#Rowing: The big numbers – up 100 on last year – and good weather made for a successful Skibbereen Head of the River at the Marina. Cork Boat Club’s intermediate eight set a fast time of nine minutes 19 seconds for the course. UCC also had a good day, with Ronan Byrne the fastest time in a senior single. Skibbereen and Shandon also had a set of good wins.

Skibbereen Head of the River (Selected Results; winners)

Head One:

Men

Sculling,

Single – Senior: UCC (R Byrne) 11 min 24 sec. Inter: UCC (D Larkin) 11:50. Club: UCC (H Sutton) 11:58. Jun 18A: Shandon (E Gaffney) 11:49. Jun 16: Shandon (D Cosgrave) 12:02. Masters: Cork (B Crean) 12:45.

Women

Pair – Sen: UCC/Skibbereen 11:49. Jun 18A: Shandon 13:33.

Head Two

Men

Four – Sen: Shandon 10.15. Sen, coxed: Skibbereen 10:46. Club One, coxed: Cork 11:10. Jun 18, coxed: Shandon 10:56. Jun 16, coxed: Shandon 11:35. Masters, coxed: Muckross B 11:14.

Women

Eight – Club One: UCC 11:07

Sculling, Double – Sen: Skibbereen 12:08. Inter: Cork A 12:21. Jun 18A: Workman’s 12:10. Jun 16: Lee 12:27.

Head Three

Men

Sculling, Quad – Sen: UCC 9:54. Inter: St Michael’s 10:29. Jun 18A: Shandon 9:58. Jun 16, coxed: Skibbereen 11:20.

Women

Sculling

Single – Inter: Skibbereen (E Hegarty) 12:46. Club One: Workman’s (S Burns) 13:09. Jun 18: Workman’s (C Browne) 12:52. Jun 16: Muckross (N Coffey) 14:23.  

Head Four

Men,

Eight – Sen: UCC 9:34. Inter: Cork 9:19. Club One: Cork 10:00. Jun 18: Cork 11:00.

Sculling, Double – Club One: Shandon A 11:16. Jun 18A: Lee 10:55. Jun 16: Shandon 10:24.

Women

Four – Sen: Skibbereen 11:43. Inter: Shandon 11:55.

Head Five

Men

Pair – Sen: Skibbereen 11:06. Inter: Shandon B 11:00. Jun 18A: Shandon 11:03.

Women

Sculling, Quadruple – Club One, coxed: Workman’s 11:08. Jun 18A: Lee 10:57.  

Rolling Head

Men

Sculling,

 Single – Sen: Skibbereen (A Burns) 11:30

Inter: Skibbereen (K Mannix) 11:27.

Jun 18A: Killorglin (J McCarthy) 11:35.

Women

Four – Sen: Skibbereen 11:42

Pair – Sen: UCC/Skibbereen 11:37.

#Rowing: The President, Michael D Higgins, hosted Skibbereen Rowing Club at a special function on Saturday. “It is an immense pleasure for me to welcome members, supporters, distinguished Olympians, and community neighbours of Skibbereen Rowing Club to Áras an Uachtaráin, and in particular as it gives Sabina and I the opportunity to celebrate with you all today the historic achievements of an extraordinary club that, since its foundation has achieved so much,” the president said.

#Rowing: Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan took second in the Championship Doubles at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. The Skibbereen men pushed hard to close the gap on the first crew off, Penn Athletic Club, but the Americans won, by a very small margin.   

Shannon won the Masters (40+) eights. The crew is a set of rowers who compete for the Limerick club to commemorate adventurer Eddie Crean, who died in a cycling accident in 2014.

 Sanita Puspure and Magdalena Lobnig were to go off first in the women’s Championship Doubles, but they scratched. Puspure partnered Carling Zeeman in the double which finished fourth.  

 There was big news in the men's lightweight double: Jeremie Azou of France has announced his retirement. Azou partnered Pierre Houin to take gold in the Olympic Games - ahead of Gary and Paul O'Donovan.

Head of the Charles Regatta, Boston, Saturday (Unofficial; Irish interest)

Men

Masters Eights (40+): 1 Shannon 15:01

Championships Doubles: 1 Penn AC (J Keen, A Frid) 16 min 35.304, 2 Skibbereen (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 16:35.428; 7 Skibbereen (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 17:15.333.

#Rowing: Ireland have qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s double sculls at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Trakai, Lithuania. Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen finished third in their quarter-final. Canada, who led from the early stages, won well. Ireland had tracked them, holding second from before halfway until the final stages when the Netherlands got ahead of them.  

World Rowing Junior Championships, Trakai, Lithuania, Day Three (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Quarter-Final Three (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Canada 7:23.78, 2 Netherlands 7:29.52, 3 Ireland (A Casey, M Cremen) 7:30.27; 4 Austria 7:33.56, 5 New Zealand 7:36.51, 6 Estonia 7:52.65.

#Rowing: Skibbereen took two titles and NUIG took three from the second set of finals on the third day of the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre.

