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Displaying items by tag: Dorney Lake

#Rowing: Molly Curry won the Girls Championship Singles final at the National Schools Regatta at Dorney Lake today to take the Internationals Cup.

The Coleraine Grammar School rower had over two seconds to spare over Lauren Henry in the A Final. It is a significant win for Curry, who is pre-selected to represent Ireland at the World Junior Championships in Tokyo in August in a double with Rhiannon O'Donoghue of Killorglin.

Curry turns 17 this year and has another year as a junior rower.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Denise Walsh followed up her excellent silver medal at the European Championships in the Czech Republic with a win on the Olympic course at Dorney Lake in England today. Walsh partnered  Aoife Casey, who has just turned 18, to a win in the Championship Double at Metropolitan Regatta. The Skibbereen double rowed well in the top event for women’s doubles at this big event, covering the course in seven minutes 13.27 seconds.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: UCD finished third in the final of the senior eights at Marlow Regatta at the Olympic venue of Dorney Lake on Saturday. The race was won by Molesey in five minutes 21.79 seconds, with Westminster School second. UCD, whose crew were stroked by David O'Malley, were timed at five minutes 34.37 seconds.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: For the second day in succession, Ireland’s under-23 lightweight crew won the elite quadruple at London Metropolitan Regatta. The Skibbereen/UCD/UCC/Shandon combination had 1.4 seconds to spare over Tees Rowing Club. The crew is Fintan McCarthy, Shane O’Connell, Stephen O’Connor and Colm Hennessy

London Metropolitan Regatta, Dorney Lake (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Sunday

Men

Sculling - Quadruple - Elite: 1 UCC, Skibbereen, UCD, Shandon 6:29.52.

Saturday

Men

Eight – Senior:  1 Eton College 5:56.69, 2 St Paul’s School 5:58.86, 3 Commercial 5:59.70; 4 Trinity 6:04.59.

Fours – Elite, coxed: 3 Trinity (P Moreau, M Corcoran, L Hawkes, M Kelly; cox: C Flynn) 6:34.88. Intermediate Two, coxed: 1 UCC (S Murphy, T Power, B Keohane, D Keohane; cox: R O’Leary) 6:48.31.

Sculling – Quadruple – Elite: 1 UCC, Skibbereen, UCD, Shandon (F McCarthy, S O’Connell, S O’Connor, C Hennesy) 6:07.64.

Double – Elite/Senior: 5 Skibbereen/UCC (J McCarthy, D Synnott) 7:02.57.

Single – Elite Lightweight: 2 UCD (Andrew Goff) 7:33.27. Senior: 4 UCC (A Harrington) 7:28.87. Intermediate One: 1 UCC (Harrington) 7:33.35; 5 Garda (D Kelly) 7:47.49. Inter Two: 4 Trinity (S Addison) 7:46.58.

Women

Four – Combined: 3 UCD intermediate one (E Lambe, A Crowley, S Bennett, K O’Connor) 7:22.46. Intermediate, coxed: 3 Commercial (Sinead Dolan, M Bracken, A O’Leary, E Gary; cox: E Moody) 7:38.08.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: John Keohane won for the second day running at Metropolitan Regatta on Dorney Lake today. The Lee Valley man, who had won in the senior single sculls on Saturday, added the elite singles title in the Sunday programme to his list of successes. Cliona Hurst of NUIG also had a good day at the Olympic venue, taking the senior and intermediate one women's singles titles.

Metropolitan Regatta, Dorney Lake (Irish interest, selected results)

Saturday

Men

Eight – Senior: 2 Gráinne Mhaol/NUIG.

Four – Intermediate One: 1 Carlow. Four Coxed – Intermediate One: 1 NUIG

Pair – Intermediate One: 3 Presentation Brothers, Cork.

Sculling, Quadruple – Intermediate One: 2 UCC. Junior: 3 Cork BC

Single – Senior: 1 Lee Valley (J Keohane) Intermediate One: 3 Carlow (Aaron Bolger)

Women

Eights – Intermediate One: 1 UCD; 3 Trinity (three-boat final) Fours, coxed – Intermediate One: 1 UCD 7:19.2. Intermediate Two: 2 Commercial.

Pair – Senior: 2 Cork BC

Sculling, Quadruple – Intermediate One: 3 UCC.

Sunday

Men

Four – Intermediate One: 3 UCC.

Pair – Intermediate One: 1 Carlow; 3 NUIG.

Sculling, Quadruple – Intermediate One: 3 Cork BC.

Single – Elite: 1 Lee Valley (J Keohane) 7:22.

Women

Four – Senior/Intermediate One: 2 UCD (three-boat final). Four, coxed – Intermediate Two: 1 Commercial.

Pair – Intermediate One: 3 Cork (three-boat final).

Sculling, Quadruple – Intermediate One: 2 UCC.

Single – Senior: 1 NUIG (C Hurst) (two-boat final). Intermediate One: 1 NUIG (C Hurst). Intermediate Two: 2 Cork (A Bulman).

