What is the Naval Service?

The Naval Service is the Irish State's principal seagoing agency with "a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements". It is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles.

Where is the Naval Service based?

The Naval Service is based in Ringaskiddy, Cork harbour, with headquarters in the Defence Forces headquarters in Dublin.

What does the Naval Service do?

The Naval Service provides the maritime component of the Irish State's defence capabilities and is the State's principal seagoing agency. It "protects Ireland's interests at and from the sea, including lines of communication, fisheries and offshore resources" within the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Naval Service operates jointly with the Army and Air Corps as part of the Irish defence forces.

When was the Naval Service formed?

The Naval Service was established in 1946, replacing the Marine and Coastwatching Service set up in 1939. It had replaced the Coastal and Marine Service, the State's first marine service after independence, which was disbanded after a year. Its only ship was the Muirchú, formerly the British armed steam yacht Helga, which had been used by the Royal Navy to shell Dublin during the 1916 Rising. In 1938, Britain handed over the three "treaty" ports of Cork harbour, Bere haven and Lough Swilly.

How many ships are in the Naval Service?

The Naval Service has nine ships - one Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV), three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), two Large Patrol Vessel (LPV) and two Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV). Each vessel is equipped with State of the art machinery, weapons, communications and navigation systems.

What are the Irish Navy ship's names?

The ships' names are prefaced with the title of Irish ship or "long Éireannach" (LE). The older ships bear Irish female names - LÉ Eithne, LÉ Orla, LÉ Ciara, LÉ Roisín, and LÉ Niamh. The newer ships, named after male Irish literary figures, are LÉ Samuel Beckett, LÉ James Joyce, LÉ William Butler Yeats and LÉ George Bernard Shaw.

Are Irish Naval Service ships armed?

Yes. The 76mm Oto Melara medium calibre naval armament is the most powerful weapon in the Naval Services arsenal. The 76mm is "capable of engaging naval targets at a range of up to 17km with a high level of precision, ensuring that the Naval Service can maintain a range advantage over all close-range naval armaments and man-portable weapon systems", according to the Defence Forces.

How is the fleet managed and maintained?

The Fleet Operational Readiness Standards and Training (FORST) unit is responsible for the coordination of the fleet needs. Ships are maintained at the Mechanical Engineering and Naval Dockyard Unit at Ringaskiddy, Cork harbour.

Who is the head of the Irish Naval Service?

The Flag Officer Commanding Naval Service (FOCNS) is Commodore Michael Malone. The head of the Defence Forces is a former Naval Service flag officer, now Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett – appointed in 2015 and the first Naval Service flag officer to hold this senior position. The Flag Officer oversees Naval Operations Command, which is tasked with the conduct of all operations afloat and ashore by the Naval Service including the operations of Naval Service ships. The Naval Operations Command is split into different sections, including Operations HQ and Intelligence and Fishery Section.

What is the Intelligence and Fishery Section of the Irish Naval Service?

The Intelligence and Fishery Section is responsible for Naval Intelligence, the Specialist Navigation centre, the Fishery Protection supervisory and information centre, and the Naval Computer Centre. The Naval Intelligence Cell is responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of naval intelligence. The Navigation Cell is the naval centre for navigational expertise.

What is the Fishery Monitoring Centre?

The Fishery Monitoring Centre provides for fishery data collection, collation, analysis and dissemination to the Naval Service and client agencies, including the State's Sea Fisheries Protection Agency. The centre also supervises fishery efforts in the Irish EEZ and provides data for the enhanced effectiveness of fishery protection operations, as part of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The Naval Computer Centre provides information technology (IT) support service to the Naval Service ashore and afloat.

How are shore operations managed?

