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Displaying items by tag: Boston

#Rowing: Paul O’Donovan, the lightweight single sculls world champion, ended his season on a high as he rowed in the Great8 of top scullers which took second at the Head of the Charles River in Boston. The University of California won in a record time. O’Donovan was the bowman and is seen in this picture on the left. The crew finished second, inside the old record.  

 Sanita Puspure was a key part of the women’s Great8 which won, and set a new record. Course specialist Genevra Stone stroked the crew having subbed into the boat for Magdalena Lobnig, who was ill.   

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Kenny McDonald of Shannon Rowing Club won the 40 to 49 lightweight class at the World Indoor Rowing Championships in Boston yesterday. McDonald headed up an Ireland one-two: Jonathan Doyle, the defending champion, was second. Greg Ruckman of the United States, a world champion in the 30-39 class just two years ago, was third.

McDonald is a former Ireland international rower, while Doyle was a runner who took up indoor rowing after being hit by injury.

CRASH B World Indoor Rowing Championships, Boston, United States (Selected Result)

Men, Lightweight Senior Master Men (40-49):
1 K McDonald (Shannon RC) 6:24.5, 2 J Doyle (Paddy Power IRC) 6:26.7, 3 G Ruckman (Colorado Rowing) 6:32.0.

Published in Rowing

#RowingHOCR: Notre Dame, with Ailish Sheehan of St Michael’s stroking, finished sixth in the women’s Championship Eights at the Head of the Charles in Boston on Sunday. In a race which featured some of the best women rowers in the world, Sheehan's crew  finished more than 20 seconds faster than the Notre Dame crew finished last year and were in the small group which finished in under 17 minutes.

Head of the Charles, Boston, Sunday (Irish Interest, Selected Result)

Women’s Championship Eights: 1 Cambridge 15:59.54, 2 US Rowing 16:00.75; 6 Notre Dame 16:58.59; 18 Princeton 17:39.17.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING: The University of Virginia crew, with Ireland’s Holly Nixon in the number three seat, put some of the top rowers in the world behind them as they finished third in the Women’s Championship Eight at the Head of the Charles in Boston yesterday. A “great eight” of top scullers, rowing as Cambridge BC, were the fastest crew, but they were penalised 10 seconds, thus yielding their win to the The United States in this time trial event. Canada’s Olympic silver-medal crew could only finish eighth and London Rowing Club, featuring British and New Zealand internationals were fourth. Nixon, who is just 18, is on scholarship to University of Virginia. She took a silver medal at the World Junior Championships last year.

Published in Rowing

National Watersports Campus, Dun Laoghaire

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Stakeholders combined forces in 2019 to promote a project to improve the Harbour’s infrastructure resulting in improved access, job creation and greater tourism potential. 

A grant application to government made by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCoCo) assisted by stakeholders was successful with the announcement of a €400k feasibility study grant from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) in January 2020.

It meant plans for the €8m National Watersports Campus at Dun Laoghaire Harbour got the green light from Government and came a step closer to reality.

The project recognises deficits in the current set up in the harbour, proposing the construction of an all-tide publicly-accessible slipway (none currently in the Greater Dublin Area) as well as a marine services facility, providing a much-needed home for the supporting industry. 

The campus also seeks to provide a marketing framework to make boating more accessible to the general public.

The benefits of such an increase might be obvious for the Dun Laoghaire waterfront but there are other spin-offs for the harbour town in the creation of the sort of jobs that cannot be shipped abroad.

Centre for Community Watersports activity and public slipway

  • High-Performance coaching centre
  • Flexible Event Space for hosting national and international events
  • Multipurpose Building
  • Campus Marketing and Promotional Centre
  • Accommodation for Irish Sailing and Irish Underwater Council
  • Shared NGB Facility
  • Education Centre for schools, community groups and clubs
  • Proposed site – Carlisle Pier

Watersports Campus FAQs

Similar to the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, the watersports campus will provide quality, public, recreational and high-performance facilities for the many watersports participants. The Campus will considerably enhance the services currently provided by more than 30 clubs and activity centres to over 50,000 annual users of the harbour.

The passing of control of the harbour to DLRCC, the public appetite for a community benefitting project and the capital funding for sports infrastructure in the Project 2040 National Plan have aligned to create an opportunity to deliver this proposal.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) and the Irish Sailing Association (Irish Sailing) are the project leads, endorsed by the National Governing Bodies of other Irish watersports and clubs and activity providers.

The National Sports Policy, published in 2018, established the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) to provide Exchequer support for sports facility projects. In some cases, these may be projects where the primary objective will be to increase active participation in sport. In other cases, these may be venues where the focus is more related to high-performance sport.

Government has allocated at least €100m over the term to 2027 to successful applicant projects.

The Watersports Campus was one of seven successful applicants for Stream 1 funding allowing planning to commence on the project design and feasibility. €442,000 has been granted in this phase.

NThe project will provide for a municipally-owned public access facility to include a small craft slipway that is accessible at all stages of the tide (currently none in public ownership in the greater Dublin area), storage and lock-up resources, watersports event management space, a high-performance centre and NGB accommodation.

The project aims to enhance the profile of Dun Laoghaire as a major international venue for maritime events, shows and conferences. Establish Dun Laoghaire as the 'go-to place' for anything marine – generating revenues Create employment in the county - attract businesses, visitors and events. Grow the market for watersports Promote the services of activity providers to the public. Complement the plan to develop Dun Laoghaire as a 'destination.'

As of January 1 2021, The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has approved the applicant project and DLRCC are expected to appoint a team to further advance the project.

©Afloat 2020