Gary O’Donovan and Denise Walsh had very easy wins in the bright sunshine in the finals of the lightweight single sculls. NUIG’s victories – which bring them to eight so far – came in the men’s intermediate pair, where they were tested by Shandon; the women’s intermediate coxed four and the men’s club coxed four.

NUIG celebrate after beating Shandon in the intermediate men's pair

Eliza O’Reilly and Gill McGirr have been the best junior pair in the country this year and the Fermoy crew proved it with their convincing win. Daire Lynch was similarly emphatic as he took the intermediate single sculls title for Clonmel.

Fermoy on their way to winning the women's junior pair

Rory Quinn and Oisin Clune of Three Castles added another win to the one they had earlier taken in the junior quadruple when they won the junior double.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Day Three (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Novice: Queen’s 6:21.56.

Four – Club, coxed: NUIG A 6:43.38.

Pair – Inter: NUIG 6:56.09

Sculling, Quadruple – Junior: 1 Three Castles 6:21.53, 2 Shandon 6:22.75, 3 Clonmel 6:23.05.

Double – Junior: Three Castles A 6:50.22.

Single – Lightweight: Skibbereen (G O’Donovan) 7:22.32. Inter: Clonmel (D Lynch) 7:10.25.

Women

Four – Inter, coxed: NUIG 7:23.65.

Pair – Senior: UCD (A Crowley, E Lambe) 7:37.41. Junior: Fermoy 7:53.37.

Sculling, Single – Senior: Old Collegians (S Pupsure) 8:02.64. Lightweight: Skibbereen (D Walsh) 8:09.96. Club One: Carlow (C Nolan) 8:15.22.

#Rowing: On a morning of clear victories, David Higgins of Presentation Boat Club, Cork, had to battle to see off Luke Hayes-Nally of Shandon to take the Club Singles title at the National Rowing Centre.

The other wins in the Saturday morning session of the Irish Rowing Championships followed the pattern of one crew gaining an early lead and winning well. Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll in the pair; NUIG in the women’s novice eight; Enniskillen in the men’s junior coxed four and Cork Boat Club’s Lisa Dilleen and Chloe Mehigan in the women’s intermediate double all came home well clear of the field.

Hannah Scott made her move so early that she had three-quarters of the junior single sculls final as clear leader. Margaret Cremen held off Aoife Casey for second.

The men’s intermediate eight final was a UCD affair – their A crew beat their B crew in a tight finish.

Irish Rowing Championships, Day Two (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Intermediate: UCD 5:50.02.

Four – Junior, coxed: Enniskillen 6:22.94.

Pair – Senior: Skibbereen 6:59.69.

Sculling, Single – Club: Cork (D Higgins) 7:26.59.

Women

Eight – Novice: NUIG 6:38.95.

Sculling, Double – Intermediate: Cork 7:09.95.

Single – Junior: Bann (H Scott) 7:41.22.

#Rowing: Skibbereen added four titles to their already weighty tally on the first day of the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre today. Paul O’Donovan won the senior single sculls and teamed up with Mark O’Donovan, Shane O’Driscoll and his brother Gary in the senior four – both were done in new record times for the course. Paul and Gary also won the senior doubles. The Skibbereen women’s four also won well, in a new best time for the course.

NUIG also took four titles: the men’s intermediate coxed four and club eight and the women’s club coxed four and novice coxed quadruple.

Cork Boat Club proved best in the women’s intermediate eight and also won perhaps the best race of the day: Barry O’Flynn was severely tested by Jack Dorney in the junior single sculls but fought back after being passed and won by a length.

The Old Collegians victory in the women’s senior double was straightforward: Sanita Puspure and Claire Lambe were by far the best crew.

This was the last final of the day, while UCC had won the first, taking the men’s novice coxed quadruple.

Neptune and St Joseph’s tried to rein them in, but the men’s junior eights final was a surprsingly straightforward affair for winners Enniskillen, who also won the women’s junior four. Lee’s Margaret Cremen and Aoife Lynch were also in control in the women’s junior double, as were Hannah Scott and Katie Shirlow in the intermediate pair.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Day One (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Club: NUIG 5:53.60. Junior: Enniskillen 5:47.96.

Four – Senior: Skibbereen 5:55.33. Inter, coxed: NUIG 6:13.38.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: UCC 6:39.37.

Double – Senior: Skibbereen 7:06.89.

Single – Senior: Skibbereen (P O’Donovan) 6:48.19. Junior: Cork (B O’Flynn) 7:04.06.

Women

Eight – Intermediate: Cork 6:22.06.

Four – Senior: Skibbereen 6:40.58. Club, coxed: NUIG 7:10.92. Junior: Enniskillen 6:57.94.

Pair – Inter: Bann 7:19.32.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: NUIG 7:36.02. Double – Senior: Old Collegians 6:59.997. Junior: Lee 7:09.86.

#Rowing: Barry O’Flynn of Cork Boat Club came from behind to win the junior single sculls title at the Irish Rowing Championships in Cork today. Jack Dorney of Shandon tested the favourite in an exciting race – and went ahead. O’Flynn came back and won by a length.