This headquarters includes specific responsibility for the Executive/Operations Branch duties. The Naval Service Operations Room is a coordination centre for all NS current Operations. The Naval Service Reserve Staff Officer is responsible for the supervision, regulation and training of the reserve. The Diving section is responsible for all aspects of Naval diving and the provision of a diving service to the Naval Service and client agencies. The Ops Security Section is responsible for the coordination of base security and the coordination of all shore-based security parties operating away from the Naval base. The Naval Base Comcen is responsible for the running of a communications service. Boat transport is under the control of Harbour Master Naval Base, who is responsible for the supervision of berthage at the Naval Base and the provision of a boat service, including the civilian manned ferry service from Haulbowline.

Does the Naval Service undertake overseas missions?

Naval Service ships have undertaken trade and supply missions abroad, and personnel have served as peacekeepers with the United Nations. In 2015, Naval Service ships were sent on rotation to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean as part of a bi-lateral arrangement with Italy, known as Operation Pontus. Naval Service and Army medical staff rescued some 18,000 migrants, either pulling people from the sea or taking them off small boats, which were often close to capsizing having been towed into open water and abandoned by smugglers. Irish ships then became deployed as part of EU operations in the Mediterranean, but this ended in March 2019 amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the EU.

How can I join the Irish Naval Service?

Essentially, you have to be Irish, young (less than 32), in good physical and mental health and with normal vision. You must be above 5'2″, and your weight should be in keeping with your age.

Are there women in the Naval Service?

Yes, women have been recruited since 1995. One of the first two female cadets, Roberta O'Brien from the Glen of Aherlow in Co Tipperary, became its first female commander in September 2020. Sub Lieutenant Tahlia Britton from Donegal also became the first female diver in the navy's history in the summer of 2020.

What is a Naval Service Officer cadet?

A naval cadet enlists for a cadetship to become an officer in the Defence Forces. After successfully completing training at the Naval Service College, a cadet is commissioned into the officer ranks of the Naval Service as a Ensign or Sub Lieutenant.

What training is involved in becoming a Naval Service officer cadet?

A cadet trains for approximately two years duration divided into different stages. The first year is spent in military training at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Cork. The second-year follows a course set by the National Maritime College of Ireland course. At the end of the second year and on completion of exams, and a sea term, the cadets will be qualified for the award of a commission in the Permanent Defence Force as Ensign.

What qualifications are required to become a cadet?

A cadet trains for approximately two years duration divided into different stages. The first year is spent in military training at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Cork. The second-year follows a course set by the National Maritime College of Ireland course. At the end of the second year and on completion of exams, and a sea term, the cadets will be qualified for the award of a commission in the Permanent Defence Force as Ensign. The Defence Forces say it is looking for people who have "the ability to plan, prioritise and organise", to "carefully analyse problems, in order to generate appropriate solutions, who have "clear, concise and effective communication skills", and the ability to "motivate others and work with a team". More information is on the 2020 Qualifications Information Leaflet.

When can I apply to become a Naval Service cadet?

When you are 18 years of age or over and under 26 years of age on the date mentioned in the notice for the current competition, the officer cadet competition is held annually and is the only way for potential candidates to join the Defence Forces to become a Naval Service officer. Candidates undergo psychometric and fitness testing, an interview and a medical exam.

Where is the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI)?

The NMCI was built beside the Naval Service base at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, and was the first third-level college in Ireland to be built under the Government's Public-Private Partnership scheme. The public partners are the Naval Service and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the private partner is Focus Education.

What is a Naval Service recruit?

A Naval Service recruit enlists for general service in the "Other Ranks" of the Defence Forces. After successfully completing the initial recruit training course, a recruit passes out as an Ordinary Seaman and will then go onto their branch training course before becoming qualified as an Able Body sailor in the Naval Service.

What qualifications are required to become a Naval Service recruit?

No formal education qualifications are required to join the Defence Forces as a recruit. You need to satisfy the interview board and the recruiting officer that you possess a sufficient standard of education for service in the Defence Forces.

What training is involved in becoming a Naval Service recruit?

