Irish Senior Championships - Results
Mike McCrohan
Following is a report on the Irish Senior Rowing Championships held
Inniscarragh, Co. Cork, 22/23 July 1994.
The report is written for a non-rowing (Galway) audience. If more
details are needed, mail me and I'll see what I can dig up.
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Perfect weather and exciting rowing characterised the Irish Senior
Rowing Championships, held in Inniscarragh Lake outside Cork this
weekend. One and two foot margins in the Senior Eights and Fours, and
Galway city successes in three events meant a very exciting and
successful event overall.
Championships were won by the UCG Ladies Senior Pair, the Novice Fours
and Novice Sculls by Galway Rowing Club, and creditable performances by
crews from Tribesmen, St Joseph's and Col. Iognaid.
Competition started off on Friday morning on mirror-like water with the
sun beaming down on what was to prove to be a hot day. First event to be
decided was the mens Intermediate Coxless Pair where the favourites, Lee and
Methodist qualified alongside tow pairs from Tribesmen and Belfast and
Clonmel. From the start the Methodist pair surged into the lead.
Tribesmen A clashed with Belfast and lost ground while Lee began to make
up lost water. As Lee asserted their superiority and led to the line
Tribesmen A came up fast but finished scant feet nehind Methody, in
Third.
Intermediate sculls was next with three Galway Rowing Club scullers in
contention. Tom Elwood failed to qualify after hitting a buoy while
leading his heat, but Conor Moloney and Owen Diviney got through to the
final. Diviney and Byrne (Commercial) raced neck to neck from the start,
but Donal Hanrahan (St. Michaels) was moving well, unnoticed, on the
outside lane. In the event, Hanrahan won with Diviney being relegated to
third in the last 2wo hundred meters by Byrne and Towey (Fermoy).
The first City success came from the UCG pair of Meadhbh Terry and
Rachel Quinlan who were untroubled in the womens Senior Pair, striding
home lengths ahead of Skibbereen, Belfast/Trinity and Belfast. Then
followed the two most exciting two races of the first day. The Mens
Senior Four was a straight four boat final which included the Belfast
boat which had recently returned from their victory in the Britannia Cup
in Henley. Arrayed against them was a Commercial/Shannon composite,
Cork, UCD, Carlow and Neptune. From the start there was nothing to
choose between the composite and Belfast crews, with Neptune in close
attendance. No quarter was asked or given, but the composite lead
marginally coming in to the enclosure. A great surge by Belfast in the
last hundred metres brought them back to terms and they crossed the line
with only the finishing judge knowing the result. An eternity seemed to
elapse before it ws announced that the result was - Belfast, by a foot!
In the Intermediate Eights UCG had been making the running all season
and were seen as favourites coming in to the championship. They would,
however face a strong field that included Neptune, never to be ignored
and a Tribesmen crew based on the recently crowned Junior championship
crew. The latter were struck, however with the loss through injury of
their stroke, Kevin Boyle, three days before the championships.
UCG and Neptune both won their heats, and lined up at the start with
Tribesmen, Queens, Shannon and St. Michaels.
UCG led after a slow start and had a half length advantage over Neptune
by 500 metres. Over the next 1500 metres Neptune began to peg them back,
foot by foot as Tribesmen and Queens fought it out for third. The race
to the finish was frantic with each crew giving their all, but in the
event Neptune edged ahead finally to take the result by six feet. Queens
came in third a length behind with Tribesmen a length behind them.
Saturday morning saw a continuation of the perfect rowing conditions
with the start of the Novice Sculls. Galway participation was by GRC's
Conor Moloney who qualified well amongst a field of seventeen scullers.
In the final, although pressured by Stapleton (Commercial) and Colsh
(Garda), he sculled home in impressive style for the second Galway
success of the weekend.
Niall O'Toole is, of course, in a class of his own. He romped home
unchallenged the Lightwight and senior sculls in which Owen Diviney
(GRC) was just edged into third by Brendan Dolan (Neptune). Later,
partnered with Junior Sculling champion Neil Byrne, he also won the
Senior Double Sculls. Fellow Lightweight internationals, Galwayman
Nevill Maxwell and Anthony O'Connor won the Lightweight pairs
comfortably.
In the Women's Novice Fours Galway Rowing Club started well but found
themselves trailing Skibbereen as they raced up the course. This was
still the position coming into the enclosure, but they never panicked
and piled the pressure on over the last hundred metres to edge ahead and
win by a quarter length.
The Mens Intermediate Fours final included heat winners Lee and Neptune,
two fours from Tribesmen, and one each from UCG and Shannon. The first
half of the race was Lee and Neptune, with Lee taking an advantage of
one length by 1000m. Tribesmen A seemed to drop off but then surged back
into contention. Lee kept up the pressure and no-one could make further
impression although Tribesmen A rowed through Neptune on the final
sprint to take second.
The lead up to the Novice Eights was surrounded by controversy regarding
whether recent rule changes might include or exclude the St Josephs
crew, second in the Junior Championships, from competing in the event.
Ultimately they were cleared to compete and lined up against Trinity,
Defense Forces(DFRA), Neptune, Queens and UCD. Trinity led from the
start closely pursued by St Josephs and DFRA. While Trinity pressed
ahead to win by two lengths, DFRA and St Josephs had a titanic struggle
for second place and were adjudged to have dead heated at the line.
And thus we came to the premiere event of the regatta - The Senior
Eights. This was to be a Neptune benefit race in many people's minds.
Facing Neptune were three composites: UCD/Commercial/Guards, Cork/Lee
and Belfast/Methody, along with Queens and Trinity.
From the start neptune moved into a half length lead. The other crews
began to drift astern with the exception of Belfast/Methody who tracked
them, still half a length down. Between 500 and 1000 metres Neptunes
leed eas being whittled away, a foot at a time. At a thousand they
sprinted again but could not get away. And the composite came again. As
they came through the enclosure there was nothing in it as both crews
gave their all, crossing the line to a mighty roar from the spectators.
Then , after an interminable wait it was announced that the composite
won by two feet. A remarkable result for a number of reasons. The eight
is based on the four that won the Senior Fours the previous day and it
contained two juniors - the first ever to win a senior eights
championship.
Overall, a magnificent regatta with great racing and great weather.
Although Galway city did not win all of the championships it might have
wished seven have come to the town this year, four from the Juniors
(Tribesmen, Col. Iognaid) and three from the Seniors (GRC, UCG).
H Ainsley c o Wizar
name for whoever deals with Irish Junior Girls - we have a couple of good
WJ14's in adjacent clubs here, and if they progress would like to know
how they get fed into the Irish Junior system - assuming there is one - I
know they have produce some pretty fast Juniors in the past!
hugh @ Marlow Rowing CLub
Mike McCrohan
For info on the Irish Women Juniors Try the Womens Convenor:
Frank Durkin
"Derravarragh"
Charleville Road
Tullamore
Co Offaly
home +353 506 21456
work +353 506 21501
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Mike McCrohan, Cloon, Claregalway, Co Galway, Ireland
+353 91 98556 mccr...@iol.ie
Mike McCrohan
Quadrangular International and I'm sure could be contacted there.