Displaying items by tag: McElroy,

8th August 2012

Rowing Ireland Looks for New HPD as McElroy Steps Down

# ROWING: Martin McElroy, the Ireland High Performance Director, will not be seeking renewal of his contract when it finishes at the end of next month. The Galway man took up work as HPD in 2009, stressing that his priority was to build a sustainable system, and one which would outlast him.

Forming a strong under-23 group was a priority, and there were successes here, including a silver medal for the men’s lightweight quadruple at the World Under-23 Championships in 2010. Ten athletes represented Ireland at this year’s World Under-23 Championships.

A team of coaches was also formed and the National Rowing Centre became the base for an ambitious group of athletes.

However, just one senior athlete competed for Ireland at the Olympic Games - Sanita Puspure finished 13th in the single sculls. The strong hopes for the lightweight double scull of Siobhan McCrohan and Claire Lambe ended controversially when McCrohan was cut because of difficulties making the weight.

Rowing Ireland has advertised for a new HPD, with entries closing on September 14th.

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Top Junior Rowers Nixon and Cromie Win US Scholarships

ROWING: The prizegiving at the National Assessment Regatta at the NRC in Cork contained an announcement by Martin McElroy of the High Performance Programme that two Irish teenagers have landed full scholarships at American universities. Holly Nixon, a silver medallist at last year’s World Junior Championships, will be going to the University of Virginia, while Katie Cromie has been granted a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Nixon has now moved up from junior.

Rowing Ireland Prize-Giving

Men

Under-23 Pair: Sean O’Connor, Eddie Mullarkey. Junior: Joel Cassells, Chris Black

Single Scull – Senior: Justin Ryan. Junior: Paul O’Donovan

Women

Pair – Junior: Hanna McCarthy, Hanna O’Sullivan

Single Scull – Senior: Sanita Puspure. Junior: Bridget Jacques

Irish Assessments, National Rowing Centre, Cork – Day Two

Selected Results (includes projected per centage of gold-medal winning time in athletes’ class)

Men

Pair – A Final: 1 S O’Connor/E Mullarkey (under-23) 7:25.6 (85.6), 2 J Cassells/C Black (junior) 7:27.1 (87.4), 3 H Millar/L Seaman (junior) 7:34.0 (86.0). B Final: K Keohane/N Crowley (jun) 7:43.0 (84.4). C Final: D McCarthy/M Kelly (jun) 8:00.8 (81.2).

Single Sculls – A Final: 1 J Ryan (under-23 lightweight) 7:57.4 (85.9), 2 M Maher (lightweight) 7:58.7 (83.6), 3 A English (lightweight) 7:59.2 (83.5), 4 P O’Donovan (junior) 8:04.0 (85.1), 5 Jonathan Mitchell (under-23 lightweight) 8:15.0 (82.8), 6 D Quinlan (jun) 8:32.4 (80.3). B Final: 1 S O’Driscoll (under-23 lightweight) 7:56.2 (86.1), 2 A Griffin (jun) 7:56.4 (86.4), 3 M Ryan (jun) 8:03.1 (85.2). C Final: A Burns (jun) 7:53.1 (87.0). D Final: F Manning (sen) 7:58.7 (83.1). E Final: G McKillen (jun) 8:16.3 (82.9).

Women

Pair – A Final (all juniors): 1 H McCarthy/H O’Sullivan 8:28.5 (84.7), 2 B Edgar/E Hutchinson 8:29.0 (84.6), 3 A Cooper/K O’Connor 8:31.8 (84.1).

Single Scull – A Final: 1 S Puspure (heavyweight) 8:25.6 (84.1), 2 B Jacques (jun) 8:37.7 (86.1), 3 M Dukarska (under-23 heavyweight) 8:38.1 (84.0), 4 S Dolan (under-23 lightweight) 8:50.3 (85.1), 5 H Shinnick (jun) 8:53.6 (83.6), 6 K Cromie (jun) 8:59.1 (82.7). B Final: K O’Brien (jun) 8:42.7 (85.3). C Final: F Murtagh (jun) 8:38.1 (86.1). D Final: M McLaughlin 8:56.5 (83.1).

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.