Recruit training is 18 weeks in duration and is designed to "develop a physically fit, disciplined and motivated person using basic military and naval skills" to "prepare them for further training in the service. Recruits are instilled with the Naval Service ethos and the values of "courage, respect, integrity and loyalty".

What is a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) career training?

On the progression up through the various ranks, an Able Rate will have to complete a number of career courses to provide them with training to develop their skills in a number of areas, such as leadership and management, administration and naval/military skills. The first of these courses is the Naval Service Potential NCO course, followed by the Naval Service Standard NCO course and the Naval Service senior NCO course. This course qualifies successful candidates of Petty officer (or Senior Petty Officer) rank to fill the rank of Chief Petty Officer upwards. The successful candidate may also complete and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership, Management and Naval Studies in partnership with Cork Institute of Technology.

What is pay like in the Naval Service?

Pay has long been an issue for just the Naval Service, at just over 1,000 personnel. Cadets and recruits are required to join the single public service pension scheme, which is a defined benefit scheme, based on career-average earnings. For current rates of pay, see the Department of Defence website

Displaying items by tag: rowing

28th July 2021

Olympic Bronze Medal Win for Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh & Emily Hegarty in Tokyo

Rowing was the first sport to win a medal for Ireland at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Women’s Four of Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh and Emily Hegarty won Bronze in the Women’s Four A Final in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The four are the first open weight Irish crew and female athletes to win a medal for Ireland in Rowing at an Olympic Games. Aifirc, Eimear, Fiona and Emily were racing against crews from Great Britain, Australia, Netherlands, China and Poland.

The Irish boat finished with a time of 06:20.46 to secure their Bronze medal.

A FINAL

Women’s Four (W4-) – Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty & Fiona Murtagh – 3RD – BRONZE MEDAL – 06:20.46

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25th July 2021

Rower Sanita Puspure Wins Olympic Single Quarter-Final in Impressive Style in Tokyo

In her third Olympic Games, the current World Rowing Champion in the Women’s Singles Sanita Puspure won her quarter-final in impressive style in today’s race in Tokyo, and will now compete in the semi-final A/B next Tuesday.

The Women’s Pair of Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley and the Lightweight Women’s Double of Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey also progressed to the semi-finals from their repechages this morning.

There was disappointment for the Men’s Double of Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne though, whose sixth-place finish in the semi-final in 6.49.06 was not enough to progress to the A Final.

Four Irish boats were racing on the third day of rowing at the Tokyo Olympics. Three Irish boats qualified for the A/B Semi-Finals and the Men’s Double will race in the B Final.

The Women’s Pair of Aileen Crowley & Monika Dukarska finished third in the Repechage this morning. Aileen and Monika competed against Megan Kalmoe & Tracey Eisser (USA), Kaifeng Huang & Jinchao Liu (China) and Maria Kyridou & Christina Ioanna Bourmpou (Greece). Aileen and Monika finished with a time of 07:31.99. Aileen and Monika will race in the A/B Semi-Final Tuesday morning

Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey finished third in the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls Repechage. Margaret and Aoife competed against Valentina Cavallar & Louisa Altenhuber (Austria), Thi Thao Luong & Thi Hao Dinh (Vietnam), Patricia Merz & Frederique Rol (Switzerland), Yulisa Lopez & Jennieffer Zuinga (Guatemala) and Anatasia Lebedeva & Maria Botalova (Russian Olympic Committee). Margaret and Aoife finished with a time of 07:23.46. Margaret and Aoife will race in the A/B Semi-Final Tuesday morning.

Sanita Pušpure finished first in the Women’s Single Sculls Quarter-Final. Sanita faced competition from Wing Yan Winnie Hung (Hong Kong), Jovana Arsic (Serbia), Kara Kohler (USA), Yan Jiang (China) and Alejandra Alonso (Paraguay). Sanita won the Heat comfortably with a time of 07:58.30 finishing ahead of Kara Kohler (USA) and Yan Jiang (China). Sanita will now race in the A/B Semi-Final on Wednesday morning.

Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle finished sixth in the Men’s Double Sculls A/B Semi-Final. Ronan and Phil competed against Miroslaw Zietarski & Mateusz Biskup (Poland), Jack Lopas & Christopher Harris (New Zealand), Graeme Thomas & John Collins (Great Britain), Hugo Boucheron & Matthew Androdias (France), and Stephan Krueger & Marc Weber (Germany). Ronan and Phil finished with a time of 06.49.06 and Ronan and Phil will now race in the B Final on Wednesday morning.

Day 3 Results

Repechage

Women’s Pair (W2-) Monika Dukarska & Aileen Crowley – 4th – 07:31.99

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey – 3rd – 07:23.46

Quarter-Final

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Sanita Puspure – 1st – 07:58.30

A/B Semi-Final

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Ronan Byrne & Philip Doyle – 6th – 06.49.06

Next Irish Races (Confirmed)

Tuesday 27th Racing (IST)
A/B Semi-Final

Women’s Pair (W2-) Monika Dukarska & Aileen Crowley – 02:58/03:08 (TBC)

Lightweight Men;s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Fintan McCarthy & Paul O’Donovan – 03:18/03:28 (TBC)

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey – 03:38/03:48 (TBC)

Wednesday 28th (IST)
B Final

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Ronan Byrne & Philip Doyle – 00:42

Women’s Four (W4-) – Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty & Fiona Murtagh – 01:50

A/B Semi-Final

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Sanita Puspure – 02:58/03:08 (TBC)

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24th July 2021

Olympic Rowers Fintan McCarthy & Paul O’Donovan Win Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls Heat as Five Irish Crews Progress in Tokyo

Five Irish crews were competing on the second day of rowing at the Olympics. One A Final, two A/B Semi-Finals, one Quarter-Final and two Repechages are confirmed after the racing this morning.

Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle competed in the Men’s Double Sculls Repechage. The Irish Men’s Double finished third and qualified for the A/B Semi-Final. Ronan and Phil competed against Jakub Podrazil & Jan Cincibuch (Czech Republic), Saulius Ritter & Aurimas Adomavicius (Lithuania), and Stephan Krueger & Marc Weber (Germany). Ronan and Phil finished with a time of 06:29.90 and will race in the A/B Semi-Final tomorrow morning.

Aileen Crowley, left, and Monika Dukarska of Ireland in action during the heats of the Women's Pair at the Sea Forest Waterway during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

The Women’s Pair of Aileen Crowley & Monika Dukarska finished fourth in their Heat. Aileen and Monika competed against Aina Cid & Virginia Diaz Rivas (Spain), Grace Prendergast & Kerri Gowler (New Zealand), and Hedvig Rasmussen & Fie Udby Erichsen (Denmark). Aileen and Monika finished with a time of 07:24.71. Aileen and Monika will race in the Repechage tomorrow morning

Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey finished fifth in the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls Heat. Margaret and Aoife competed against Valentina Rodini & Federica Cesarini (Italy), Laura Tarantola & Claire Bove (France), Patricia Merz & Frederique Rol (Switzerland), Mutiara Putri & Melani Putri (Indonesia) and Mary Reckford & Michelle Sechser (USA). Margaret and Aoife finished with a time of 07:17.67 and will now race in the Repechage tomorrow morning.

Aoife Casey, left, and Margaret Cremen of Ireland in action during the heats of the Women's Lightweight Double Sculls at the Sea Forest Waterway during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan won the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls Heat. Fintan and Paul competed against Jiri Simanek & Miroslav Vrastil (Czech Republic), Jerzy Kowalski & Artur Mikołajczewski (Poland), Igor Khmara & Stanislav Kovalov (Ukraine), Bruno Cetraro Berriolo & Felipe Kluver Ferreira (Uruguay) and Arjun Lal Jat & Arvind Singh (India). They finished with a time of 06:23.74 and will race in the A/B Semi-Final on Tuesday morning.

