Muckross took the lead early and had an impressive win over NUIG in Division One of the eights competition at Metropolitan Regatta at sunny  Blessington. The event suffered a series of hitches and finished two hours late. Some clubs were unable to wait and missed key races. Commercial were awarded the senior men’s four (The Blue Riband)  title but race organisers later contended that the official result was a win for NUIG.

Metropolitan Regatta (1700 metres)

Men

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 Muckross (senior; M Coffey, P Griffin, S Prendiville, S O’Halloran, S Casey, P Kennedy, S Mac Eoin, J Mangan; cox: E Champ) 5:15.83, 2 NUIG (snr) 5:21.62, 3 University of Limerick (intermediate) 5:22.47, 4 St Michael’s (snr) 5:24.26, 5 Neptune (inter) 5:27.03, 6 Trinity (inter) 5:32.79.

Masters: 1 Old Collegians, 2 Belfast RC/Belfast BC.

Division Two – A Final: 1 UCD A (nov) 5:45.55, 2 Queen’s (nov) 5:56.84, 3 UCD (nov) 5:57.92, 4 Commercial (jun) 6:00.69.

Four – Division One – A Final (Blue Riband): 1 NUIG (snr; D Mannion, A Martin, E Donnelly, James Wall) 5:38.16, 2 Commercial (snr) 5:38.55, 3 Galway (snr) 5:47.84, 4 Trinity (u-23) 6:09.65.

Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: 1 UCD  (snr) 5:51.79, 2 Trinity (inter) 6:01.44, 3 Bann (jnr) 6:02.88. B Final: Bann B (jnr) 6:08.73. Masters: 1 Commercial, 2 City of Derry. Division Two – A Final: 1 Fossa (nov) 6:14.04, 2 Shannon (nov) 6:17.52, 3 Queen’s (nov) 6:21.21. B Final: 1 Trinity 6:30.52; 3 Commercial (jnr) 6:35.41; 5 Commercial (jun 16) 7:01.61. Division Two – A Final: 1 Fossa (nov) 6:14.07, 2 Shannon (nov) 6:15.00, 3 Garda (nov) 6:15.86. B Final: Commercial (jun 16) 6:24.07; 3 Commercial (jnr) 6:41.81.

Pair, Senior – Division One – A Final: 1 St Michael’s (senior; H Lynch, D O’Connor) 6:12.57, 2 St Michael’s (snr; S Lynch, K O’Connor) 6:14.38, 3 UCD/Commercial (snr) 6:14.74; 5 St Michael’s (under-23) 6:28.74. B Final: 1 Galway (snr) 6:22.79. C Final: University of Limerick (u-23) 6:34.04. D Final: 1 Athlone (junior) 6:48.68; 4 Neptune (inter) 7:14.86.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (snr) 5:42.78, 2 Skibbereen (jnr) 5:46.50, 3 Neptune (jnr) 5:58.00.

Junior 15: 1 Cork, 2 Skibbereen. Division Two – A Final, coxed: 1 Carlow (jnr) 6:18.26, 2 Carrick-on-Shannon (nov) 6:25.35, 3 Offaly (nov) 6:27.27; 5 Carlow (jun 16) 6:36.25.

Double – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jun) 6:12.80, 2 Skibbereen (u-23) 6:24.03, 3 Lee (u-23) 6:30.85. B Final: Castleconnell (jnr) 6:35.78; 4 St Michael’s (inter) 6:44.86. C Final: Neptune (jnr) 6:40.84.  Division Two – A Final: 1 Lee (jnr 16) 6:37.02, 2 St Michael’s (jun) 6:49.63.

Single - Division One – A Final: 1 Lee Valley (snr; J Keohane) 6:37.92, 2 Skibbereen (snr; Coakley) 6:41.21, 3 Skibbereen (jun; O’Donovan) 6:42.84; 5 Skibbereen (u-23; Murphy) 6:48.01. B Final: St Michael’s (ltwt; O’Shea) 6:47.07; 5 Neptune (inter; Bailey) 7:02.72. C Final: Lady Elizabeth (snr; Lewis) 7:00.63. D Final: Neptune (ltwt; O’Carroll) 7:09.42. E Final: Castleconnell (inter; Corbett) 7:23.06.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Carrick-on-Shannon (jun 16; Aherne) 7:23.11, 2 Castleconnell (jun 16; O’Connor) 7:28.64, 3 Lee (jun 16; Synott) 7:29.58; 4 Skibbereen A (novice; Barry) 7:31.19. B Final: 1 Lee (jun 16; Looney) 7:33.18; 5 St Michael’s (jun 18B; Glynn) 7:38.18. C Final: Cork (jun 16; Coughlan) 7:39.85. D Final: Shannon (jun 16; Radic) 7:50.28.

