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Displaying items by tag: Neptune

# ROWING: Commercial topped the rankings with 11 wins and seven second places at the Neptune Head of the River at Islandbridge today. A Commercial/Neptune senior eight won the final race of the day, beating English visitors Broxbourne by half a length in three minutes 46 seconds, the fastest time of the regatta. Colm Dowling, the number seven man in the crew, had earlier won the senior single sculls title. The regatta was held in cold, sunny conditions and had a particularly big entry from Northern Ireland clubs Bann and Portora.  

Neptune Regatta, Islandbridge (Selected Results)

Men, Eight – Senior: 1 Commercial/Neptune (W Yeomans, I Kelly, L Hawkes, AJ Rawlinson, F Groome, J Graham, C Dowling, M Maher; cox: G Connolly) bt Broxbourne ½ l 3:46. Intermediate: Broxbourne bt Portora 1l, 3:54. Novice: Belfast RC bt Bann 1l, 4:12. Junior 16: Portora A bt Bann 2 ¼l, 4:07. Junior 18: Neptune bt Commercial 3l, 3:59. Masters: Old Collegians/Three Castles bt Waterford BC 3l, 5:21.

Fours – Intermediate One, coxed: Portora bt Bann 1l, 4:24. Novice, coxed: Belfast bt Trinity 1¾ l, 4:52. Junior 18, coxed: Portora bt Neptune 1½ l, 4:25. Masters, coxed: Old Collegians bt Carlow 2l.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: UCD bt Trinity 2 ½ l, 4:32. Junior 18: Neptune bt Commercial easily 4:16. Junior 16, coxed: Commercial bt Portora 2 ½ l, 4:29. Junior 15, coxed: Portora bt Bann 1ft, 4:41.

Double – Junior 16: Waterford bt Offaly easily. Junior 15: Commercial bt Athlone A easily, 5:04.

Single – Senior: Commercial (Dowling) bt Three Castles (Corcoran) easily, 4:59. Intermediate: Garda (Kelly) bt Three Castles (Corcoran) 2 ¾ l, 4:49. Novice: UCD (Toland) bt Sligo (Patterson). Junior 18: Commercial (W Yeomans) bt Athlone (Munnelly) disq. Junior 16: Athlone (Munnelly) bt Waterford (Goff) 2 ¾ l, 4:58.

Women

Eights – Intermediate: UCD bt Commercial 2ft, 4:22. Novice: Bann bt Belfast RC easily, 4:34. Junior 16: Portora A bt Portora B easily, 4:50.

Fours – Novice, coxed: Trinity A bt Belfast B 2¾ l, 5:04.  

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: Commercial bt Neptune ¾ l, 5:21. Junior 18: Commercial bt Neptune easily, 4:54. Junior 16, coxed: Carlow bt Portora 5:04. Junior 15, coxed: Bann A bt Athlone 3½l, 5:11.

Double – Junior 16: Neptune B bt Neptune A. Junior 15: Bann bt Athlone 1l, 5:38

Single – Senior: Commercial (S Dolan) bt Commercial (E Lambe) easily, 5:32. Intermediate: Trinity (O’Brien) bt Commercial (Foley) easily, 5:27. Novice: Bann (Barry) bt Commercial (Foley) 3l, 5:25. Junior 18: Neptune (Kavanagh) bt Carlow (Byrne) ½ l, 5:36. Junior 16: Commercial (Lambe) bt New Ross (Nolan) 2ft.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING: Neptune Rowing Club will hold their 31st annual regatta on Saturday  over a 1200 m course at Islandbridge. This is the first regatta of the season in the Irish rowing calendar, and it has attracted a big entry, with 204 races. Because of the large entry there will be 26 preliminary races held on the Friday evening between 6 and 7.30 pm.

 Racing on Saturday is scheculed from 8.30 am to 6.24 pm, with a race every three minutes throughout the day. The feature race will be the men's senior eights at 5.51 pm, which is a straight final between a Neptune/Commercial composite crew and a visiting English crew from Broxbourne Rowing Club with Irishman Albert Maher on board. Broxbourne will also compete in the men's intermediate eights and Albert Maher will compete in the senior sculls.

The women's senior single sculls is a straight final between Sarah Dolan and Eimear Lambe, both from Commercial. The men's novice single sculls has attracted an entry of 37 scullers, with 31 entrants from Dublin University!

Other visiting crews to the regatta are Portora, Bann and Belfast Rowing Clubs from Northern Ireland, as well as a good representation from all over Leinster. There will also be crews from Waterford Boat Club and Fossa from Munster and Sligo R.C. from Connaught.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING: The Dublin Head of the River finished in a dead heat on Saturday, the first time this has happened in exactly 60 years. A big composite crew built around the Commercial senior four and with with members of three other clubs finished with the same time as UCD in cold and clear conditions. The college crew rested their senior oarsmen for the event.

 The only other dead heat in the 69 years of the event came in 1953 when UCD and Trinity dead-heated in an event which featured only nine crews. An impressive number of crews – 32 – took on the sometimes choppy water this year, but the boats set off at sometimes very long intervals, dulling some of the competitive edge.

