Currachaí na Sceirí’s seventh annual Three Island Challenge will take place off the coast of Skerries in Co Dublin over the weekend of 28–29 June, supported by Fingal County Council and Skerries Tourism.
Rowed in traditional Irish currachs, the challenge sees teams navigate a 7km course around the three islands off the coast of Skerries: Colt, St. Patrick's and Shenick Island.
Crews must land on Shenick to retrieve a numbered flag before sprinting back to the South Strand to finish.
The fastest team will take home the prestigious Denis Guiney Perpetual East Coast Currach Rowing Championship Cup, first awarded in 1959 in Skerries. This is the main event of the weekend and it kicks off at 2pm on Saturday 28 June.
What sets the Skerries challenge apart is its inclusivity: the event is open to all types of currachs: 2-, 3- and 4-handers, both working currachs and racing currachs, thanks to a fair handicap system. This makes for a diverse and competitive field of participants from all over Ireland and beyond, including expected crews from Clare, Mayo, Donegal, Down and Dublin.
There are also rowers from the USA representing rowing clubs located in Albany, Boston, Annapolis and Leetsdale, who have flown over specially to take part in this year’s event.
The event, now in its seventh year, is hosted by Currachaí na Sceirí, a group of boatbuilding rowers and currach enthusiasts who have revived the racing tradition in the historic Skerries fishing harbour.
Currach crews from all over Ireland compete for the Three Island Challenge, as seen here in June 2023 | Credit: Maxwell’s
“This will be a great spectacle of traditional currachs of all types, racing around the three Skerries islands and planting a flag on the South Strand to finish,” says Teddy Otto, captain of Currachaí na Sceirí.
What began as a one-day race has now grown into a full weekend celebration of maritime heritage, community and fun.
“From thrilling races on the water to music, food and games on the shore, the Three Island Challenge weekend offers something for everyone,” Otto says.
Onshore festivities include live race commentary from South Strand and a display of significant currachs including An Béal Deirg, a 24-foot salmon-fishing five-hander featured in Game of Thrones and King Arthur; a two-decades-old three-hander fishing currach (Musha) built by three brothers on Inis Meain; and a Galway racer that has won multiple currach races and is ageing gracefully (Elana).
Apart from the main event, the Three Island Challenge, there will be sprint races run from the South Strand as well as fun competitions including backward races and tug-of-war between currachs. Some of these will take place on Sunday 29 June from around 2pm.
As part of the festival, there will also be a trad music session at Joe May’s (8pm on Saturday).
This celebration of Irish seafaring culture blends athleticism, craftsmanship and community spirit into one unforgettable day by the sea.
