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Displaying items by tag: Irish Offshore Rowing Championships

Coastal rowing is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with Ireland at the forefront — and this showed in the competitive atmosphere at the Irish Offshore Rowing Championships, writes David Hussey.

Portmagee Rowing Club El Nino in South Kerry hosted the event on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September. Usually a single-day affair, the senior A-grade races were spread out over the weekend to abide by current public health guidelines.

Heats were needed in most events, with the highlight on Saturday being the women’s quad final — featuring a packed field of 12 boats on the starting line.

Boats lined up on the Portmagee slip at the 2020 Irish Offshore Rowing ChampionshipsBoats lined up on the Portmagee slip at the 2020 Irish Offshore Rowing Championships

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, reigning champions Killorglin — featuring Olympic rower Monika Dukarska — made it three in a row in this event, and then two of the crew went on to win the doubles contest.

The mixed doubles also was an intense battle with a novel pairing of Kealan Mannix and his sister Alyssa taking the gold for Rosscarbery.

On Sunday, the standout performances came from the Myross/Castletownshend composite in the quad. Stung by last year's defeat due to a poor start, the Cork crew spent 12 months waiting to avenge their loss. They exploded off the start line and established an early lead which they held all the ways around the course.

The men’s single featured an intense battle between John Harrington from the Galley Flash club and Kealan Mannix of Rosscarbery. Kealan did just enough in the last part of the race to forge ahead and claim a second gold.

Aerial view of Portmagee in South Kerry which hosted the Irish Offshore Rowing Championships this past weekendAerial view of Portmagee in South Kerry which hosted the Irish Offshore Rowing Championships this past weekend

Monika Dukarska dominated the women’s solo with an explosive start, and Donegal Bay came from behind to record a famous victory in the men’s doubles.

Running any sports event in these times can be very challenging due to the coronavirus guidelines. The athletes have to compete in an isolated environment to keep them safe, and while 100 spectators are allowed at this present time, the club felt it best to ask that no patrons attend this event.

Portmagee Rowing Club El Nino wish to thank all the voluntary help that they received from the community in Portmagee; the fishermen who allowed the club to move their boats and fishing gear to give full use of the slip all weekend; the safety boat crews and boats; the help and support from other traditional rowing clubs in South Kerry; and also all stewards and helpers who freely gave their time.

Templenoe Rowing Club’s 214 boat with Gerard van Deventer coxing, Isobel van Deventer, Corina van Deventer, Heather O’Donoghue and Helen HarveyTemplenoe Rowing Club’s 214 boat with Gerard van Deventer coxing, Isobel van Deventer, Corina van Deventer, Heather O’Donoghue and Helen Harvey

The club would like to thank the members of An Garda Siochana for all their help up to and during the weekend; Kerry County Council for cleaning down the slip; and all the local businesses who supported this regatta.

It is onwards and upwards for our sport and we know that like all sports, we will have to continue to restrict our numbers of competitors and spectators at our events until this pandemic has passed.

To all fellow clubs, Portmagee Rowing Club El Nino gives thanks for attending and making this a superb weekend — and all look forward to next year and competing in the championships in Bantry, Co Cork.

Published in Rowing

Ireland’s men’s quad crew took silver at the 2020 European Rowing Junior Championships in Belgrade this weekend.

Andrew Sheehan, Adam Murphy, Tom Kelly and Brian Colsh finished second in their A Final before claiming silver medals in their final this afternoon (Sunday 27 September).

Ireland’s women’s quad crew were also high achievers, with Holly Davis, Aoife Moloney, Alison Bergin and Molly Curry placing fifth in a very competitive A Final.

Rowing Ireland’s high-performance director Antonio Maurogiovanni said: “I want to congratulate both crews, their coaches John Armstrong and Ciro Prisco and the junior coordinator Fran Keane for the excellent performances at the European Junior Championships.

He added: “Both crews trained very well at the National Rowing Centre, proving that the hard and good work pays off. For this young group of athletes, this European Championship needs to be taken as the first step of a long journey.

“Thank you to all the athletes, coaches, and support staff for hard working in achieving these performances. I would also like to thank the athletes’ parents and club coaches for their continued enthusiasm and support.

“We look forward to continuing the success of the European Junior and U23 championships with the Senior European Championships on 9 October.”

Elsewhere, the Irish Offshore Rowing Championships took place yesterday (Saturday 26 September) in Portmagee, Co Kerry, following a change in venue from Portnoo Beach due to coronavirus restrictions.

The team from Killorglin — featuring two-time world champion and Olympic team member Monika Dukarska and world junior finalist Rhiannon O’Donohue — were the big winners in the women’s quad final.

Killorglin also took the women’s doubles, and Dukarska the women’s solo final, with Kealan Mannix of Rosscarbery winning the men’s solo event.

Donegal Bay were triumphant in the men’s doubles, with Mycross/Castletownshend winning the men’s quad, and Rosscarbery coming first in the mixed doubles final. Full results are available HERE.

Published in Rowing

Ferry & Car Ferry News The ferry industry on the Irish Sea, is just like any other sector of the shipping industry, in that it is made up of a myriad of ship operators, owners, managers, charterers all contributing to providing a network of routes carried out by a variety of ships designed for different albeit similar purposes.

All this ferry activity involves conventional ferry tonnage, 'ro-pax', where the vessel's primary design is to carry more freight capacity rather than passengers. This is in some cases though, is in complete variance to the fast ferry craft where they carry many more passengers and charging a premium.

In reporting the ferry scene, we examine the constantly changing trends of this sector, as rival ferry operators are competing in an intensive environment, battling out for market share following the fallout of the economic crisis. All this has consequences some immediately felt, while at times, the effects can be drawn out over time, leading to the expense of others, through reduced competition or takeover or even face complete removal from the marketplace, as witnessed in recent years.

Arising from these challenging times, there are of course winners and losers, as exemplified in the trend to run high-speed ferry craft only during the peak-season summer months and on shorter distance routes. In addition, where fastcraft had once dominated the ferry scene, during the heady days from the mid-90's onwards, they have been replaced by recent newcomers in the form of the 'fast ferry' and with increased levels of luxury, yet seeming to form as a cost-effective alternative.

Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!