Junior 15: Final One: 1 Cork (McCarthy), 2 Graiguenamagh (Murphy), 3 Cork (Hegarty). Final Two: Cork A (Mitchell). Final Three: Offaly (Grogan). Final Four: Skibbereen (Ryan).

Masters: 1 Clonmel (Kinsella), 2 Carrick-on-Shannon (Butler), 3 City of Derry (D’Urso).

Women

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (snr; A Feeney, R Morris, C Cooney, J Shackleton, S Geoghegan, J Blake, L Byrne, N Fearon; cox: R Keogh) 6:19.16, 2 Trinity (snr) 6:25.46, 3 Trinity (nov) 6:52.84.

Four – Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (jnr) 6:48.83, 2 Cork (jnr) 6:55.93, 3 Shannon (jnr) 6:58.35.

Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (inter) 7:08.68, 2 Cork BC (inter) 7:18.06, 3 University of Limerick (inter) 7:20.75. Division Two – A Final, coxed: 1 St Michael’s (jun 16) 7:02.97, 2 Trinity A (nov) 7:07.79, 3 Carrick-on- Shannon (nov) 7:23.15. B Final, coxed: 1 Trinity B (nov) 7:58.67.

Pair – Division One – A Final: 1 Neptune (snr) 7:10.27, 2 Commercial B (snr) 7:17.60, 3 Commercial A (snr) 7:19.79, 4 St Michael’s (jnr) 7:26.23. B Final: Trinity (under-23) 7:37.58.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jnr) 6:35.69, 2 Bann (junior) 6:51.08.  Division Two – A Final: 1 Neptune (nov) 7:25.06, 2 Commercial (jnr) 9:39.03.

Double – Division One – A Final: 1 Offaly (snr; J Moran, E Moran) 7:02.28, 2 Skibbereen (jun) 7:04.18, 3 Skibbereen (u-23) 7:25.60.  Division Two – A Final: 1 Killorglin (jun 16) 7:21.96, 2 Garda (nov) 7:29.86, 3 Athlunkard (jun) 7:39.68. B Final: Shandon B (jun 16) 7:55.08.

Single – Division One – A Final: 1 Carrick-on-Shannon (ltwt; D Kelly) 7:25.54, 2 St Michael’s (ltwt; Clavin) 7:30.12, 3 Offaly (snr; Moran) 7:32.90; 4 Skibbereen (jnr; Walsh) 7:37.21. B Final: Commercial (ltwt; Quinn) 7:36.87. C Final: City of Derry (ltwt; Hughes) 7:54.97. Division Two – A Final: 1 Bantry (nov; Piggott) 8:01.16, 2 Killorglin (jnr 16; Crowley) 8:08.90, 3 Neptune (jnr 16; O’Brien) 8:17.50. B Final: Neptune (jnr 16; De Say) 8:18.76, 2 Athlunkard (jnr; Willis) 8:24.84. C Final: St Michael’s (jun 16; Phillips) 8:29.44.

Junior 15: 1 St Michael’s (McCarthy), 2 Killorglin (O’Sullivan), 3 Graiguenamanagh (Ryan).

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With little over a month to go to the Irish Rowing Championships, the Metropolitan Regatta, which takes place in Blessington on Saturday 12 June, should provide clear indications on the form crews for championship honours come July.

The Metro regatta, with 350 crews and over 900 athletes competing in over one hundred races, is the fourth Grand League Regatta of the season.  To date over a thousand crews have competed in the first three regattas hosted by Skibbereen, Queens and Cork City regattas.