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: John Keohane won the men’s senior single sculls at Metropolitan Regatta on Dorney Lake on Saturday. The Lee Valley man was among a number of Irish winners on the day: Carlow and NUIG won the Intermediate One fours and coxed fours respectively and UCD’s women eight won their intermediate one final. The Gráinne Mhaol/NUIG crew were second in the senior eight.

Metropolitan Regatta, Dorney Lake (Irish interest, selected results)

Saturday

Men

Eight – Senior: 2 Gráinne Mhaol/NUIG.

Four – Intermediate One: 1 Carlow. Four Coxed – Intermediate One: 1 NUIG

Pair – Intermediate One: 3 Presentation Brothers, Cork.

Sculling, Quadruple – Intermediate One: 2 UCC. Junior: 3 Cork BC

Single – Senior: 1 Lee Valley (J Keohane) Intermediate One: 3 Carlow (Aaron Bolger)

Women

Eights – Intermediate One: 1 UCD; 3 Trinity (three-boat final) Fours, coxed – Intermediate One: 1 UCD 7:19.2. Intermediate Two: 2 Commercial.

Pair – Senior: 2 Cork BC

Sculling, Quadruple – Intermediate One: 3 UCC.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING WORLD CUP: Paul O’Donovan continued his remarkable run at the World Cup regatta at Dorney Lake when he finished second in his Semi-Final of the lightweight single sculls this morning and qualified for tomorrow’s A Final.

The 19-year-old UCD scholarship student did not have a very fast start – that fell to Pedro Fraga of Portugal, who blasted away from the field, led all the way and won well. O’Donovan and Andrej Bendtsen of Denmark fought it out for second, with the young Irishman winning the battle before the line.

Ireland’s Katie O’Brien and Keith Connolly finished sixth in the Trunk and Arms mixed double sculls and Tom Kelly was second in the B Final of the Arms and Shoulders single sculls.

World Cup Regatta, Dorney Lake, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – A/B Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Portugal (P Fraga) 7:21.43, 2 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:24.38, 3 Denmark Two (A Bendtsen) 7:25.66; 4 United States 7:36.40, 5 Denmark Three 8:06.62; Brazil did not start.

Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Sculls – A Final: 6 Ireland (K O’Brien, K Connolly) 5:18.84.

Arms and Shoulders Single Sculls – B Final (Places 7 and 8): 2 Ireland (T Kelly) 7:19.08.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING WORLD CUP: Paul O’Donovan gave Ireland lift-off at the World Cup Regatta at Dorney Lake this morning. The 19-year-old UCD student, making his World Cup debut, won his heat of the lightweight single sculls to qualify directly for the Semi-Finals. Duncan Grant of New Zealand, the red-hot favourite, took the second qualification place.

Claire Lambe will have to travel the repechage route after a third-place finish in her heat of the lightweight single sculls. With Fabiane Beltrame of Brazil winning well, direct qualification for the A Final rested on taking the second place. Ruth Walczak of Britain grabbed her chance.

Tom Kelly finished fourth in the heat of the Arms and Shoulders single sculls.

World Cup Regatta, Dorney Lake, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls - Heat Two (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:13.89, 2 New Zealand (D Grant) 7:17.37; 3 Hong Kong 7:27.67, 4 Korea 7:28.71, 5 Brazil Two 7:30.92, 6 Japan 7:32.49.

Arms and Shoulders Single Sculls – Heat One (First Directly to Final; rest to Repechage): 4 Ireland (T Kelly) 6:31.23.

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Two (First Two Directly to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Brazil (F Beltrame) 7:54.85, 2 Britain (R Walczak) 7:59.13; 3 Ireland (C Lambe) 8:07.80, 4 Paraguay 8:29.68, 5 Hong Kong 8:34.62.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING: UCD edged out their great rivals, Grainne Mhaol/NUIG, by just over half a second in the Elite Eights at London Metropolitan Regatta at Dorney Lake today – albeit to take fourth place in a race won by Oxford Brookes. UCD got in front and held off a late charge by the Galway composite to come home in five minutes 51.24 seconds to Grainne Mhaol/NUIG’s 5:51.82. The winners, Oxford Brookes, set a time of five minutes 41.84 seconds. Patrick Moore of UCD and Sheila Clavin of St Michael’s had wins in single sculling events.

Metropolitan Regatta, Dorney Lake (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Saturday

Men

Eights – Elite: 4 Grainne Mhaol/NUIG 5:52.85. Intermediate Two: 3 NUIG 6:05.54.

Fours – Elite: 5 UCD 6:15.54. Senior, coxed: 3 UCD 6:32.88.

Women

Eights – Intermediate One: 1 UCD 6:47.66; 3 Trinity 6:52.73.

Fours – Intermediate Three, coxed: Commercial 7:40.66.

Pairs – Intermediate One: 2 Commercial 8:06.90.

Sculling, Double – Intermediate One: 3 Trinity 7:29.65.

Sunday

Men

Eights – Elite: 4 UCD 5:51.24, 5 Grainne Mhaol/NUIG 5:51.82. Senior: 3 Grainne Mhaol/NUIG 5:59.65. Intermediate One: 4 UCD 6:11.11.

