#ROWING: NUI Galway Rowing Club and members of Rowing Ireland executive board met recently to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the club in the last academic year and to establish formally the partnership with Rowing Ireland and NUI Galway. Rowing Ireland is the governing body for rowing in Ireland and represents over 80 clubs across the four provinces.

NUI Galway have in the past decade captured Irish Championship titles in the men’s senior, intermediate and novice eights and in fours at senior, intermediate and novice level. International success has been achieved racing in World Cup Regattas. At the 2007 World Championships Alan Martin and Cormac Folan were part of the men’s four which qualified for the Beijing Olympics. Folan was part of the Ireland four which raced at the 2008 Olympics.

The partnership with Rowing Ireland firmly cements the commitment of NUI Galway to rowing. The university recognises the need for improved watersports facilities with the new strategic plan specifically identifying the development of water based sports facilities including a new building.

Hamish Adams, the chief executive of Rowing Ireland said that the partnership with NUI Galway, was the first initiative of its kind at third level. “Our unique partnership provides expertise at both ends of the sport. It acknowledges the diversity and needs of the sport from excellence to recreational participation.”

NUI Galway boasts two positions for the development of rowing providing support for its elite rowers: Rowing Development Coach for High Performance, Dave Mannion, and a Schools Liaison Development Officer for Participation, Jenny Cunningham.

Dr. Pat Morgan, Vice President of the Student Experience, said: “This connection anchors firmly the continuing commitment of the university to our high performance athletes. The “Get Going Get Rowing” nationwide participation initiative, which introduces rowing to second level schoolchildren, has provided a wider reach for the university and further opportunities for connections with schools in Connacht. Partnership with the national governing body ensures that we continue our support for our athletes and enable them through structured pathways the opportunity to thrive and compete.”

Dr Morgan acknowledged the tremendous support and mentoring that is given unconditionally to students as part of the alumni club, Gráinne Mhaol. The funding provided by the University Foundation Office and Student Project Fund enables the purchase of equipment for training and competition. She said that the voluntary commitment of university staff over many years and of Ruadhán Cooke, current chairperson of Rowing Ireland’s university sub-committee, provided a constant link for the young athletes and connectivity with the university.

#ROWING: Trinity’s men’s senior eight were the fastest crew at the Erne Head of the River in Enniskillen. They completed the 6,000 metre course in 18 minutes 22 seconds, eight seconds ahead of the senior eight from NUIG. The men’s heavyweight and lightweight senior eights entered by Rowing Ireland were divided by just one second, in fourth and fifth. The fastest women’s crew home were Trinity’s senior eight, with 34 seconds to spare over the Portora junior women’s eight.

Erne Head of the River, Enniskillen, Saturday

Overall: 1 Trinity senior eight 18 minutes 30 seconds, 2 NUIG sen eight 18:30, 3 Trinity intermediate eight 18:50, 4 Carlow, UCC, St Michael’s, Castleconnell, Killorglin sen eight 18:52, 5 Rowing Ireland lightweight eight 18:53, 6 Portora junior eight 18:58.

Men

Eight – Senior: Trinity 18:22. Inter: Trinity 18:50. Club One: Queen’s 19:06. Novice: Queen’s 20:57. Junior: Portora 18:58. Masters (Vet D): Neptune 21:57. Jun 16: St Joseph’s 20:44.

Four – Club One: Trinity (coxed). Jun 18: CAI (coxed) 22:07.

Sculling

Quadruple – Senior: Commercial 19:16. Inter: Sligo 22:10. Jun 18: Carlow A 21:12. Jun 16, coxed: Neptune 22:42.

Women

Eight – Senior: Trinity A 20:19. Club One: NUIG 21:12. Novice: Queen’s A 23:29. Jun 18: Portora 20:53. Masters: Belfast RC (Vet C) 23:56. Jun 16: Portora 22:54.

Four – Club One, coxed: Methody 23:26. Jun 18, coxed: Portora 24:32.

Sculling

Quadruple – Senior: Methody 23:30. Inter, coxed: Portora 25:06. Junior: Bann 21:50.

#ROWING: Two of the big wins of the evening session of finals at the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre in Cork came to crews with very different levels of experience.