Neptune (Dublin) on home waters have an opportunity to close the gap on Skibbereen for overall points totals.  Skibbereen are currently on 372 points with Neptune on 306, just 66 points behind.  In the Senior Men’s category St Michael’s from Limerick are leading by 31 points from Commercial, Dublin and will be travelling in force to Leinster. 

In the Men’s Senior Eights, two clubs from Connaught and two from Munster compete for the big boat trophy.   NUI Galway, Galway Rowing club, and St Michael’s and Muckross will also compete for the blue riband event of the Regatta, the Men’s Fours, against two Dublin clubs, Neptune and Commercial. 

The leading Grand League clubs going into the Metro regatta are Skibbereen 372, Neptune 306, St. Michael’s, Limerick 252, Commercial, 232, UCD 222.

St Michaels, Limerick still lead the men's senior category on 133 points, with Commercial on 102  points with Neptune overtaking UCD for 89 points.  UCD maintain their lead with 141 points in the women’s senior category ahead of NUI Galway on 101.75 points.
Selection for both men and women for the Home Internationals and the Commonwealth Games will occur in the Division 1 singles sculls and sweep pairs races where up to 70 and 30 crews respectively will be competing for honours.

Note:  The Blue Riband is scheduled for 12.30 pm and the Senior Eights for 6.00pm. There will be races throughout the day at five minute intervals.

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The home club, with an entry of over 40 crews, took a big share of the honours at Carlow regatta yesterday, but there was plenty of glory to go around. Neptune's girls and boys took some of the prize sculling titles; St Joseph's won the final race of the day, beating St Michael's in the junior 15 eight, whlle Commercial took the junior 16 women's eight. The St Michael's novice double of Gearoid Glynn and Nigel Kerr won their final, while Athlone took the junior 18A single scull.

 Carrick-on-Shannon again confirmed their rise at underage level, taking the women's novice four and the men's novice quad. But the western club had to give way in the closest final of the day, as William Little was beaten by one foot by Graiguenamanagh's Patrick Brereton in the men's novice single scull. 

Carlow Regatta, Sunday

Men

Eight – Junior 15: St Joseph’s bt St Michael’s easily. Four – Intermediate One: Athlone bt Carlow 1l. Novice: Carlow A bt Carlow B 2l.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Offaly 1/2l. Junior 18B: Carlow bt Offaly 3l. Junior 16: Carlow A bt Carlow B easily. Junior 15: Bann bt Fermoy 3l.

Double – Senior: Carlow A bt Carlow B ½ l. Novice: St Michael’s bt Carlow 3l. Junior 18A: Carlow bt Fermoy easily. Junior 16: Carlow bt Carrick-on-Shannon 2l. Junior 15: Neptune bt Fermoy 1l.

Single – Senior: Carlow (C Ryan) bt Carlow (N Murphy) 2l. Novice: Graiguenamanagh (P Brereton) bt Carrick-on-Shannon (W Little)  1 ft. Junior 18A: Athlone bt Carlow 3l. Junior 16: Carlow bt Carrick-on-Shannon 2l.  Masters: Runcorn B bt Runcorn A 2l.

Women - Eight, Junior 16: Commercial bt Carlow ½ l. Four – Novice: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Commercial 4l.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice: Neptune bt Carrick-on-Shannon 2l. Junior 16: Neptune bt Carlow easily. Junior 15: St Michael’s bt Carlow 3l.

Double – Senior: Carlow row over. Novice: Neptune bt Carlow 3l. Junior 16: Neptune bt St Michael’s 3l. Junior 15: St Michael’s A bt St Michael’s B 1l.

Single – Senior: Carlow (M Bolger) row over. Junior 15: Commercial bt Offaly 2l.

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Queen's University and Trinity both won two titles in the University Boat Races on the Lagan. In the men's senior class the hosts won, but Trinity took the novice men's title. The senior women's race went to Trinity, while Queen's took the women's novice title. 

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Skibbereen Rowing Club is now top the Rowing Ireland Grand League having overtaken Dublin club Neptune following the Cork Regatta, as the league reaches the halfway stage.