UCD’s senior women won their battle with Trinity, covering the course from the Ha’penny Bridge to Islandbridge nine seconds faster than their rivals.

One negative note was the break-in and theft from three cars in the UCD car park.

Dublin Head of the River (Selected Results)

Overall: 1= UCD senior eight; Commercial/Grainne Mhaol/ Old Bones/University of Limerick 10 minutes 32.0 seconds; 3 UCD intermediate eight 11:02.0, 4 Trinity novice eight 11:17.0, 5 UCD intermediate eight 11:25.0, 6 Neptune junior eight 11:35.0.

Graded Results

Men, Eight – Senior: 1= UCD and Commercial/Grainne Mhaol, Old Bones/University of Limerick 10:32.0. Intermediate: 1 UCD 11:02.0, 2 UCD B 11:25.0, 3 Commercial 11:41.0. Novice: 1 Trinity 11:17.0, 2 Queen’s 11:39.0, 3 Trinity 12:09.0. Junior: 1 Neptune 11:35.0, 2 Blackrock College 12:27.0, 3 Neptune B 14:49.0.

Four – Senior: 1 Commercial B 12:35.0, 2 Commercial 31:18.0. Masters: Commercial 13:28.0. Quadruple – Novice: Trinity 13:49.0.

Women – Eight, Senior: 1 UCD 12:04.0, 2 Trinity 12:13.0. Intermediate: 1 Commercial 12:56.0, 2 UCD 12:58.0. Novice: 1 UCD 13:34.0, 2 Trinity 13:57.0, 3 Trinity B 14:08.0. Junior: 1 Commercial 14:00.0, 2 Commercial B 15:33.0.

Four – Senior: Trinity 14:47.0.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING: Morten Espersen was an interested spectator for a fine day of rowing at the Erne Head of the River at Enniskillen today. The Ireland HPD saw a composite from Galway come home fastest of a strong field of men’s senior eights. The crews, which featured the experience of Grainne Mhaol along with NUIG and St Joseph’s, had three seconds to spare over UCD. The Dublin college had good reason to be pleased as they started third but were faster than Queen’s, who started ahead of them. Neptune’s junior 18 eight had a good ninth placing.    

 
56th ERNE HEAD OF THE RIVER
Saturday 2nd March 2013
Timed
Finishing Crew Mins:Secs
Position No. Crew Identity Class Rowing Time
1 1 GM/NUIG/St.JoesMS 8 19:30
2 3 U.C.D. BC MS 8 19:33
3 2 QUBBC MS 8 19:49
4 4 DUBC MS 8 19:52
5 8 DUBC MI 8 20:08
5 = 9 U.C.D. BC A MI 8 20:08
7 6 NUIG BC MI 8 20:09
8 5 St Michaels RC MS 8 20:30
9 13 Neptune RC MJ18 8 20:55
10 12 UCD BC B MI 8 21:03
11 20 U.C.D. BC A MN 8 21:10
12 25 DUBC B MN 8 21:11
12 = 14 Portora BC MJ18 8 21:11
14 19 QUBBC A MN 8 21:23
15 21 NUIG BC MN 8 21:37
16 10 St Michaels RC MI 8 21:46
17 15 MCB BC MJ18 8 22:09
18 30 Garda BC MI 4x 22:11
19 18 DUBC A MN 8 22:17
19 = 22 Portora/BBC/CAIBC MS 4x 22:17
21 33 Bann RC MJ16 8 22:18
22 24 U.C.D.L B.C A WS 8 22:24
23 16 RBAI BC MJ18 8 22:26
24 11 CAIBC MI 8 22:35
25 27 QUBBC B MN 8 22:36
26 35 MCB BC MJ16 8 22:47
27 40 Portora BC MI 4+ 22:57
28 23 LSC MS 4x 23:06
29 28 DUBC C MN 8 23:08
30 17 Blackrock BC MJ18 8 23:19
31 41 BBC MM 8 E 23:22
32 32 Portora BC MJ16 8 23:36
33 42 BRC A MM 8 C 23:38
34 43 BRC/BBC B MM 8 E 23:39
35 29 U.C.D. BC MI 4x 23:41
36 47 Bann RC WI 8 23:44
37 45 QULBC WI 8 23:51
38 31 U.C.D.L.B.C B WS 8 23:58
39 34 CAIBC MJ16 8 24:08
40 63 CAIBC MJ18 4+ 24:09
41 38 BBC MS 4+ 24:10
42 48 Portora BC WJ18 8 24:13
43 50 Bann RC MM 8 C 24:31
44 49 LVBC MM 8 E 24:42
45 44 OCBC/TCBC MM 8 F 24:47
46 60 St Michaels BC WS 4+ 24:52
47 53 QULBC A WN 8 25:11
48 57 BBC WM 8 D 25:13
49 59 Portora BC WS 4x 25:19
50 62 Bann RC MJ18 4+ 25:42
51 52 Molesey B C MM 8 G 25:56
52 37 MCB BC B MJ16 8 26:14
53 54 BRC WN 8 26:33
54 55 QULBC B WN 8 26:48
55 58 Neptune BC WS 4x 27:04
56 51 Portadown BC MM 8 D 27:09
57 66 Portora BC A WJ16 8 27:16
58 36 Portora BC B MJ16 8 27:22
59 61 BRC WS 4+ 27:29
60 65 CAIBC MJ16 4x 27:53
61 67 Portora BC B WJ16 8 28:52
62 56 QULBC C WN8 29:55
63 = 7 QUBBC MI 8 Did Not Row
63 = 26 U.C.D BC B MN 8 Did Not Row
63 = 39 DUBC MI 4+ Did Not Row
63 = 46 NUIG BC WI 8 Did Not Row
63 = 64 Blackrock BC MJ18 4x Did Not Row
The positions given are those relative to all crews participating.
Positions within a Class are to be determined by inspection.
Published in Rowing