The Cork Boat Club junior women’s eight made a breakthrough for the club at this level by beating Portora and Bann in a fine race. The senior men’s quadruple was taken by the crew of Albert Maher, Sean Jacob, Con Collis and Michael Maher, who held off a challenge from the Castleconnell/University of Limerick crew. Jacob and Maher are both in their forties and have over 40 ‘Pots’ between them.

The women’s senior pair was won by Barbara O’Brien and Aifric Keogh, representing NUIG, while Sarah Quinn of Belfast Boat Club won the Club singles.

The junior men’s quadruple gave Shandon’s young crew – two are junior 17 athletes and one a junior 16 – a fine win over Skibbereen, who faltered before the finish.

The women’s lightweight single sculls final turned into a battle between Claire Lambe of Old Collegians and Siobhán McCrohan of Tribesmen, with the Dubliner coming out on top.

Turlough Hughes of UCD had a remarkably straightforward win over David O’Malley of St Michael’s in the men’s intermediate single sculls, while UCD held off a late charge by Queen’s to win the men’s novice eight.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Selected Results; Finals)

Men

Eight – Intermediate: 1 Trinity 5:46.25, 2 NUIG 5:50.28, 3 UCD 5:56.96. Novice: 1 UCD 6:59.50, 2 Queen’s 7:02.31, 3 Trinity 7:03.29.

Four, coxed – Junior: 1 Cork BC 6:35.99, 2 Presentation 6:36.22, 3 Portora 6:38.08.

Pair – Senior: 1 UCD (M O’Donovan, N Kenny) 6:46.05, 2 NUIG 6:49.95, 3 Commercial B 7:00.16.

Sculling, Quadruple – Senior: 1 Old Collegians/Commercial (C Collis, S Jacob, A Maher, M Maher) 5:59.84, 2 Castleconnell/University of Limerick 6:00.60, 3 Queen’s 6:07.90.

Junior: 1 Shandon 6:08.24, 2 Athlone 6:13.34, 3 Skibbereen 6:15.52.

Single – Intermediate: 1 UCD (T Hughes) 7:13.0, 2 St Michael’s (O’Malley) 7:20.72, 3 NUIG (O’Connor) 7:25.14. Club: Lee (D O’Sullivan) 7:31.80, 2 St Michael’s (P O’Connor) 7:36.24, 3 Belfast BC (A Murray) 7:39.44.

Women

Eight – Novice: 1 Queen’s 7:19.74, 2 Trinity 7:55.75. Junior: 1 Cork BC 6:39.32, 2 Portora 6:41.90, 3 Bann 6:45.27.

Sculling, Double – Intermediate: 1 Killorglin (F Foley, M Dukarska) 7:17.17, 2 Commercial 7:20.83, 3 Skibbereen 7:39.99.

Pair – Senior: 1 NUIG (B O’Brien, A Keogh) 7:33.89, 2 St Michael’s 7:42.32, 3 Shannon 7:42.48.

Single – Lightweight: 1 Old Collegians (C Lambe) 7:41.70, 2 Tribesmen (McCrohan) 7:43.80, 3 Skibbereen (Hayes) 8:01.34. Club: 1 Belfast (S Quinn) 8:09.22, 2 Queen’s (Edwards) 8:10.61, 3 Lee (McGuire) 8:39.69.

Junior: 1 Cork BC (O Forde) 8:06.14, 2 Belfast BC (J English) 8:07.11, 3 Commercial B 7:00.16.

ROWING: David O’Malley won the junior single sculls title at the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre today. The St Michael’s man carved out an early lead over last year’s champion Conor Carmoday of Shannon and stretched it to two and a half lengths by half way. Carmody, under pressure himself from Waterford’s Andrew Goff, cut the lead in the closing stages, but O’Malley held on.

The men’s senior doubles was won impressively by Gary O’Donovan and Shane O’Donovan of Skibbereen from Eimantas Grigalius and Dave Neale of Three Castles, while NUIG/Cork won the women’s senior four. The women’s junior doubles was won by Oisin and Dervla Forde, who live in Torrevieja in Spain, but were campaigning for Cork Boat Club.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Selected Results, Finals)

Men

Four, coxed – Intermediate: 1 NUIG 6:26.37, 2 Carlow 6:29.33, 3 Neptune 6:36.71.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: 1 Queen’s 6:49.52, 2 Clonmel 7:01.83, 3 Kenmare 7:17.56.

