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Displaying items by tag: Kennedy

#WRChamps: Ireland’s new double scull of Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska finished fifth in their semi-final at the World Championships in Chungju in Korea this morning and will compete in a B Final on Sunday. The semi-final was won well by Frances Houghton and Victoria Meyer-Laker, with Germany and Denmark filling second and third and taking the resultant places in the A Final. Ukraine took fourth, while Ireland pushed Italy into sixth early in the race and stayed in front of the crew in blue until the finish.

World Rowing Championships, Chungju, Korea, Day Six (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Britain (F Houghton, V Meyer-Laker) 7:18.56, 2 Germany (J Lier, M Adams) 7:19.10, 3 Denmark (M Petersen, L Jakobsen) 7:29.30; 4 Ukraine 7:34.27, 5 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:39.33, 6 Italy 7:39.50.

Lightweight Single Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 Italy (D Zacco) 8:05.21, 2 Ireland (C Lambe) 8:07.38, 3 Korea (Yoo Jin Ji) 8:08.75, 4 Japan 8:18.46, 5 Singapore 8:24.11, 6 India 8:32.05.

Published in Rowing

#WRChamps: Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy reached the A/B Semi-Finals at the World Championships in Korea this morning. The Ireland double scull had to make the top three in their repechage to qualify, and they finished second behind Russia and ahead of Korea, who took the third qualification place. The Russians, who had to give way to Ireland in the heats, were pillar-to-post winners, but the new Ireland crew maintained a steady pace behind them.

 The Olympic and World Champion in the men's single sculls, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, could only finish fourth in his quarter-final and failed to make the semi-finals.

World Rowing Championships, Day Three (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Repechage (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C Final): 1 Russia (E Potapova, M Krasilnikova) 7:09.81, 2 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:12.08, 3 Korea (A Kim, Y Kim) 7:17.95; 4 Taipei 7:44.92, 5 Namibia 9:22.05.

Published in Rowing

#WorldRowingChampionships: Ireland’s double scull of Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy took fourth in their heat at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea this morning and must compete in a repechage to secure a place in the A/B Semi-Finals.

A place in the top three was the target: Lithuania and Denmark were the clear one-two from half way, with Ukraine in third and Ireland and Russia trailing. Dukarska and Kennedy upped their rate in the second half of the race, engaging in a battle with Russia which they won. They overlapped Ukraine in the closing stages but could not head them.

World Rowing Championships, Day Two (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Heat One (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Lithuania (D Vistartaite, M Valciukaite) 6:52.09, 2 Denmark (M Petersen, L Jakobsen) 6:56.34, 3 Ukraine (A Kravchenko, O Buryak) 7:02.42; 4 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:03.92, 5 Russia 7:09.73.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING WORLD CUP: Ireland’s new double scull of Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska finished sixth at the World Cup regatta at Dorney Lake. The race was notable for the boat-stopping crab which China suffered at 1750 metres – only to recover and take a bronze medal. Britain won and Denmark were second. Kennedy and Dukarska had not started particularly well, but they recovered well and were up with the field until the middle stages.

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

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – A Final: 1 Portugal (P Fraga) 6:57.02, 2 Denmark One (S Jensen) 6:59.80, 3 Denmark Two (A Bendtsen) 7:00.24; 4 New Zealand 7:00.69, 5 Germany Two 7:04.66, 6 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:06.69.

Lightweight Double Sculls – A Final: 2 Britain (R Chambers, P Chambers)

Single Sculls – A Final: 2 Britain (A Campbell)

Women

Double Sculls – A Final: 1 Britain (F Houghton, V Meyer-Laker) 6:52.60, 2 Denmark (M Petersen, L Jakobsen) 6:53.41, 3 China (D Xu, F Pan) 6:57.81; 4 Germany 6:58.11, 5 Finland 7:01.32, 6 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:06.79.

Lightweight Single Sculls – A Final: 1 Austria (M Taupe-Traer) 7:36.62, 2 Germany (L Pless) 7:44.98, 3 Brazil (F Beltrame) 7:46.46; 4 Britain 7:47.40, 5 Ireland (C Lambe) 7:55.06, 6 Hong Kong 7:58.78.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING WORLD CUP: Claire Lambe in the lightweight single sculls and the double scull of Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska both won their repechages to progress to A Finals at the World Cup regatta at Dorney Lake today.

Lambe had missed out on direct qualification through her heat when finishing third, but she made certain of an A Final place by leading from the early stages in her second-chance race. Ka Man Lee from Hong Kong was the only serious test for Lambe. She finished second and also qualified for the final.

The double had a very satisfying victory in only their second race as a crew. They were pressed at the end by Finland, but led through all four quarters.

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.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat One: 1 Britain (R Chambers, P Chambers) 6:29.86.

Single Sculls – Heat Three: Britain (A Campbell) 7:07.03.

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

Women

Double Sculls – Heat Two (First Two Directly to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Britain (F Houghton, V Meyer-Laker) 6:59.96, 2 China Two (D Xu, F Pan) 7:03.91; 3 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:15.68, 4 Korea 7:18.48. Repechage (Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland 7:12.18, 2 Finland 7:12.92; 3 China Three 7:16.23, 4 Korea 7:18.27, 5 China One 7:32.84.

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. Repechage (Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (Lambe) 8:05.22, 2 Hong Kong One 8:07.29; 3 Paraguay 8:18.51, 4 Austria Two 8:23.09, 5 Singapore 8:28.71, 6 Hong Kong 8:35.40.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING WORLD CUP: Ireland’s new double scull of Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska finished third in their heat, one place away from direct qualification for the A Final at the World Cup regatta at Dorney Lake today. Britain won the heat well, and China’s second crew kept Ireland at bay for the second spot. Ireland are set for a repechage this afternoon.

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

Double Sculls – Heat Two (First Two Directly to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Britain (F Houghton, V Meyer-Laker) 6:59.96, 2 China Two (D Xu, F Pan) 7:03.91; 3 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:15.68, 4 Korea 7:18.48.

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
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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.