One of the great days for Irish club and university rowing will be marked at Henley Royal Regatta this year. The Henley stewards have asked the Trinity eight which won the Ladies’ Plate in 1977 to mark the fortieth anniversary with a formal row over.

Trinity had last won the Ladies’ Plate Challenge Cup over a century before, in 1875. The 1977 crew beat Pembroke College, Cambridge in the final by three and one third lengths in a time of six minutes 53 seconds.

That year the crew also won the Gannon Cup and the Universities’ Championships and represented Irish Universities at an invitational event in Egypt.

The Trinity senior coach of 1977, Robin Tamplin, sadly died this year and the crew will be rowing in a boat named in his memory. Tamplin, a former captain and president of Dublin University Boat Club, rowed for Ireland at the London Olympics at Henley in 1948.

In 2015, Sean Drea rowed over at Henley. The Neptune man had won the Diamond Sculls in 1973, 1974 and 1975.

The 1977 Dublin University Boat Club crew

The Ladies’ Plate is the top eights’ event at Henley for club and university crews below The Grand Challenge Cup, at which heavyweight international crews compete.

Henley Royal Regatta is the most famous rowing regatta. Founded in 1839, it continues to draw crowds as a social event, while top rowers from around the world take part.

The regatta runs from June 28th to July 2nd this year.