# ROWING: A collision before the start between the Queen’s University senior eight and the Portadown intermediate four took both crews out of the reckoning at the second head of the day at Lagan Head of the River in Belfast on Saturday. One of the Portadown crew had to be treated in hospital. In the absence of Queen’s, Neptune’s junior 18 eight ruled the waters: they took pennants as fastest crew; fastest junior crew and fastest junior 18 eight. The Belfast Boat Club/RBAI senior crew was the fastest four and Trinity's top women’s senior eight placed well.

Lagan Head of the River 2013 - Race 2 – 4200m Saturday 16th February at 1500
RESULTS by Time – Masters handicap not applied
POSITION
CREW
NUMBER Club Class Cox/Steerer Time % of winning
time Comments
1 6 Neptune RC MJ18A 8+ H. Thompson 15:59.2 100.00
2 5 Portora BC MJ18A 8+ E. McClean 16:02.9 100.39
3 2 CAIBC MJ18A 8+ M. Bucklee 16:03.7 100.48
4 8 BBC/RBAIRC MS 4- A. Boreham 16:12.1 101.35
5 21 QUBBC A MN 8+ P. Ramsey 16:36.1 103.85
6 11 DULBC A WS 8+ G. Nic Fhionnain 16:43.1 104.58
7 20 BRC MN 8+ K. McCullagh 16:48.2 105.11
8 13 BBC MM E 8+ A. Scott 17:06.2 106.99
9 7 LSC MS 4X- P. Cross 17:10.8 107.46
10 31 Bann RC MJ16 8+ D. Tang 17:11.1 107.50
11 12 DULBC B WS 8+ N. Williams 17:12.4 107.63
12 4 RBAIRC MJ18A 8+ R. Hulatt 17:15.8 107.99
13 22 QUBBC B MN 8+ S. McGaughey 17:27.6 109.21
14 10 CAIBC/Portora BC MS 4- S. Archibald 17:32.3 109.71
15 14 BRC/BBC MM E 8+ S. Mairs 17:38.8 110.38
16 25 BRC MM C 8+ U. Smart 17:54.7 112.05
17 15 OCBC/Three Castles RC MM F 8+ J. Henry 18:05.4 113.16
18 27 QUBLBC WI 1 8+ C. Moorehead 18:09.1 113.54
19 28 Bann RC WI 1 8+ L. Ferguson 18:24.4 115.15
20 17 CAIBC MI 1 4+ A. Stewart 18:47.7 117.56
21 23 LVBC MM F 8+ M. Warnock 18:53.3 118.15
22 40 QULBC A WN 8+ C. Campbell 19:00.2 118.87
23 37 Portora BC A WJ18A 8+ Z. Donaldson 19:00.5 118.91
24 24 Bann RC MM C 8+ E. Earl 19:20.1 120.94
25 42 DULBC A WN 8+ K. Paterson 19:20.9 121.03
26 32 CAIBC MJ16 8+ A. Stewart 19:26.5 121.61
27 29 BRC WI 1 8+ E. Catterall 19:42.1 123.24
28 30 BBC WM D 8+ H. Wilson 19:46.9 123.74
29 45 DULBC B WN 8+ N. O'Sullivan 20:34.0 128.66
30 26 BBC/LSC WS 4X- S. Herron 20:54.1 130.75
31 46 QULBC C WN 8+ M. Toner 20:55.4 130.89
32 33 Portora BC MJ16 8+ J. Foster 20:57.0 131.05
33 44 QULBC B WN 8+ A. Espona-McCartney 21:17.2 133.16
34 36 Portadown BC MM D 8+ R. Walker 22:01.4 137.76
35 43 Portora BC WN 8+ C. McClean 22:05.7 138.21
36 35 QUBLBC WS 4- A. Aitken 22:07.6 138.41
37 39 BRC WM E 8+ S. Smith 22:38.2 141.60
38 38 Portora BC B WJ18A 8+ E. Reynolds 22:41.3 141.92
1 QUBBC MS 8+ A. Margret
9 BRC MS 4- C. Coyle
16 QUBBC MI 1 4+ R. Crowley
18 Portadown BC MI 1 4+ L. Chambers
19 BBC WS 4X- L. Cameron
41 UCDBC WN 8+ V. Turner
Lagan Head of the River is organised by Belfast Rowing Club
with assistance from Queens University Boat Club, Lagan Scullers Club, RBAI
Rowing Club and Belfast Boat Club
and the following organisations –
Belfast Harbour Commissioners
Belfast City Centre Regeneration Directorate
Odyssey Arena
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Powerhouse Sport
Published in Rowing

# ROWING: Neptune Rowing Club had a good day at the Lagan Head of the River in Belfast on Saturday. Men’s junior quadruple sculls from the Dublin club placed first and second in Head One. Rory O’Connor of Queen’s University was the fastest senior single sculler.