Speaking after the race, Olympic Silver Medallist Paul O’Donovan said, “We won the race, so it’s hard to do much better than that – you don’t want to win by 20 seconds either, because it’s very hot out there. It was still tough, all the races at this regatta will be tough. But it’s difficult to complain with that result.”

Commenting on the changeable conditions, Fintan McCarthy added: “I reckon we row in all sorts of conditions in training and we are used to adapting to whatever condition is thrown at us. It’s about being adaptable and doing what we do in training.”

Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh and Emily Hegarty of Ireland in action during the heats of the Women's Four at the Sea Forest Waterway during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

The Women’s Four of Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty & Fiona Murtagh qualified for the A Final by finishing second in their Heat. Aifric, Eimear, Emily and Fiona competed against crews from Australia, Romania, Denmark and the USA. The Irish Women’s Four finished with a time of 06:28.99 and will now race in the A Final on Wednesday morning.

Day 2 Results

Repechage

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Ronan Byrne & Philip Doyle – 3rd – 06:29.90

Heats

Women’s Pair (W2-) Monika Dukarska & Aileen Crowley – 4th – 07:24.71

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey – 5th- 07:17.67

Lightweight Men;s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Fintan McCarthy & Paul O’Donovan – 1st – 06:23.74

Women’s Foul (W4-) – Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty & Fiona Murtagh – 2nd – 06:28.99

Next Irish Races (Confirmed)

Sunday 25th Racing (IST)

Repechage

Women’s Pair (W2-) Monika Dukarska & Aileen Crowley – 01:50

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey – 02:20/02:30 (Time to be confirmed)

Quarter-Final

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Sanita Pušpure – 03:00 – 03:30 (Time to be confirmed)

A/B Semi-Final

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Ronan Byrne & Philip Doyle – 04:40/04:50 (Time to be confirmed)

Tuesday 27th Racing (IST)

A/B Semi-Final

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Fintan McCarthy & Paul O’Donovan – 03:18/03:28 (TBC)

Wednesday 28th (IST)

A Final

Women’s Foul (W4-) – Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty & Fiona Murtagh – 01:50

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23rd July 2021

Sanita Pušpure Finishes First in Tokyo Women’s Single Sculls Heat

Rowing kicked off the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this morning. Two Irish crews competed in their heats at the Sea Forest Waterway. Sanita Pušpure raced in the Women’s Single Sculls and Ronan Byrne and Phil Doyle raced in the Men’s Double Sculls.

Sanita Pušpure finished first in the Women’s Single Sculls Heat. Sanita faced competition from Kathleen Noble (Uganda), Anneta Kyridou (Greece), Felice Chow (Trinidad and Tobago) and Joan Poh (Singapore. Sanita won the Heat with a time of 07:46.08.

Sanita has progressed to the Quarter-Final, which will take place on Monday morning. Listen to interview below

Afloat.ie · ROWING 23 - July Sanita Puspure Tokyo Heat interview

The second Irish crew saw the Men’s Double Sculls of Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle finish fourth in their heat. Ronan and Phil competed against, Barnabe Delarze and Roman Roeoesli (Switzerland), Jack Lopas and Christopher Harris (New Zealand) and Miroslaw Zietarski and Mateusz Biskup (Poland). The Irish crew finished with a time of 06:14.40 in a very tight race but the crew from New Zealand just finished ahead of the Irish Crew to secure the final A/B Semi-Final spot.

Ronan and Phil will compete in Repechage on Saturday morning at 01:40.

