A new coastal rowing boat named after St Laurence was blessed in Ringsend, Dublin, today for the Stella Maris Rowing Club.

The St Laurence II has been sponsored by Dublin Port Company, and is named after the original St Laurence, which was built, owned and competed in by Dublin Port workers in the 1950s.

Dublin Port Company says it represents yet another investment by it in promoting the sport of rowing in Dublin.

Dublin Port Company CEO Barry O’Connell alongside Alicia Weafer, Trudi Pepper, Emma Gannon and Niamh Kane of the Stella Maris Rowing Club’s Under-16 Girls Team, who take to the water on their new coastal rowing boat, the St Laurence II, sponsored by Dublin Port Company

Dublin Port Company CEO Barry O’Connell alongside Alicia Weafer, Trudi Pepper, Emma Gannon and Niamh Kane of the Stella Maris Rowing Club’s Under-16 Girls Team, who take to the water on their new coastal rowing boat, the St Laurence II, sponsored by Dublin Port Company.

It will also provide Stella Maris Rowing Club's dedicated members – ranging from aged ten onwards - with state-of-the-art equipment that will enhance their training and capabilities, the port company says.

(Left to Right) Coach Louise Kane with Niamh Kane, Emma Gannon, Trudi Pepper and Alicia Weafer of the Stella Maris Rowing Club’s Under-16 Girls Team take to the water on their new coastal rowing boat, the St Laurence II Photo Tommy Dickson

“This continued and long-standing partnership comes as part of Dublin Port Company’s wider plans for a new maritime village,”it says

The village is part of its 3FM development project, and will involve a “modern sailing and rowing campus” for sailing and rowing clubs, sea scouts, the Nautical Trust and local boat owners.

The 3FM project is the port’s masterplan for 2040, and is focused on port lands on the Poolbeg peninsula, on the south side of the bay.

Dublin Port Company continues its support of Stella Maris Rowing Club with the sponsorship of the new skiff (above and below Photos: Tommy Dickson

The port says the village “has been developed in consultation with local groups and will replace the current much smaller facilities as well as improving opportunities to view port activities from the new waterside public plaza area”.

The new boat was blessed today by Father Ivan Tonge during a ceremony held at the Ringsend Club’s home on the Pigeon House Road in Dublin.

Founded in 1937, Stella Maris is one of Dublin's oldest and most respected rowing clubs, with levels from junior right up to senior.

The club recently won a Dublin South Central Garda Youth Award, which is awarded to young people who have contributed positively to their communities.

Barry O’Connell, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: “We are honoured to offer our continued support to Stella Maris Rowing Club. The values Stella embodies, such as teamwork, dedication and perseverance, align perfectly with our own ethos at Dublin Port Company."

(Left to Right) Coach Louise Kane with Niamh Kane, Emma Gannon, Trudi Pepper and Alicia Weafer of the Stella Maris Rowing Club’s Under-16 Girls Team take to the water on their new coastal rowing boat, the St Laurence II Photo: Tommy Dickson

"This commitment ties in with our wider community initiatives to come under the 3FM Project, which will see a new maritime village providing enhanced facilities for a range of users, including sailing and rowing clubs.”

Dublin Port Company CEO Barry O’Connell (far right) with members of Stella Maris Rowing Club at the blessing of their new coastal rowing boat Photo: Tommy Dickson

Pat Kane, Chairman, Stella Maris Rowing Club, said: “Dublin Port has long been a friend to Stella Maris, and we would like to thank them for their continued support. The original St Laurence served the club well for over 30 years and, thanks to Dublin Port, the St Laurence II will inspire and enable the next generation of rowers.”

Stella Maris Rowing Club succeeded at its 2023 regatta, winning eight out of 16 races.

Fair rowing weather, good spirits, healthy rivalries, and races running efficiently and on time all made for a wonderful East Coast Regatta enjoyed by a wide range of coastal rowing clubs. 

Building on the success of 2022's first post-pandemic regatta on the River Liffey at Poolbeg Marina, the regatta has been widely praised by the east coast coastal rowing community not necessarily for the on-water success enjoyed by the host club but more for all the other elements that made for a great day out on the capital's waters in Dublin Port.

"Amazing results at today’s regatta @stellamarisrowingclub, a tough ole jaunt down the river. Well done to all crews & all who came & supported", Dalkey Rowing Club posted on social media.

This was the second coastal rowing regatta to take place on the East Coast circuit this year but the first on the Liffey.

