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It’s been a weekend full of activity with Grand League events, International Regattas and Level 1 Coaching Courses!

Lough Rinn Grand League Regatta

Despite a sudden downpour of rain during the lunch break, Lough Rinn held perfect conditions for racing.

University of Limerick RC had the most division wins, winning all four divisions that they were entered in, but it was Muckross RC that came out with the most event wins, collecting six medals for their junior men. Enniskillen Royal BC weren’t far behind with a total of five event wins. They put their stamp on the points table, placing themselves just outside of the top three clubs in fourth place, an impressive feat for their first Grand League appearance this season.

Both Commercial RC and Neptune RC had a great weekend, gaining 581 and 562 points respectively. These results bumped them up the table into first and second position ahead of University of Limerick. Commercial RC’s Men’s Senior Pair of James Healy and Colm Dowling won with clear water ahead of the Neptune Inter Pair. In the penultimate race of the day, the Division 1 Men’s Eights, it was Neptune who came out ahead of Commercial with their Club Eight finishing four seconds ahead of Commercial’s Inter Eight. There’s currently only 93 points separating the two Islandbridge clubs so it’ll all come down to the last two Grand League events.

St. Joseph’s College RC have put another successful event under their belt, winning both the Men’s J16 and J18 Eights. The Bish J18 Eight won the Division 1 final, finishing with clear water ahead of their competition. They are currently sitting in fifth position on the points table.

In the Women’s Division 2 Doubles, the Neptune Club double of Elaine Power and Niamh Kilgallon, won by a commanding lead finishing 30 seconds ahead of the J16 double from Garda Boat Club of Sarah Costello and Emma Jane Duggan.

Below are the leading clubs for the Grand League categories:

  • Overall: Commercial Rowing Club
  • Men’s Division 1: Commercial Rowing Club
  • Women’s Division 1: University of Limerick Rowing Club
  • Men’s Division 2: Neptune Rowing Club
  • Women’s Division 2: Enniskillen Royal Boat Club

A full table with points and rankings is attached below.

All results can be found at the link HERE

Well done to the organising committee for running an excellent event, and a huge thank you to all of the volunteers who helped out on the day. The event was also supported by the Connacht Branch and Leitrim County Council.

Ghent International Regatta

Ghent Regatta showed huge success for the clubs from Ireland. Skibbereen Rowing Club had a great weekend winning nine gold medals over the weekend.

Ghent International Regatta is split into two separate events on Saturday and Sunday, and race their junior events as time trials, with the fastest boat taking the gold medals! It can be tricky racing as even with a substantial win in a heat, it all still comes down to times.

In Saturday’s Men’s U19 Scull, St. Michaels RC had three scullers finishing in third, fourth and fifth position out of a field of 62 scullers, Shane Rafferty, Jack Rafferty and Fionn McDonnell. Shane Rafferty went on to win the event on the second day, and his brother Jack won gold in the Men’s U17 Scull.

The Women’s U19 Eight’s saw a predominant field of crews from Ireland, and Saturday’s podium positions were Castleconnell BC in first place, Skibbereen RC in second place and St. Michael’s RC in third place. All three boats were within five seconds of each other. The following day Skibbereen pushed ahead of Castleconnell taking the gold medal. Castleconnell in third position and Cork BC in fourth were separated by just .13 of a second. There will definitely be tough competition between these crews in the Junior Eight’s at this years Irish Rowing Championships, while also including the Enniskillen eight that raced well this weekend in Lough Rinn.

In the Men’s U19 Eight’s, there was a very tight race between the crews from Colaiste Iognaid and St. Michael’s with just .16 of a second splitting them. Castleconnell was another three seconds behind. With these close times from the time trial, it would be interesting to see these crews race head to head and see where they would finish then.

Ireland Wins

Saturday
  • MU15 1x – Skibbereen RC (Franciszek Lechtanski)
  • WU19 4- – Skibbereen RC
  • MU19 4- – Castleconnell BC
  • WU19 8+ – Castleconnell BC
  • MU19 4+ – Skibbereen RC
Sunday
  • MU15 2x – Skibbereen RC
  • WU17 1x – Skibbereen RC (Aoife Hendy)
  • MU19 2- – Skibbereen RC
  • MU19 4+ – Colaiste Iognaid RC
  • MU19 1x – St. Michael’s RC (Shane Rafferty)
  • WU19 2- – Colaiste Iognaid RC
  • MU17 1x – St. Michael’s RC (Jack Rafferty)
  • WU19 8+ – Skibbereen RC
  • WU17 4x – Skibbereen RC
  • MU17 8+ – Castleconnell BC
  • MU15 4x – Skibbereen RC

All results can be found at the link HERE

Level 1 Coaching Course – Cork

We have 17 coaches from 8 Munster clubs attending our latest Level One course. Some online modules were followed by a very full weekend in Fermoy of rigging, coaching theory and practical coaching on the bank with some Fermoy Rowing Club crews. Our thanks to Fermoy for their hospitality. The course continues with a nutrition module during the week and a S&C module next Sunday.

If you want to attend one of our courses you can register your interest HERE

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This weekend, the first Grand League event, Skibbereen Regatta, took place in the National Rowing Centre. Early weather forecasts were not looking good for the weekend but the weather gods were in Skibbereen’s corner this time, clearing up just in time for racing.

It was UL Rowing Clubs weekend, coming away with seven division wins and nine event wins. Kealan Mannix, originally a Skibbereen rower, completed as he calls it, ‘the trifecta’, winning the Men’s Division 1 scull, double and quad. The Women’s Division 1 doubles saw a one-two finish for UL, with the double of Niamh Coffey and Lauren O’Brien finishing with clear water ahead of the field. After this weekends performances they are currently on top of the Grand League points table.

The host club, Skibbereen Rowing Club is following just behind, in second place on the table. The J18A pair of Dominic Casey and Cathal McCarthy were the only junior pair to make it to the Men’s Division 1 pair A Final, beating the Castleconnell pair by two seconds in the time trial to get ahead. Skibbereen’s J18A Women’s eight had an incredible race finishing almost 10 seconds ahead of the next crew, winning Division 1.

Sitting in third position on the overall table is Castleconnell Boat Club with 499 points. Castleconnell’s J16 women’s crews were division winners in both the coxed quad and eight in Division 2, beating their J18B and Club 2 competitors. In the Penultimate race of the day, the B Final of the Men’s Division 1 eights, the J18A crew from Castleconnell put in a huge finish to pull through their Limerick rivals, St Michael’s Rowing Club, who had beaten them in the time trial by four seconds.

Finishing off the long weekend of racing was the Men’s Division 1 eights. In the time trial it was St Joseph’s Rowing Club’s junior eight that came out on top, beating the two senior eights, Cork Boat Club and Commercial Rowing Club. In the final, it was Cork Boat Club that pulled ahead, winning the division by about a length. The Bish eight split the two senior crews, finishing just one second ahead of Commercial.

Below are the leading clubs for the Grand League categories:

  • Overall: University of Limerick Rowing Club
  • Men’s Division 1: Commercial Rowing Club
  • Women’s Division 1: University of Limerick Rowing Club
  • Men’s Division 2: Cappoquin Rowing Club
  • Women’s Division 2: Cork Boat Club

A full table with points and rankings is attached below.

All results can be found at the link HERE

Photos from the event are available on the Rowing Ireland Facebook page HERE

Huge well done to the event organisers and volunteers who made it all happen! The event was also supported by Skibbereen Regatta’s fantastic sponsors, Kinetica Sports, Cork County Council, Celtic Ross Hotel, Seymour Jewellers and Blackwater Motors.

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