The inaugural City Sprints Interprovincial Series launched with great energy and sunshine on the River Liffey, marking a thrilling new addition to the Irish rowing calendar.
Hosted in the heart of Dublin, this unique sprint-format event brought coastal boats to the city centre for the very first time — a new experience for most of the participating rowers. In a fun twist, the crews also had to complete a 60m sprint on foot as part of the challenge, adding to the drama and excitement.
The Senior Men’s event set the tone, delivering the first big shock of the day as Neptune fell to a powerful Wicklow crew. Commercial Rowing Club then fought their way past a Fingal/St. Kearns composite, setting up the race of the day against Wicklow.
In a dramatic final that had spectators on the edge of their seats, the finish was so close the commentator quipped, “There’s only half a bowball in it—and these boats don’t even have a bowball!” Commercial took the win in what was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the day.
The largest and arguably most enthusiastic category of the day was the Men’s J16, where Blackrock College stood out with impressive form and strong crowd support. They triumphed in the final over a competitive Blackrock/New Ross composite.
In the Men’s J18, New Ross turned the tables by securing the win over Blackrock. Wicklow continued their dominance with victories in both the Women’s J16 and Senior Women’s events, defeating Commercial/Stella Maris and Commercial respectively.
However, Commercial rebounded in the Women’s J18, where their talented double overcame Wicklow in a commanding performance.
After four hours of exhilarating sprint racing, sharp turns, and photo finishes, the Leinster team is beginning to take shape. The strongest crews from the day will now prepare to face off against the best of Munster, Connacht, and Ulster in the upcoming Interprovincial showdown.
A sincere thank you to Swift Racing Boats for their generous support in supplying boats for the event. Their commitment to the growth of coastal rowing made it possible for all competitors to experience coastal rowing at its best.