Lagan Head of the River 2013 - Race 1 – 2700m Saturday 16th February 1130
RESULTS by Time – Masters handicap not applied
POSITION
CREW
NUMBER Club Class Cox/Steerer Time % of winning
time Comments
1 102 Neptune RC MJ18A 4X- W. Doyle 10:59.0 100.00
2 103 Portora BC MJ18A 4X- K. Anderson 11:21.1 103.35
3 112 QUBBC A MS 2- C. Beck 11:35.7 105.57
4 101 RBAIRC A MJ18A 4X- J. Hoy 11:53.7 108.30
5 155 Portora BC MJ15 8+ E. McClean 11:54.8 108.46
6 116 QUBBC C MS 2- K. Coughlan 12:01.6 109.51
7 121 QUBBC D MS 2- J. Cook 12:22.7 112.70
8 106 RBAIRC B MJ18A 4X- A. George 12:23.8 112.87
9 110 QUBBC MS 1X R. O'Connor 12:26.6 113.29
10 147 CAIBC MN 4+ J. Taggart 12:28.7 113.61
11 119 BRC B MS 2- K. McCracken 12:32.0 114.10
12 124 BBC B MM E 4+ J. Malloy 12:32.4 114.17
13 115 Neptune RC MS 2- L. Hawkes 12:32.9 114.24
14 118 Bann RC MS 2- C. Logan 12:35.3 114.62
15 150 Portora BC A WJ16 8+ C. McCLean 12:40.0 115.32
16 108 Bann RC MJ18A 4- M. Curran 12:40.1 115.34
17 111 LSC MS 1X N. Darby 12:43.7 115.89
18 135 Portadown BC MN 1X S. McKeown 12:49.1 116.71
19 156 Bann RC MJ15 4X+ F. Stinson 12:51.0 117.00
20 140 Commercial RC WI 1 4+ R. Keogh 13:06.1 119.28
21 123 QUBBC E MS 2- G. Doran 13:10.1 119.90
22 114 BRC A MS 2- G. Meek 13:11.6 120.12
23 148 CAIBC MJ18A 2X A. Meenagh 13:11.7 120.13
24 141 Bann RC WI 1 4+ L. Ferguson 13:16.5 120.86
25 122 Portora BC MS 2- R. Magwood 13:17.2 120.96
26 130 SABC MI 1 1X B. O'Carroll 13:18.2 121.12
27 120 Commercial RC MS 2- S. Connolly 13:21.0 121.55
28 139 QUBLBC WI 1 4+ C. Moorehead 13:22.4 121.75
29 145 Portora BC MJ16 4X+ M. Woodhouse 13:24.1 122.01
30 173 QUBLBC WN 4+ C. Campbell 13:29.6 122.85
31 161 BRC MN 4X+ S. Smith 13:29.9 122.89
32 143 Llandaff BC MM D 2- O. Zeigler 13:30.9 123.04
33 133 Bann RC B MJ18A 1X J. Gordon 13:38.9 124.26
34 138 DULBC WI 1 4+ N. Williams 13:41.0 124.58
35 126 Bann RC MI 1 1X D. Whoriskey 13:41.5 124.66
36 184 Portora BC MM D 1X G. Murphy 13:49.8 125.91
37 177 DULBC B WN 4+ K. Paterson 13:51.8 126.22
38 125 BBC A MM E 4+ D. Trainor 13:54.2 126.58
39 146 RBAIRC MJ16 4X+ D. Taylor 13:54.9 126.69
40 169 BBC/LSC WM 4X- S. Herron 13:58.5 127.23
41 178 BRC B WN 4+ K. McCullagh 14:03.7 128.02
42 136 Neptune RC WJ18A 4X- A. Byrne 14:05.8 128.34
43 175 BRC A WN 4+ S. Mairs 14:06.1 128.39
44 160 CAIBC MJ16 2X J. Gregg 14:08.1 128.69
45 162 Portora BC A WJ15 8+ Z. Donaldson 14:17.2 130.08
46 181 LSC A MN 1X J. McAllister 14:19.5 130.42
47 172 DULBC A WN 4+ G. Nic Fhionnain 14:20.4 130.56
48 105 Portadown BC MJ18A 4X- M. Dowdeswell 14:21.0 130.65
49 128 CAIBC MI 1 1X C. McDowell 14:22.0 130.81
50 166 Portora BC WJ18A 1X P. Mulligan 14:22.6 130.89
51 164 QUBLBC WI 1 1X A. Leahy 14:41.1 133.69
52 188 BBC MM F 1X S. Lockwood 14:42.4 133.89
53 185 Neptune RC MM E 1X E. Dolan 14:50.0 135.05
54 154 QUBLBC B WS 2- A. Aitken 14:57.0 136.12
55 144 CAIBC MJ16 4X+ A. Moore 15:00.3 136.62
POSITION CREW
NUMBER Club Class Cox/Steerer Time % of winning
time Comments
56 131 Bann RC A MJ18A 1X M. Curran 15:03.5 137.10
57 153 QUBLBC A WS 2- H. Douglas 15:19.5 139.53
58 157 CAIBC MJ15 4X+ R. O'Neill 15:36.9 142.17
59 193 Portora BC A MJ14 4X+ E. Daly 15:39.9 142.62
60 191 LSC MM G 2X P. Griffith 15:40.5 142.71
61 176 BBC WN 4+ A. Scott 15:54.3 144.81
62 159 Neptune RC WJ18A 2X V. Connolly 16:02.9 146.12
63 197 BBC WM F 1X A. Lockwood 16:28.9 150.06
64 151 Portora BC B WJ16 8+ E. Reynolds 16:46.4 152.71
65 170 BRC WJ16 4X+ M. Taylor 16:47.0 152.81
66 183 BRC MN 2X T. McAughtrey 16:58.6 154.57
67 180 Portadown BC MM D 4+ R. Walker 17:06.6 155.79
68 187 LSC B MM E 1X D. O'Hara 17:24.1 158.43
69 190 BRC B WN 2X C. Coulter 17:41.6 161.10
70 198 LSC WN 1X T. Florence 18:05.0 164.64
71 196 Neptune RC WM B 1X L. Feldman 19:00.8 173.11
72 195 Portora BC WJ14 4X+ E. Keane 21:13.3 193.21
73 194 Portora BC B MJ14 4X+ A. Beacom 23:13.6 211.47
p 113 BBC MS 2- A. Boreham
117 BBC/RBAIRC MS 2- J. Mitchell
127 BRC MI 1 1X J. Baird
129 Neptune RC MI 1 1X D. Brett
132 Belfast BC MJ18A 1X Murray
134 De Mass MM C 1X R. Shirley
142 BBC WI 1 4+ A. Clayton
149 Portadown BC MJ18A 2X L. Chambers
163 Portora BC B WJ15 8+ C. Blackwell
165 BBC A WJ18A 1X K. Turner
167 BBC B WJ18A 1X H. McKeever
174 Neptune RC WN 4+ A. Hall
179 BRC C WN 4+ P. Griffith
182 LSC B MN 1X T. McGivern
186 LSC A MM F 1X G. Fettis
189 BRC A WN 2X K. Flack
Lagan Head of the River is organised by Belfast Rowing Club
with assistance from Queens University Boat Club, Lagan Scullers Club, RBAI
Rowing Club and Belfast Boat Club
and the following organisations –
Belfast Harbour Commissioners
Belfast City Centre Regeneration Directorate
Odyssey Arena
Powerhouse Sport
Published in Rowing