Fours – Elite: UCD 6:20.51. Senior: 3 St Michael’s 6:29.01. Intermediate One, coxed: 4 NUIG 6:50.69. Inter Two, coxed: 4 NUIG 6:48.39. Inter Three, coxed: NUIG 7:04.92.

Sculling, Single – Intermediate One: 1 UCD (P Moore) 7:24.01.

Women

Eights – Senior: 3 UCD 6:49.36. Intermediate One: 2 Trinity 6:45.66. Inter Two: 3 UCD 7:03.78.

Fours – Senior: 4 UCD 7:13.56. Inter Three, coxed: 1 Commercial 7:49.44.

Pairs – Inter One: 3 Commercial 8:06.79.

Sculling, Double – Inter One: 2 Trinity 7:35.63. Single – Senior: 1 St Michael’s (S Clavin) 8:07.18. Inter Three: 3 Commercial (G Foley) 8:43.10.

Published in Rowing

Sharks in Irish waters

Irish waters are home to 71 species of shark, skates and rays, 58 of which have been studied in detail and listed on the Ireland Red List of Cartilaginous fish. Irish sharks range from small Sleeper sharks, Dogfish and Catsharks, to larger species like Frilled, Mackerel and Cow sharks, all the way to the second largest shark in the world, the Basking shark. 

Irish waters provide a refuge for an array of shark species. Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry provides a habitat for several rare and endangered sharks and their relatives, including the migratory tope shark, angel shark and undulate ray. This area is also the last European refuge for the extremely rare white skate. Through a European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) project, Marine Institute scientists have been working with fishermen to assess the distribution, diversity, and monthly relative abundance of skates and rays in Tralee, Brandon and Dingle Bays.

“These areas off the southwest coast of Ireland are important internationally as they hold some of the last remaining refuges for angel shark and white skate,” said Dr Maurice Clarke of the Marine Institute. “This EMFF project has provided data confirming the critically endangered status of some species and provides up-to-date information for the development of fishery measures to eliminate by-catch.” 

Irish waters are also home to the Black Mouthed Catshark, Galeus melastomus, one of Ireland’s smallest shark species which can be found in the deep sea along the continental shelf. In 2018, Irish scientists discovered a very rare shark-nursery 200 nautical miles off the west coast by the Marine Institute’s ROV Holland 1 on a shelf sloping to 750 metres deep. 

There are two ways that sharks are born, either as live young or from egg casings. In the ‘case’ of Black Mouthed Catsharks, the nursery discovered in 2018, was notable by the abundance of egg casings or ‘mermaid’s purses’. Many sharks, rays and skate lay eggs, the cases of which often wash ashore. If you find an egg casing along the seashore, take a photo for Purse Search Ireland, a citizen science project focusing on monitoring the shark, ray and skate species around Ireland.

Another species also found by Irish scientists using the ROV Holland 1 in 2018 was a very rare type of dogfish, the Sail Fin Rough Shark, Oxynotus paradoxus. These sharks are named after their long fins which resemble the trailing sails of a boat, and live in the deep sea in waters up to 750m deep. Like all sharks, skates and rays, they have no bones. Their skeleton is composed of cartilage, much like what our noses and ears are made from! This material is much more flexible and lighter than bone which is perfect for these animals living without the weight of gravity.

Throughout history sharks have been portrayed as the monsters of the sea, a concept that science is continuously debunking. Basking sharks were named in 1765 as Cetorhinus maximus, roughly translated to the ‘big-nosed sea monster’. Basking sharks are filter feeders, often swimming with their mouths agape, they filter plankton from the water.

They are very slow moving and like to bask in the sun in shallow water and are often seen in Irish waters around Spring and early Summer. To help understand the migration of these animals to be better able to understand and conserve these species, the Irish Basking Shark Group have tagged and mapped their travels.

Remarkably, many sharks like the Angel Shark, Squatina squatina have the ability to sense electricity. They do this via small pores in their skin called the ‘Ampullae of Lorenzini’ which are able to detect the tiny electrical impulses of a fish breathing, moving or even its heartbeat from distances of over a kilometre! Angel sharks, often referred to as Monkfish have a distinctively angelic shape, with flattened, large fins appearing like the wings of an angel. They live on the seafloor in the coastal waters of Ireland and much like a cat are nocturnal, primarily active at night.

The intricate complexity of shark adaptations is particularly noticeable in the texture of their skin. Composed of miniscule, perfectly shaped overlapping scales, the skin of shark provides them with protection. Often shark scales have been compared to teeth due to their hard enamel structure. They are strong, but also due to their intricate shape, these scales reduce drag and allow water to glide past them so that the shark can swim more effortlessly and silently. This natural flawless design has been used as inspiration for new neoprene fabric designs to help swimmers glide through the water. Although all sharks have this feature, the Leafscale Gulper Shark, Centrophorus squamosus, found in Ireland are specifically named due to the ornate leaf-shape of their scales.