Ten clubs from along the East Coast from Balbriggan to Arklow took part bringing over 120 crews onto the water throughout the day.

While Stella Maris may have been the big winners over the day there were great performances from all the East Coast Clubs, with nearly every club in attendance represented on the overall Medal table. 

Attention turns to Dalkey Rowing Club Regatta on the south side of Dublin Bay next Saturday (June 17th) for the next regatta of the East Coast Rowing Council.

Stella Maris Rowing Club enjoyed success at its own 2023 regatta

Stella Maris Rowing Clubs' first post-pandemic regatta on the River Liffey at Poolbeg Marina on Sunday will go down as one of the best in many years, not necessarily for the on-water success enjoyed by the host club throughout the day but more for all the other elements that simply made for a great day out on the capital's waters in Dublin Port.

This was the first coastal rowing regatta to actually take place on the East Coast circuit this year.

Stella Maris Regatta competitors underneath the North Wall Quay lighthouse on the River Liffey Photo: Afloat

Three others (Dalkey, Skerries and Balbriggan/Fingal) were cancelled in Late May and early June due to high winds and adverse conditions unsuited to offshore rowing.

There was lots of praise from among the east coast rowing community for Stella Maris Regatta organiser Pat Kane and his committee for the smooth running of the event Photo: Afloat

As Afloat reported previously, ten clubs from along the East Coast from Balbriggan to Arklow took part bringing over 120 crews onto the water throughout the day.

Conditions were perfect for the Stella Maris Regatta 2022 with a course on the river Liffey between Poolbeg Marina and The Eastlink Bridge Photo: Afloat

Brilliant weather, good spirits, healthy rivalries, and races running efficiently and on time all made for a wonderful East Coast Regatta enjoyed by a wide range of coastal rowing clubs. 

Competition commenced at 10 am at Poolbeg Marina on the River Liffey on Sunday. This was the Stella Maris Club's first "Full" regatta since 2019 Photo: Afloat

While Stella Maris may have been the big winners over the day there were great performances from all the East Coast Clubs with every club in attendance represented on the overall Medal table. See results below.

A coastal rowing crew pictured just after finishing a Stella Maris Regatta race on the River Liffey Photo: Afloat

Stella Maris Coastal Rowing Regatta 2022 Results

U12 Boys
1st Wicklow
2nd Wicklow
3rd St Patricks

U12 Girls
1st St Patricks
2nd Stella Maris
3rd St Patricks

U14 Girls
1st Stella Maris
2nd Stella Maris
3rd Stella Maris

A Stella Maris Coastal Rowing Regatta crew alongside MV Celine, the world’s largest short sea Ro-Ro ship Photo: Afloat

U14 Boys
1st St Patricks
2nd Stella Maris
3rd Stella Maris

U16 Girls
1st Stella Maris
2nd Stella Maris
3rd Bray

U16 Boys
1st St Patricks
2nd Skerries

U18 Girls
1st Stella Maris
2nd Greystones

U18 Boys
1st Wicklow
2nd Dunlaoghaire
3rd Skerries

Inter Ladies
1st Fingal
2nd Stella Maris
3rd Skerries

Inter Men
1st Stella Maris
2nd St Patricks
3rd Greystones

Dalkey ladies coastal rowing team at the Stella Maris Regatta

Junior Ladies
1st Dalkey
2nd Stella Maris
3rd St Patricks

Junior Men
1st Stella Maris
2nd Dunlaoghaire
3rd Bray

Mixed
1st Dalkey
2nd Stella Maris
3rd Fingal

Novice Women
1st Bray
2nd Dalkey
3rd Fingal

Novice Men
1st Fingal
2nd Dalkey
3rd Greystones

Senior Ladies
1st Stella Maris
2nd Dun Laoghaire
3rd Wicklow

Senior Men
1st Wicklow
2nd St Patricks
3rd Stella Maris

Stella Maris Rowing Club will be holding its annual regatta on the River Liffey this coming Sunday 10 July with the competition getting underway from 10 am at Poolbeg Marina in Dublin’s Docklands.

The day is so far promising dry weather with light winds, which will bring some cheer in a season that’s suffered from blowouts and poor conditions for coastal rowing in the early part for the East Coast circuit.

And it also marks the Ringsend club’s first full regatta since 2019 before the pandemic, so the celebratory mood will be expectedly high.