Irish Results

Heats

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Sanita Pušpure – 1st – 07:46.08

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Ronan Byrne & Philip Doyle – 4th – 06:14.40

Saturday 24th Racing (IST) Repechage

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Ronan Byrne & Philip Doyle – 01:40

Heats

Women’s Pair (W2-) Monika Dukarska & Aileen Crowley – 02:10

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey – 02:50

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Fintan McCarthy & Paul O’Donovan – 03:30

Women’s Four (W4-) – Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty & Fiona Murtagh – 04:00

Monday’s Racing (IST) Quarter-Final

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Sanita Pušpure – 01:00 – 01:30 (Time to be confirmed)

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11th July 2021

World Rowing U23 Championship Silver for Ireland in Men's Four & Coxed Men's Four

Five Irish boats competed on the final day of the World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Two Irish crews took home a Silver Medal, and out of six competing crews, four reached A Finals, and two reached B Finals.

The Coxed Men’s Four won Silver in the A Final on Saturday afternoon. Finn O’Reilly, Andrew Sheehan, Ryan Spelman, Adam Murphy and Leah O’Regan (cox) finished second behind the Italian crew. They competed against crews from the USA, Germany, Italy, Nederlands, and France. They finished with a time of 06:12.84 to take home the Silver Medal.

Ross Corrigan, John Kearney, Alex Byrne and Jack Dorney won a Silver Medal in the M4- A Final. Ross, John, Alex and Jack started the race in front, but the Canadian boat closed the gap and took first place. Ross, John, Alex, and Jack finished ahead of the British boat to secure their Silver Medal with a time of 05:58.66.

Alison Bergin competed in the Women’s Single Sculls B Final, placing third with a final time of 08:06.47. Alison faced tough competition with crews from the Netherlands, Italy, USA, Russia and Austria. The boats from the Netherlands and Italy finished first and second, with Alison placing third.

Hugh Moore competed in the LM1x B Final, finishing fourth with a time of 07:18.71. Hugh led early in the race but was overtaken by the American and Danish boats after the 1,250-meter mark. Hugh narrowly missed out on a third-place by a tenth of a second to the German sculler.

Cliodhna Nolan finished fourth in the LW1x A Final. Cliodhna faced tough competition with crews from Italy, Russia, Greece, Germany and Austria. Cliodhna finished ahead of the German and Austrian boats to take fourth place. Cliodhna finished with a final time of 07:59.63.

Eoin Gaffney and Rory O’Neill raced in the LM2x A Final in the final race of the day for Irish Crews. Eoin and Rory finished fourth behind crews from German, France and Belgium. They beat the boats from Poland and Switzerland to secure the fourth-place finish. Eoin and Rory finished with a time of 06:29.91.

Rowing Ireland’s High-Performance Director, Antonio Maurogiovanni said, “I want to congratulate all of the athletes and coaches on their performances and results in the U23 World Championships this week.

We had six crews competing this week and out of the six, four reached the A Final and two crews reached the B Final. The Coxed Men’s Four and Men’s Four both won Silver in races with very tough competition.

Thank you to all the athletes, coaches, clubs, and their families for their commitment and hard work in preparation for the World Championships.

The team was well coordinated by the Coaches Coordinator and their Team Manager and all put in a large amount of work over the last couple of months and we are proud of their performances and results. Their passion and enthusiasm has been evident throughout their training camp and competition.

I look forward to seeing these athletes develop further and reach their potential in the next number of years after training as well as they did at the National Rowing Centre.”

Final Results

M4+ (Finn O’Reilly, Andrew Sheehan, Ryan Spelman, Adam Murphy and Leah O’Regan (Cox)) – 2nd – A Final – Silver Medal

M4- (Ross Corrigan, John Kearney, Alex Byrne and Jack Dorney) – 2nd – A Final – Silver Medal

W1x (Alison Bergin) – B Final – 3rd

LM1x (Hugh Moore) – B Final – 4th

LW1x (Cliodhna Nolan) – A Final – 4th

LM2x (Eoin Gaffney and Rory O’Neill) – A Final – 4th

Coaching and Support Staff

Antonio Maurogiovanni – High-Performance Director

Ciro Prisco – National Coach and Coach Coordinator

John Armstrong – National Coach

Nicolo’ Maurogiovanni – National Coach

Michael O’Rourke Team Manager

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21st June 2021

Busy Olderfleet Rowing Club Gets Teens Out on the Water at Larne

The only similarity between the Viking ships that raided Larne Lough in the ninth century and the boats used by the Olderfleet Rowing Club is that they are slender. The name 'Olderfleet' is thought to be a corruption of Ulfrecksfiord (or Ulfried's Fjord), the Viking name for Larne Lough, which lies on the east coast of County Antrim. It is a busy ferry port connecting with Cairnryan in Scotland.