# ROWING: The Neptune Head of the River at Blessington gave Niall Kenny and some other top Galway rowers a chance to blow off the cobwebs in the run-up to the National Assessment in two weeks’ time in Newry. Kenny, a lightweight, won the single sculls well with his effort in the better conditions of the second head.

The honour of being the fastest eight was taken with ease by Trinity – St Michael’s damaged the fin on their boat in the first head and did not do as well as they would have liked in a borrowed boat in the second. Trinity were the women’s eight winners and Marie O’Neill of Cork the fastest women’s single sculler.

Neptune Head of the River, Blessington, Saturday (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Senior: 1 Trinity (head one) 12 minutes 13 seconds, 2 St Michael’s (head 2) 12:24, 3 St Michael’s (head 1) 13:13. Intermediate: Trinity (2) 12:23, 2 Neptune (1) 13:24, 3 Trinity (2) 16:17. Novice: 1 Trinity (2) 13:31, 2 NUIG (2) 13:40, 3 Trinity (1) 13:42. Junior 18: Neptune (2) 12:39, 2 Neptune (1) 13:39, 3 Cork BC (1) 13:41. Junior 16: 1 Portora (1) 13:26, 2 Neptune (2) 14:03, 3 Commercial (2) 14:24. Masters: Old Collegians (1) 14:17.

Four – Senior: 1 St Michael's 12:51, 2 NUIG A/Grainne Mhaol/UCC (head 1) 13:07, 3 NUIG/St Joseph’s (1) 13:08. Intermediate: 1 NUIG B (2) 13:18, 2 NUIG (2) 13:33, 3 Trinity (1) 13:38. Junior 18: 1 Neptune (1) 14:11. Masters: Old Collegians (1) 14:49.