Under-12s will be a part of a packed junior racing programme this Sunday | Credit: Stella Maris Rowing Club

Ten clubs from along the East Coast from Balbriggan to Arklow will be taking part, bringing over 120 crews onto the water throughout the day in racing across 16 different categories.

The draw takes place at 9am for the race list, which includes Novice, Inter, Junior and Senior Men and Ladies, U12s mixed, U14 for Boys and Girls, U16 for Boys and Girls, U18/U21 for Boys and Girls and a Mixed class.

Coxswains meet at 9.30am and the first race starts at 10am. For the full race order see the club’s Facebook page HERE.

Stella Maris’ Realt Na Mara in action at a previous regatta | Credit: Stella Maris Rowing Club

Download the full race list below. Draw at 9 am, Coxswains meeting at 9.30 am and first Race @ 10 am

Community spirit was alive and well on the River Liffey this week as Stella Maris Rowing Club joined Ringsend's 14th annual May Day Parade in Dublin City last Monday.

A marching band and appearances from various clubs, organisations, and members of the wider community were involved in the parade, including Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club.

It was a busy start to the coastal rowing season for the Stella Maris rowers at the Dublin Port-based club with an entry in the 15.4km row in the offshore double division at Clogherhead Strand in the Boyne boat race last weekend. 

The club was also involved with the launch of three Currachs on the river, as Afloat reported here.

Dublin Port Company has hailed the return to the water of its neighbour rowing clubs St Patrick’s and Stella Maria with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions for under-18s partaking in sports.

“It is great to see, even in these challenging times, that our local Ringsend rowing clubs … can now make a start to the season safely together,” it said.

Learn more about the intertwined histories of the clubs in a video made by Dublin Port Company for its YouTube channel.

Courtown Harbour Rowing Club took second place in a time of 3:3:19 and third place honours went to Stella Maris Rowing Club with a time of 3:16.00. The hosts of the Hobblers Challenge, St. Michaels Rowing Club based out of the Coal Harbour, passed under the high walls of the East Pier Lighthouse and battery some two minutes later in fourth place.

The annual event (for race-route click HERE) was only re-introduced onto the race calendar last year after a break of several years. The skiffs were launched at the Coal Harbour slipway where they headed over to line-up for the starter's gun opposite the Hobbler's Memorial located on the publicly accessible Eastern Breakwater which is between the Stena Line HSS fast-ferry berth and the Dun Laoghaire Marina.

In attendance to greet the start of the race in memorial of the Dublin Bay hobblers was the RNLB Anna Livia of the local RNLI lifeboat station. The bronze memorial depicts a tower of lifejackets in commemoration of three young Dun Laoghaire hobblers who after piloting and unloading the schooner Jealous of Me in Ringsend, failed to return home.

This occupation was carried out by men also from Ringsend, Dalkey and other harbours and it was the first crew to reach a ship and throw a hook on the deck who would win the business of pilotage and unloading in Dublin Port.

Crews would think nothing of rowing out to the Kish Bank on the hope of spotting a ship. If they waited offshore and no passing trade appeared along the East Coast the craft doubled as a bed if it became too late to row home. The craft were much larger and heavier compared to the present day skiff and it is in these oarstrokes that the Hobblers Challenge follows the original race of the hobblers during the 18th and 19th centuries.

It was apt that on the same day of this year's Hobblers Challenge, the 107-year-old ketch Bessie Ellen, a former cargo-carrying vessel that represented one of the last such sail-trading ships operating in the Irish Sea, was making a passage to the east of the Kish Bank.

To read more about the un-manned Kish Lighthouse click this HERE, and for the 150 cargo tons capacity ketch built in 1904 click HERE.

Dublin's Lord Mayor Gerry Breen will assume the traditional title of Admiral of the Port of Dublin when he presides over the Parade of Sail on the Liffey later this month.

The parade on Sunday 29 May is a highlight of the annual Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association rally, which this year is held in tandem with the Stella Maris Rowing Club regatta.

Rowing clubs along the east coast will be sending crews to Dublin to compete for the special Asgard Trophy, which is made of timber used in the conservation of the original Asgard in the National Museum.

The event - centred at the Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club near Ringsend - is also expected to attract classic vessels from ports in Wales and Northern Ireland.

For more information contact the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association at www.dublinbayoldgaffersassociation.com or [email protected]

The Old Gaffers Association is a sailing organisation dedicated to preserving traditional sailing craft, usually former working boats, and mainly of wooden construction, promoting their distinctive gaff rig.