The Club, which offers social and competitive coastal rowing along the Antrim coast, was founded early last year by Barbara Johnston, and with the help of the local business community, the club is going from strength to strength with 97 members and plans for continued growth. Not only that, but Olderfleet Rowing Club is proudly supporting Friends of the Cancer Centre and as well as raising money and awareness of the charity, the club will be giving teenagers and young adults with cancer the opportunity to get out on the water and try rowing for themselves.

Olderfleet Rowing Club, which has members of all ages, trains Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays on Larne Lough and the open sea

The club's base is beside the East Antrim Boat Club slip, giving access to the sheltered lough and the Co Antrim coast. The boats, two quads and two doubles, are kept in containers, and the club recently received a grant for a portacabin beside EABC.

Commenting on what inspired her to start her own rowing club, Barbara said: "I come from a rowing family, and I have been rowing myself for eight years. It is an incredible sport that I have fallen in love with, and I decided to establish my own club earlier this year. Olderfleet Rowing Club opened in February, and with the help and support of James Boomer and Norman Black, we are building a really great community".

Norman Black is one of the club's founders and a constant driving force. He coxes and coaches and is a long time Antrim Coast rower. The club is fortunate to have as Club coach James Boomer, who coached at two commonwealth regattas, Canada and Scotland. He was Head Coach for the Scottish regatta when Northern Ireland won its first-ever Gold. He has also coached Irish Junior level rowers at Home Internationals. He explains his outlook; "Coaching ranges from absolute beginners to seasoned racers, with a focus on personal, technical and crew development. Everyone is given the same opportunities to let them develop their rowing ability. Rowing is a truly wonderful sport, and I am only too glad to help people achieve their goals".

The club, which has members of all ages, trains Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays on Larne Lough and the open sea.

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Larne

7th June 2021

New Statement from Rowing Ireland Clarifies 'Media Ban' Situation

In a new statement, Rowing Ireland has backed down from their claim that the Afloat piece on a media ban on athletes was wrong.

Today's statement, on their site, says:

"Rowing Ireland wishes to clarify the situation regarding media coverage. International athletes have not been available for media interviews since the Lucerne World Cup. These restrictions do not, in our view, amount to a ban.

Rowing Ireland is happy to clear up this miscommunication and we apologise if the wrong impression was given in an earlier statement. We would like to thank the press for their continued support.

We will try to facilitate media requests with the athletes depending on their ongoing preparations, training and upcoming travel. The next Rowing Ireland media day will take place in the coming weeks ahead of the Olympics competition, with an opportunity for the media to speak with selected athletes.

Details will be announced in due course. All further media queries should be directed to [email protected]"

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23rd May 2021

Five Medals Won By Irish Crews at Rowing World Cup in Lucerne

Five Medals were won by Irish Crews at the World Rowing Cup II this weekend. Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy won Gold in the Lightweight Men’s Sculls. Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle won Silver in the Men’s Double, Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley won Silver in the Women’s Pair, Lydia Heaphy won Silver in the Lightweight Women’s Sculls, and Sanita Puspure won Bronze in the Women’s Single Sculls. Nine Irish crews competed at the World Rowing Cup II, and eight crews made it to the A Finals.

Jack Dorney, Alex Byrne, John Kearney and Ross Corrigan competed in the Men’s Four B Final, finishing third with a time of 06:16.20. The Irish boat sustained efforts throughout the race, competing against two Swiss crews and one Dutch crew. This result leaves the crew with a standing of ninth overall for this weekend.

