Blasket islands off Kerry, which were evacuated in November 1953. There are now three cottages available to rent on the Great Blasket island.

In the early 20th century, scholars visited the Great Blasket to learn Irish and to collect folklore and they encouraged the islanders to record their life stories in their native tongue. The three best known island books are An tOileánach (The Islandman) by Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Peig by Peig Sayers, and Fiche Blian ag Fás (Twenty Years A-Growing) by Muiris Ó Súilleabháin. Former taoiseach Charles J Haughey also kept a residence on his island, Inishvickillaune, which is one of the smaller and less accessible Blasket islands.

Charles J Haughey, as above, or late Beatle musician, John Lennon. Lennon bought Dorinish island in Clew Bay, south Mayo, in 1967 for a reported £1,700 sterling. Vendor was Westport Harbour Board which had used it for marine pilots. Lennon reportedly planned to spend his retirement there, and The Guardian newspaper quoted local estate agent Andrew Crowley as saying he was "besotted with the place by all accounts". He did lodge a planning application for a house, but never built on the 19 acres. He offered it to Sid Rawle, founder of the Digger Action Movement and known as the "King of the Hippies". Rawle and 30 others lived there until 1972 when their tents were burned by an oil lamp. Lennon and Yoko Ono visited it once more before his death in 1980. Ono sold the island for £30,000 in 1984, and it is widely reported that she donated the proceeds of the sale to an Irish orphanage

 

Yes, Rathlin island, off Co Antrim's Causeway Coast, is Ireland's most northerly inhabited island. As a special area of conservation, it is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including puffins, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. It is known for its Rathlin golden hare. It is almost famous for the fact that Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, retreated after being defeated by the English at Perth and hid in a sea cave where he was so inspired by a spider's tenacity that he returned to defeat his enemy.

No. The Aran islands have a regular ferry and plane service, with ferries from Ros-a-Mhíl, south Connemara all year round and from Doolin, Co Clare in the tourist season. The plane service flies from Indreabhán to all three islands. Inishbofin is connected by ferry from Cleggan, Co Galway, while Clare island and Inishturk are connected from Roonagh pier, outside Louisburgh. The Donegal islands of Arranmore and Tory island also have ferry services, as has Bere island, Cape Clear and Sherkin off Cork. How are the island transport services financed? The Government subsidises transport services to and from the islands. The Irish Coast Guard carries out medical evacuations, as to the RNLI lifeboats. Former Fianna Fáíl minister Éamon Ó Cuív is widely credited with improving transport services to and from offshore islands, earning his department the nickname "Craggy island".

Craggy Island is an bleak, isolated community located of the west coast, inhabited by Irish, a Chinese community and one Maori. Three priests and housekeeper Mrs Doyle live in a parochial house There is a pub, a very small golf course, a McDonald's fast food restaurant and a Chinatown... Actually, that is all fiction. Craggy island is a figment of the imagination of the Father Ted series writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, for the highly successful Channel 4 television series, and the Georgian style parochial house on the "island" is actually Glenquin House in Co Clare.

Yes, that is of the Plassey, a freighter which was washed up on Inis Oírr in bad weather in 1960.

There are some small privately owned islands,and islands like Inishlyre in Co Mayo with only a small number of residents providing their own transport. Several Connemara islands such as Turbot and Inishturk South have a growing summer population, with some residents extending their stay during Covid-19. Turbot island off Eyrephort is one such example – the island, which was first spotted by Alcock and Brown as they approached Ireland during their epic transatlantic flight in 1919, was evacuated in 1978, four years after three of its fishermen drowned on the way home from watching an All Ireland final in Clifden. However, it is slowly being repopulated

Responsibility for the islands was taking over by the Department of Rural and Community Development . It was previously with the Gaeltacht section in the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht.

It is a periodic bone of contention, as Ireland does not have the same approach to its islands as Norway, which believes in right of access. However, many improvements were made during Fianna Fáíl Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív's time as minister. The Irish Island Federation, Comdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, represents island issues at national and international level.

The 12 offshore islands with registered voters have long argued that having to cast their vote early puts them at a disadvantage – especially as improved transport links mean that ballot boxes can be transported to the mainland in most weather conditions, bar the winter months. Legislation allowing them to vote on the same day as the rest of the State wasn't passed in time for the February 2020 general election.

Yes, but check tide tables ! Omey island off north Connemara is accessible at low tide and also runs a summer race meeting on the strand. In Sligo, 14 pillars mark the way to Coney island – one of several islands bearing this name off the Irish coast.

Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire is the country's most southerly inhabited island, eight miles off the west Cork coast, and within sight of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse, also known as the "teardrop of Ireland".
Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast, which has a monastic site dating from the 6th century. It is accessible by boat – prebooking essential – from Portmagee, Co Kerry. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was not open to visitors in 2020.
All islands have bird life, but puffins and gannets and kittiwakes are synonymous with Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. Rathlin island off Antrim and Cape Clear off west Cork have bird observatories. The Saltee islands off the Wexford coast are privately owned by the O'Neill family, but day visitors are permitted access to the Great Saltee during certain hours. The Saltees have gannets, gulls, puffins and Manx shearwaters.
Vikings used Dublin as a European slaving capital, and one of their bases was on Dalkey island, which can be viewed from Killiney's Vico road. Boat trips available from Coliemore harbour in Dalkey. Birdwatch Ireland has set up nestboxes here for roseate terns. Keep an eye out also for feral goats.
Plenty! There are regular boat trips in summer to Inchagoill island on Lough Corrib, while the best known Irish inshore island might be the lake isle of Innisfree on Sligo's Lough Gill, immortalised by WB Yeats in his poem of the same name. Roscommon's Lough Key has several islands, the most prominent being the privately-owned Castle Island. Trinity island is more accessible to the public - it was once occupied by Cistercian monks from Boyle Abbey.

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