Sculling,

Double – Senior: 1 Trinity (Flaherty, Hughes) (Head 2) 13:57, 2 Commercial (1) 14:11, 3 Graiguenamanagh (2) 15:24. Single: 1 UCC (N Kenny) (2) 14:48, 2 NUIG (Mullarkey) (2) 15:03, 3 NUIG (S O’Connor) (2) 15:23, 4 Commercial (A Maher) (1) 15:26, 5 University of Limerick (Brinn) (1) 15:42, 6 Commercial (Gleeson) (1) 15:50. Intermediate: 1 NUIG (Egan) (2) 15:34, 2 Neptune (O’Connor) (1) 15:35, 3 St Michael’s (Stundon) (1) 15:45.

Women

Eight – Senior: 1 Trinity (2) 14:09, 2 Trinity (1) 14:26, 3 Trinity B (2) 14:26. Intermediate: Trinity (1) 14:36. Novice: 1 Trinity (1) 16:10, 2 Trinity (2) 16:32, 3 Commercial (2) 16:46Junior: 1 Carrick-on-Shannon (2) 15:25, 2 Portora (2) 15:34, 3 Graiguenamanagh (1) 16:10. Junior 16: 1 Portora (1) 15:32, 2 Carlow (2) 17:02, 3 Portora (2) 17:15.

Four – Senior: 1 Cork BC (2) 14:38, 2 St Michael’s (1) 15:30, 3 Commercial (2) 15:30. Intermediate: 1 NUIG (2) 15:58, 2 NUIG (1) 16:53, 3 NUIG B (1) 16:59.

Sculling

Double – Senior: 1 NUIG (1) 15:42, 2 Three Castles (2) 15:43, 3 St Michael’s (2) 16:05.

Single – Senior: 1 Cork (M O’Neill) (1) 16:45, 2 Three Castles (Quinn) (1) 16:53, 3 Trinity (Cooney) (2) 17:00. Intermediate: 1 Trinity (Dolan) (1) 16:53, 2 Trinity (O’Brien) (1) 17:02, 3 NUIG (Hurst) (2) 17:18.

Published in Rowing
Last year's Grand League winners, Skibbereen Rowing Club, will host the first of four Rowing Ireland Grand League regattas at the National Rowing Centre in Cork this weekend (April 9)

Other challengers this season will be runners up Neptune along with St. Michael's, Limerick, Commercial and UCD who all finished in the top five last season. Skibbereen Regatta sees a number of impressive crews start their challenge to become Grand League winners. With the absence of an NUIG entry, UCD's Senior 4 - stand out as the crew to watch. Muckross Olympians Sean Casey and Cathal Moynihan race together for the first time in the Senior 2x. As has been the trend, the men's Intermediate 1x has a large entry, as do all junior events. The Novice 8+ and 4+ Grand League titles look set to be fought for, mainly by the University clubs.

This is the second year the new Grand League will run at selected Irish regattas. The new format is designed to give competitive rowers more race time and allows all rowers to compete on speed as opposed to competing in strictly age-related or  wins-related categories. The new system remains virtually unchanged from the 2010 season with all boats racing off in a series of heats which are timed, with the fastest six going into the A final and the next six into the B final.

Regatta hosts, Skibbereen RC, celebrated their 40th anniversary last year in impressive style, winning the Grand League and taking 14 national titles to bring the clubs' overall total to 123. They also hosted one of the country's best attended regattas last year with 456 crews racing. At international level, the club were well represented on national teams winning medals at the under 23 Worlds, the Coupe de la Jeunesse and Home Internationals.

The club capped off the year by opening a new boathouse, one of the largest ever built in Ireland. While the club's main emphasis is competitive rowing, they also take in 180 students for their annual schools rowing programme – an annual eight week course involving nine local schools.

The second Grand League regatta will be hosted by Queen's University in Castlewellan, Co. Down on May 14th.

Published in Rowing
The last in the series of Rowing Ireland's National Blade Heads takes place in Belfast this Saturday with the Lagan Head of the River hosted by Belfast Rowing Club.

There are 148 crews over the three races starting with pairs and sculls, then doubles and fours and finishing in the afternoon with eights and quads. The third race features 35 eights and 26 quads.

The big race of the day, the men's senior eights, which starts at 3.45 pm, will feature a high intensity race between the two Queen's University eights.  The A Queen's crew, with new strokeman, Mike Ewing, have been relatively the same crew for the last three years. This is the crew which mounted serious challenges to the victorious NUIG team at the Irish Rowing Championships, narrowly missing out on a national senior eight by a mere few feet on two occasions.  The A team's Ewing won a Wyfold cup (men's coxless four) at Henley last year.

The women's intermediate eights should prove interesting with a crew entered from St Andrews in Scotland who will be up against Queen's University Ladies and St Michael's, Limerick.

The men's junior 16 eights sees all the Ulster crews up against each other whilst the men's junior 18 quads sees Blackrock College, Dublin, Shandon ,Limerick and Offaly Rowing Club take on the Ulster schools.