Double – Senior: 1 Skibbereen 6:30.22, 2 Three Castles 6:34.96, 3 UCC 6:45.32.

Single – Junior: 1 St Michael’s (D O’Malley), 2 Shannon (C Carmody), 3 Waterford (A Goff).

Women

Four – Senior: 1 NUIG/Cork 6:57.92, 2 Trinity 7:09.18, 3 Skibbereen 7:16.93.

Four, coxed – Club: 1 NUIG A 7:25.50, 2 UCC 7:33.87, 3 Skibbereen 7:38.30.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 St Michael’s 7:49.72, 2 Trinity 7:53.27, 3 Shannon 7:53.29.

Sculling

Double – Junior: 1 Cork 7:26.87, 2 Belfast 7:32.25, 3 Commercial 7:36.33.

#ROWING: Rowing Ireland has announced the crews which will compete at the Under-23 World Rowing Championships in Varese, Italy, from 23rd to 27th July.

Denise Walsh will compete in the lightweight single scull. Walsh, who is 22 years old, competed in the same event last year, finishing sixth. She has been competing more recently in a newly formed lightweight double scull with Claire Lambe. They finished in 5th position in the B final in their first outing two weeks ago at World Cup II in Aiguebelette. Denise Walsh rows for Skibbereen Rowing club and is in her final year of studying Economics and Geography at UCC.

Paul O’Donovan finished in third place in U23 lightweight men’s scull in Linz, Austria in 2013. He comes from a strong family of rowers, with his father, Teddy, involved in Skibbereen rowing Club. Paul rowed himself since the age of seven. In the recent World Cup II regatta in Aiguebelette Paul won the B final.

Paul’s brother Gary will compete in the men’s lightweight double, together with fellow Skibbereen man Shane O’Driscoll. Gary is passionate about the sport. “My father always had an interest in rowing and he would bring myself and Paul to a lot of rowing events before we started rowing, which we enjoyed a lot,” Gary recalled. “When I was 10 years old, he brought me and Paul rowing for the first time. Since then we have never stopped.”

Shane O’Driscoll, who was in Gary’s class in school, started rowing shortly afterwards and they have rowed together since.

The men’s four from Galway will be hoping for a good result. Many of the crew have rowed since they were at junior level. Richie Bennett and Rob O’Callaghan competed in the four at last year’s Under-23 World Championships, where they finished ninth. Fionnán McQuillan-Tolan recently lined out in the Boston College eight at the Eastern Sprint regatta. Tolan started rowing at St Joseph’s College and won three junior Championships with them.

Ireland Under-23 World Championship Team:

Men

Four: Fionnán McQuillan-Tolan (Grainne Mhaol RC), Richard Bennett (NUIG BC), Robert O'Callaghan (NUIG BC), Kevin Neville (NUIG BC). Lightweight Double Scull: Gary O’Donovan (CIT RC), Shane O’Driscoll (Skibbereen RC). Lightweight Single Scull: Paul O’Donovan (UCD).

Women

Lightweight Single Scull: Denise Walsh (Skibbereen RC).

#ROWING: Gráinne Mhaol/NUIG were pushed hard by UCD, but came away with the Division One eights title at Cork Grand League Regatta at the National Rowing Centre. NUIG came in third, despite having to do without the services of Kevin Neville, who had fallen ill during the heats. The experienced Gráinne Mhaol crew of Dave Mannion, Alan Martin, Cormac Folan and James Wall won the Division One four, while Skibbereen won the women’s four.

Andy Harrington of UCC won the Division One single sculls from Eimantas Grigalius of Three Castles and Fergus Fauvel, a New Zealander studying in Galway. Fauvel also rowed at number four for the winning eight.

Catríona Jennings of Commercial, who only took up rowing in the past two years after competing as a runner at the Olympic Games, won the Division One single sculls.

The timing system at the regatta, a bugbear at a number of Grand League events, caused some difficulties.  

#ROWING: The national senior eights champions, NUIG/Grainne Mhaol, returned to winning ways at the Metropolitan Regatta today – they even managed to avoid a stalled launch in their lane before the finish line. The strong-looking Commercial/Old Collegians eight, with double Olympian Paul Griffin in the seven seat, finished third, behind the NUIG eight, which took second.