#Canoeing - Experienced canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts from across Dublin city and county are bound for Kilkenny and the south east as the countdown has begun to the country’s first ever Canoeing Ireland Club Championships.
Over 400 competitors from 19 clubs across the country, among them athletes from the Wildwater Aqua Canoe Club in Lucan/Chapelizod, Lir Canoe Club, Rockhoppers and the UCD Canoe Club, have already registered for the two-day white-knuckle, adrenaline-pumping contest that will draw Ireland’s top watersports enthusiasts to Kilkenny city, to nearby Graiguenamanagh and Tramore in Waterford on 12-13 April.
A series of training weekends began on Saturday 1 February and as many as 80 competitors will be in the region every weekend up to the Club Championships, preparing for the all-island event.
The Canoeing Ireland Club Championships 2014 is also set to be a major revenue spinner for both Kilkenny and Waterford, and an amazing showcase event with hundreds more supporters, family members and friends expected to flock to the region for the inter-clubs competition.
The ultimate club will be crowned based on its athlete’s cumulated performances across all of the eight disciplines, which include a canoe slalom and wildwater racing in Clashganny; sprint kayaking and freestyle kayaking in Kilkenny city; and kayak surfing in Tramore.
The venue for the ultimate challenge, the White Water Kayak Race, will be confirmed closer to the event as weather will play a major role in finding the most testing waters for the spectacular event.
This will be an epic weekend not to be missed, according to Canoeing Ireland development officer Benny Cullen.
“Kilkenny was chosen due to its central location, its large variety of rivers in close vicinity to the city and its welcoming atmosphere,” he said.
“Organisations such as Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership and Kilkenny Leader Partnership have done trojan work in the region to promote the sport, improve facilities and get more people active and out on the rivers.
“We are very grateful to all our supporters, particularly Great Outdoors, for their generous sponsorship.”
Cullen added that the championship “will also be a great spectator weekend and the best views of the events in Kilkenny city will be from the east bank of the Nore in Kilkenny, along Johns Quay between Green Street Bridge and Kilkenny Castle.
“Onlookers and supporters in Graignamanagh will have a bird’s eye view from the canal tow path at Clashganny Lock.”