The leading clubs after the third regatta are: Skibbereen 372, Neptune 306, St. Michael’s, Limerick 252, Commercial, 232, UCD 222. St Michaels, Limerick still lead the men's senior category on 133 points, with Commercial on 102  points with Neptune overtaking UCD for 89 points.  UCD maintain their lead with 141 points in the women’s senior category ahead of NUI Galway on 101.75 points. Skibbereen RC remain top of the junior men category on 137 with St. Joseph’s, Galway  (The Bish)  in second on 97  with Skibbereen and St. Michael’s topping the junior women on 125 and 80 points respectively. The next Grand League regatta is the Dublin Metropolitan regatta, which takes place at Blessington Lakes on Saturday 12th .  The league will resume, after the Irish Rowing Championships which take place in July, with the Limerick and Monkstown regattas in August.

For full tables go to results at http://iaru.ie/main.php

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Siobhan McCrohan and Claire Lambe have been chosen as the Afloat Rowers of the Month for May. The young lightweight double made a sparkling debut at the first World Cup regatta of the season in Bled, Slovenia. They won their heat and finished third in their semi-final to qualify for the A Final, where they finished sixth. The Tribesmen/UCD duo are deserving winners of the Afloat Rowers of the Month award.

Rower of the Month awards: The judging panel is made up of Liam Gorman, rowing correspondent of The Irish Times, President of Rowing Ireland Anthony Dooley and David O'Brien, Editor of Afloat magazine. Monthly awards for achievements during the year will appear on afloat.ie and the overall national award will be presented to the person or crew which, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to rowing during 2010. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2010 champions list grow.

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Ireland’s lightweight double of Siobhan McCrohan and Claire Lambe finished sixth in the A Final at the World Cup in Bled in Slovenia. The race was marked out by a dominant performance by the United States crew  of Abelyn Broughton and Ursula Grobler, who established an early lead and were never really tested. Britain’s Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking, who took silver, were over six seconds behind at the end. Lambe and McCrohan held fifth for much of the race but were passed by Britain’s second crew of Stephanie Cullen and Andrea Dennis in the closing stages.

 Racing in Bled was brought forward because of worries about the weather. 

 World Cup Regatta, Bled, Slovenia

Women, Lightweight Double Scull – A Final: 1 United States (A Broughton, U Grobler) 7:07.75, 2 Britain One (H Goodsell, S Hosking) 7:13.11, 3 Greece (T Kalampoka, C Giazitzidou) 7:17.09; 4 Netherlands (R Sigmond, M Head) 7:20.40, 5 Britain Two (S Cullen, A Dennis) 7:20.92, 6 Ireland One (S McCrohan, C Lambe) 7:22.99.

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Portora’s junior eight won the men’s senior eight title at Trinity regatta, beating the hosts’ intermediate crew in the final. In the women’s senior eight final, a Commercial crew containing four juniors also beat the hosts.

Trinity Regatta, Islandbridge

Men, Eight – Senior: Portora bt Trinity 2½l. Intermediate: Trinity bt Galway RC 1¼l. Novice: Trinity bt Portora easily. Junior 15: Commercial bt Neptune 1½l

Four – Intermediate, coxed: Galway B bt Neptune A 2½l. Novice, coxed: Portora bt Trinity ¾l.

Sculling

Single – Senior: Garda (G Duane) bt Neptune (S King) 1l.  Intermediate: Trinity (Dunphy) bt Neptune (Bailey) 3½l. Novice: Trinity (Mawn) bt Graiguenamanagh (Ryan) 2l.

Women, Eight – Senior: Commercial bt Trinity 4l. Intermediate: Portora bt UCD 3l. Novice: Trinity bt UCD 2l.

Four – Senior, coxed: Trinity bt Portora 2l. Intermediate, coxed: Commercial bt Neptune 1½l. Novice, coxed: Trinity A bt Trinity B 4½l.

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Claire Lambe and Siobhan McCrohan held their nerve in the closing stages of their semi-final to secure an A Final place at the World Cup regatta in Bled. The Ireland lightweight double scull, on its first outing, held off Poland to secure third behind Britain Two and the Netherlands. The United States, Britain One and Greece qualified from the other semi-final.