Two of the top junior women were involved in impressive wins. Hannah Scott teamed up with Katie Shirlow to win the intermediate pairs for Bann, while Margaret Cremen and Aoife Lynch won the junior doubles.

NUIG won two sucessive finals, the women’s club coxed four and the men’s intermediate coxed four, while UCC had started the first session of finals at the Championships with a win in the novice coxed quadruple.

Skibbereen called on the class of their international brigade to also win twice: Paul and Gary O’Donovan were untested in their senior doubles win, while Denise Walsh stroked the women’s senior four to a fine win over UCD.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Day One (Selected Results)

Men

Four – Inter, coxed: NUIG 6:13.38.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: UCC 6:39.37.

Double – Senior: Skibbereen 7:06.89.

Single – Junior: Cork (B O’Flynn) 7:04.06.

Women

Four – Senior: Skibbereen 6:40.58. Club, coxed: NUIG 7:10.92.

Pair – Inter: Bann 7:19.32.

Sculling, Double – Junior: Lee 7:09.86.

#Rowing: A bumper weekend of racing is in store in Cork as the 2017 Irish Rowing Championships take place at the National Rowing Centre from Friday, July 14th to Sunday, July 16th. The event will showcase some of the best rowing Ireland has to offer with 1049 crews competing in 264 races.

 The National Rowing Centre will welcome 60 clubs, including Waterville and Flesk Valley, who will compete at the Championships for the first time, as well as a re-formed Newry Rowing Club.

 High Performance athletes including Gary and Paul O’Donovan, Sanita Puspure and Claire Lambe will be among those competing for the much coveted “Pots”, as well as European Champions Shane O’Driscoll and Mark O’Donovan, and European Silver medallist Denise Walsh.

 Three superb days of racing were enjoyed at last year’s Championships, which came to a spectacular end with the men’s senior eights being fought right to the line. Commercial Rowing Club came away with the “Big Pot” in the end after a thrilling race, which saw them finishing less than a second ahead of rivals UCD.

 Skibbereen, in combination with UCC, won the women’s senior eight. That win took Skibbereen’s overall tally for the Championships to 13 – they now have 163 titles in total, 11 clear of nearest rivals, Neptune (152).

#Rowing: The Skibbereen/UCC composite won the women’s eights with the final few strokes at the Cork Grand League Regatta today. NUIG led them coming up to the line, but the winners finished faster to win by three tenths of a second. Cork were the best junior 18 eight.

UCD won the men’s eights by holding off NUIG. The finish was close, but UCD had led down the course and refused to yield. Neptune took the junior 18 honours by holding off St Joseph’s of Galway in the B Final.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Cork, Day Two (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 UCD (N Farrell, R Thompson, E O’Connor, C O’Riada, E Gleeson, A Griffin, T Doherty, M Murphy; cox: O Reid; senior) 5:51.05, 2 NUIG (sen) 5:51.91, 3 UCD (inter) 6:05.098; 4 Cork (club one) 6:05.46. B Final: 4 Neptune (Jun 18A) 6:13.69.

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 NUIG (sen) 6:16.41. Four, coxed – Div Two – A Final: 1 Queen’s B (club two) 6:53.69, 2 St Michael’s (jun 18B) 6:56.53; 6 Presentation, Cork (jun 16) 7:33.61.

Sculling,

Quadruple, Div Two, coxed – A Final: 1 Carlow (jun 18B) 6:43.70; 3 Castleconnell (jun 16) 6:53.53; 4 Shandon (club two) 6:54.67.

Double – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan; sen) 6:25.51, 2 Commercial, UCD (N Beggan, A Goff; sen) 6:27.62, 3 Skibbereen (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll; sen) 6:37.997; 5 Three Castles A (jun 18A) 6:49.76. B Final: St Michael’s (inter) 6:51.20.

Single – Div Two – A Final: 1 Three Castles (A Keogh; jun 16) 7:29.64, 2 Cappoquin (S Landers; club two) 7:35.39; 6 Killorglin (J McCarthy; Jun 18B) 7:52.86.

Women

Eight – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen/UCC (O Hayes, F O’Keeffe, A Casey, E McCarthy A Keogh, E Hegarty, N Casey, D Walsh; cox C O’Connell; senior) 6:37.94, 2 NUIG (sen) 6:38.30; 5 NUIG (club one) 6:58.38. B Final: 1 Cork (jun 18A) 7:00.93; 2 Shandon (inter) 7:02.79.

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen, UCC (N Casey, E Hegarty, A Keogh, D Walsh; sen) 6:59.0. B Final: Col Iognaid (jun 18A) 7:39.68. Div Two, coxed – A Final: Trinity (club two) 7:41.79.

Sculling, Double – Div One – A Final: 1 Cork (inter) 7:19.591, 2 Lee (jun 18A) 7:23.45. B Final: 2 Carlow (club one) 7:40.31. Div Two – A Final: 1 Neptune (J Poh; club two) 8:40.47, 2 Kenmare (E Crowley; jun 18B) 8:42.76; 3 Neptune (N Clarke; jun 16) 8:46.62.