Eight crews will contest the men's Master's pennant (over 28s) with Galway, Bann and Athlone pushing the Belfast-based masters crews, Belfast Boat Club, Belfast Rowing Club and the Lady Victoria Boat Club, all the way. The former Queen's ladies rower ,Frenchwoman Solange Garrais is bringing a men's Masters and a women's Masters quad from Aviron Grenoblois, France to compete.

The 10.45 am and 13.15 pm races start at the Albert Bridge in Belfast and finish at Queen's boathouse at Stranmillis. The 15.45 pm race starts at the Odyssey building in Belfast Harbour and finishes at Queen's boathouse at Stranmillis. There are viewing points along the full length of each race.

The official start to the regatta season takes place on Saturday 2nd April with the Neptune regatta at Islandbridge, Dublin.

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Neptune Rowing Club (Dublin) top the new Rowing Ireland Grand League table with two regattas under their oars but this could all change by next Saturday when the third regatta of the six series league takes place at the National Rowing Centre in Cork.

 

While Dubliners Neptune will be there in force with crews in most grades from under 14 to senior, they will be strongly challenged by the other big clubs, Skibbereen, UCD, Dublin Commercial and St. Michaels from Limerick. In particular, Skibbereen will compete strongly in mainly small boats. (Note: See current league standings below.)

Rowing Ireland spokesperson, Pat McInerney explained, “The overall entry for the regatta is well ahead of previous years which shows that clubs are embracing the new league format and enjoying the enhanced competition structure it offers.”

“From here on this season the top racing group of senior, intermediate and junior A will be collectively known as Division 1 while the novice, junior B and junior 16 group will be known as Division 2.  With a massive entry of almost thirty junior 16 men’s single scullers, this is indicative of the health of sculling in the younger ranks and must augur well for the future.”

University of London, who are coached by former Irish lightweight rower, Brian Young, .are sending their men’s squad to challenge for senior eights, fours and pairs.  They will line up in the eights against NUIG, Neptune, St Michaels, University of Limerick, Muckross and the top Junior eights of St Josephs and Presentation. This presents a very attractive prospect in store for the famed Leander trophy for eights which was first presented at Cork City regatta in 1904 when the world famous Leander club from London came to challenge for the trophy. 

The Grand League offers an overall prize for top club based on all entries and this suits the bigger clubs. Smaller clubs can challenge for individual boat class or one of the four major categories of senior men, women, junior men and junior women

 

Current Grand League standings:

 

1    NEPTUNE ROWING CLUB                                       219

2    COMMERCIAL RC                                                      206

3    SKIBBEREEN RC                                                       192

4    UCD BOAT CLUB                                                       171

5    ST MICHAEL'S ROWING CLUB                              150

6    PORTORA BOAT CLUB                                            117

7    CARRICK-ON-SHANNON ROWING CLUB           102

8    BANN ROWING CLUB                                               93

9    LEE ROWING CLUB                                                  86

10  GARDA SIOCHANA BOAT CLUB                           83

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Ireland's offshore islands

Around 30 of Ireland's offshore islands are inhabited and hold a wealth of cultural heritage.

A central Government objective is to ensure that sustainable vibrant communities continue to live on the islands.

Irish offshore islands FAQs

Technically, it is Ireland itself, as the third largest island in Europe.

Ireland is surrounded by approximately 80 islands of significant size, of which only about 20 are inhabited.

Achill island is the largest of the Irish isles with a coastline of almost 80 miles and has a population of 2,569.

The smallest inhabited offshore island is Inishfree, off Donegal.

The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing.

Starting with west Cork, and giving voting register numbers as of 2020, here you go - Bere island (177), Cape Clear island (131),Dursey island (6), Hare island (29), Whiddy island (26), Long island, Schull (16), Sherkin island (95). The Galway islands are Inis Mór (675), Inis Meáin (148), Inis Oírr (210), Inishbofin (183). The Donegal islands are Arranmore (513), Gola (30), Inishboffin (63), Inishfree (4), Tory (140). The Mayo islands, apart from Achill which is connected by a bridge, are Clare island (116), Inishbiggle (25) and Inishturk (52).

No, the Gaeltacht islands are the Donegal islands, three of the four Galway islands (Inishbofin, like Clifden, is English-speaking primarily), and Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire in west Cork.

Lack of a pier was one of the main factors in the evacuation of a number of islands, the best known being the Blasket islands off Kerry, which were evacuated in November 1953. There are now three cottages available to rent on the Great Blasket island.

In the early 20th century, scholars visited the Great Blasket to learn Irish and to collect folklore and they encouraged the islanders to record their life stories in their native tongue. The three best known island books are An tOileánach (The Islandman) by Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Peig by Peig Sayers, and Fiche Blian ag Fás (Twenty Years A-Growing) by Muiris Ó Súilleabháin. Former taoiseach Charles J Haughey also kept a residence on his island, Inishvickillaune, which is one of the smaller and less accessible Blasket islands.