World Cup Regatta, Bled, Slovenia, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Scull – C Final (Places 13-18): 1 Italy Three (D Gilardoni, J Casiraghi) 6:30.49, 2 Poland 6:33.56, 3 Ireland One (N Kenny, J Ryan) 6:35.65, 4 Netherlands 6:35.83, 5 Denmark One 6:38.60, 6 Czech Republic 6:39.10. D Final (places 19-21): 1 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan, M Maher) 6:39.18, 2 Denmark Three 6:47.07, 3 Denmark Two 6:50.08.

Lightweight Single Scull – A/B Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; Rest to B Final): 1 Britain (Z Purchase) 7:22.02, 2 Slovakia (L Babac) 7:23.76, 3 Spain (D Sigurjoersson Benet) 7:24.11; 6 Ireland (C Moynihan) 7:37.03.

Adaptive Events

Legs, Trunk and Arms Mixed Coxed Four – A Final: 1 Britain 3:31.74, 2 Germany 3:35.40, 3 Ukraine 3:35.90, 4 Ireland (K Cromie, S Ryan, K Du Toit, S Caffrey; L Purdy) 3:37.91, 5 Poland 3:46.51, 6 Italy 3:50.46.

Arms and Shoulders Single Scull – A/B Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; Rest to B Final): 1 Britain Two (A Houghton) 5:30.03, 2 Ukraine (A Kryvchun) 5:33.34, 3 Russia (A Chuvashev) 5:34.89; 5 Ireland (K Doherty) 5:48.34. B Final (Places 7-12): 1 France Two 5:29.44, 2 Ireland (Doherty) 5:36.85.

Women

Lightweight Double Scull – A/B Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; Rest to B Final: 1 Britain Two (S Cullen, A Dennis) 7:25.19, 2 The Netherlands 7:27.12, 3 Ireland One (C Lambe, S McCrohan) 7:28.64; 4 Poland 7:32.48, 5 China Two 7:33.73, 6 France 7:35.78.

D Final (Places 19-22): 1 Russia (N Varfolomeeva, A Yazykova) 7:24.68, 2 Czech Republic 7:29.13, 3 Ireland Two (S Dolan, S Clavin) 7:31.84, 4 Ireland Three (D Kelly, S Jacob) 7:31.84.

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Ireland’s two men’s lightweight double sculls finished their campaigns at the World Cup regatta in Bled with good performances. Niall Kenny and Justin Ryan finished third in the C Final, 15th overall, having moved from fifth at halfway by passing the Czech Republic and, then, the Netherlands at the finish. Mark O’Donovan and Michael Maher won the three-boat D Final in convincing fashion to finish 19th overall.

Ireland’s two lightweight women’s doubles finished 21st and 22nd overall, so close that they needed a photo finish to separate them in their four-boat D Final. Siobhan Jacob and Dympna Kelly had held second for much of the 2,000 metres but were passed in the closing stages by the Czech Republic and then by compatriots Sarah Dolan and Sheila Clavin.

World Cup Regatta, Bled, Slovenia, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Scull – C Final (Places 13-18): 1 Italy Three (D Gilardoni, J Casiraghi) 6:30.49, 2 Poland 6:33.56, 3 Ireland One (N Kenny, J Ryan) 6:35.65, 4 Netherlands 6:35.83, 5 Denmark One 6:38.60, 6 Czech Republic 6:39.10. D Final (places 19-21): 1 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan, M Maher) 6:39.18, 2 Denmark Three 6:47.07, 3 Denmark Two 6:50.08.

Lightweight Single Scull – A/B Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; Rest to B Final): 1 Britain (Z Purchase) 7:22.02, 2 Slovakia (L Babac) 7:23.76, 3 Spain (D Sigurjoersson Benet) 7:24.11; 6 Ireland (C Moynihan) 7:37.03.

Adaptive Events

Arms and Shoulders Single Scull – A/B Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; Rest to B Final): 1 Britain Two (A Houghton) 5:30.03, 2 Ukraine (A Kryvchun) 5:33.34, 3 Russia (A Chuvashev) 5:34.89; 5 Ireland (K Doherty) 5:48.34.

Women

Lightweight Double Scull – D Final (Places 19-22): 1 Russia (N Varfolomeeva, A Yazykova) 7:24.68, 2 Czech Republic 7:29.13, 3 Ireland Two (S Dolan, S Clavin) 7:31.84, 4 Ireland Three (D Kelly, S Jacob) 7:31.84.

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