Charles J Haughey, as above, or late Beatle musician, John Lennon. Lennon bought Dorinish island in Clew Bay, south Mayo, in 1967 for a reported £1,700 sterling. Vendor was Westport Harbour Board which had used it for marine pilots. Lennon reportedly planned to spend his retirement there, and The Guardian newspaper quoted local estate agent Andrew Crowley as saying he was "besotted with the place by all accounts". He did lodge a planning application for a house, but never built on the 19 acres. He offered it to Sid Rawle, founder of the Digger Action Movement and known as the "King of the Hippies". Rawle and 30 others lived there until 1972 when their tents were burned by an oil lamp. Lennon and Yoko Ono visited it once more before his death in 1980. Ono sold the island for £30,000 in 1984, and it is widely reported that she donated the proceeds of the sale to an Irish orphanage

 

Yes, Rathlin island, off Co Antrim's Causeway Coast, is Ireland's most northerly inhabited island. As a special area of conservation, it is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including puffins, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. It is known for its Rathlin golden hare. It is almost famous for the fact that Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, retreated after being defeated by the English at Perth and hid in a sea cave where he was so inspired by a spider's tenacity that he returned to defeat his enemy.

No. The Aran islands have a regular ferry and plane service, with ferries from Ros-a-Mhíl, south Connemara all year round and from Doolin, Co Clare in the tourist season. The plane service flies from Indreabhán to all three islands. Inishbofin is connected by ferry from Cleggan, Co Galway, while Clare island and Inishturk are connected from Roonagh pier, outside Louisburgh. The Donegal islands of Arranmore and Tory island also have ferry services, as has Bere island, Cape Clear and Sherkin off Cork. How are the island transport services financed? The Government subsidises transport services to and from the islands. The Irish Coast Guard carries out medical evacuations, as to the RNLI lifeboats. Former Fianna Fáíl minister Éamon Ó Cuív is widely credited with improving transport services to and from offshore islands, earning his department the nickname "Craggy island".

Craggy Island is an bleak, isolated community located of the west coast, inhabited by Irish, a Chinese community and one Maori. Three priests and housekeeper Mrs Doyle live in a parochial house There is a pub, a very small golf course, a McDonald's fast food restaurant and a Chinatown... Actually, that is all fiction. Craggy island is a figment of the imagination of the Father Ted series writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, for the highly successful Channel 4 television series, and the Georgian style parochial house on the "island" is actually Glenquin House in Co Clare.

Yes, that is of the Plassey, a freighter which was washed up on Inis Oírr in bad weather in 1960.

There are some small privately owned islands,and islands like Inishlyre in Co Mayo with only a small number of residents providing their own transport. Several Connemara islands such as Turbot and Inishturk South have a growing summer population, with some residents extending their stay during Covid-19. Turbot island off Eyrephort is one such example – the island, which was first spotted by Alcock and Brown as they approached Ireland during their epic transatlantic flight in 1919, was evacuated in 1978, four years after three of its fishermen drowned on the way home from watching an All Ireland final in Clifden. However, it is slowly being repopulated

Responsibility for the islands was taking over by the Department of Rural and Community Development . It was previously with the Gaeltacht section in the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht.

It is a periodic bone of contention, as Ireland does not have the same approach to its islands as Norway, which believes in right of access. However, many improvements were made during Fianna Fáíl Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív's time as minister. The Irish Island Federation, Comdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, represents island issues at national and international level.

The 12 offshore islands with registered voters have long argued that having to cast their vote early puts them at a disadvantage – especially as improved transport links mean that ballot boxes can be transported to the mainland in most weather conditions, bar the winter months. Legislation allowing them to vote on the same day as the rest of the State wasn't passed in time for the February 2020 general election.

Yes, but check tide tables ! Omey island off north Connemara is accessible at low tide and also runs a summer race meeting on the strand. In Sligo, 14 pillars mark the way to Coney island – one of several islands bearing this name off the Irish coast.

Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire is the country's most southerly inhabited island, eight miles off the west Cork coast, and within sight of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse, also known as the "teardrop of Ireland".
Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast, which has a monastic site dating from the 6th century. It is accessible by boat – prebooking essential – from Portmagee, Co Kerry. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was not open to visitors in 2020.
All islands have bird life, but puffins and gannets and kittiwakes are synonymous with Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. Rathlin island off Antrim and Cape Clear off west Cork have bird observatories. The Saltee islands off the Wexford coast are privately owned by the O'Neill family, but day visitors are permitted access to the Great Saltee during certain hours. The Saltees have gannets, gulls, puffins and Manx shearwaters.
Vikings used Dublin as a European slaving capital, and one of their bases was on Dalkey island, which can be viewed from Killiney's Vico road. Boat trips available from Coliemore harbour in Dalkey. Birdwatch Ireland has set up nestboxes here for roseate terns. Keep an eye out also for feral goats.
Plenty! There are regular boat trips in summer to Inchagoill island on Lough Corrib, while the best known Irish inshore island might be the lake isle of Innisfree on Sligo's Lough Gill, immortalised by WB Yeats in his poem of the same name. Roscommon's Lough Key has several islands, the most prominent being the privately-owned Castle Island. Trinity island is more accessible to the public - it was once occupied by Cistercian monks from Boyle Abbey.

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