Aileen Crowley and Monika Dukarska raced in the Women’s Pair A Final, resulting in a time of 07.22.17 for second place. Aileen and Monika’s efforts saw them take second place in the final 200 metres, earning their place on the podium with a silver medal.

Tara Hanlon and Claire Feerick also competed in the Women’s Pair A Final and placed fifth with a final time of 07:29.89. Both boats faced crews from Spain, Romania, Chile, and the Czech Republic.

Ronan Byrne and Phil Doyle raced in the Men’s Double Sculls A Final, placing second with a time of 06:19.05. Ronan and Phil faced tight competition from their Chinese counterparts, Zhang Lin and Zhiyu Liu, racing neck and neck from the 1,000 metres mark right up to the finish line. China edged ahead by 0.14 seconds, Ronan and Phil claimed the silver medal and a place on the podium.

After some times recently, Cork's Sanita Puspure is back on the podium. One of five Irish medallists at Lucerne World Rowing/Twitter

Sanita Puspure raced in the Women’s Single Sculls A Final, coming third with a time of 07:30.02 to secure a bronze medal. Sanita closed ground in the final hundred metres of the race but was passed by American rower Kara Kohler as they approached the line. Sanita faced rowers from Austria, Switzerland, the United States, and Russia.

Daire Lynch competed in the Men’s Single Sculls A Final, placing sixth with a final time of 07:01.90. Oliver Zeidler of Germany took home the Gold. Daire faced a strong field, racing alongside Norwegian, Lithuanian, Danish and German rowers.

Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy placed first in the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls Final A with a time of 06:15.48. Paul and Fintan claimed the lead in the first 900 metres, battling with the Norwegian crew Kristoffer Brun and Are Weierholt Strandli for pole position. The crew won Gold with a 14 metre lead in Ireland’s final race in Lucerne this weekend.

Rowing Ireland’s CEO, Michelle Carpenter said, “I want to congratulate all the athletes and team on their results this weekend. We are delighted to see five medals after all the dedication and hard work in training camp over the last months.

Well done to our High-Performance Director, Antonio Maurogiovanni, the coaches, support staff, and the athletes’ clubs and families. The support the team has is a substantial factor in their continued success. Now that we know where we are, we are looking forward to focusing on the important road ahead.”

Chair of Rowing Ireland’s High-Performance Committee, Neville Maxwell, said, “Overall we are very happy with the results of the Irish Team over the weekend in Lucerne. To come away with so many crews in A finals and five medals is a considerable achievement.

The group is now looking forward to having a quick rest and getting ready for the Tokyo Olympics, where further improvements will be made. We are delighted with the weekend, and Irish Rowing is in a good place.”

Irish Results

LW1x Lydia Heaphy – 2nd – A Final – Silver Medal

LM1x Gary O’Donovan – 4th – A Final

M4- Jack Dorney, Alex Byrne, John Kearney & Ross Corrigan – 4th – B Final

W2- Aileen Crowley & Monika Dukarska – 2nd – A Final – Silver Medal

W2- Tara Hanlon & Claire Feerick – 5th – A Final

M2x Ronan Byrne & Phil Doyle – 2nd – A Final -Silver Medal

W1x Sanita Puspure – 3rd – A Final – Bronze Medal

M1x Daire Lynch – 6th – A Final

LM2x Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy – 1st – A Final – Gold Medal

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22nd May 2021

Skibbereen Rower Lydia Heaphy Wins World Cup Silver Medal in Lightweight Women’s Single

Irish rower Lydia Heaphy won the Silver Medal in the Lightweight Women’s Single on Day Two of the World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne.

Gary O’Donovan finished fourth in the Lightweight Men’s Single Final. The remaining seven crews will be racing on Sunday morning.

Eight of the nine Irish crews competing this weekend qualified for A Finals.

Lydia Heaphy placed second in the Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls A Final, with a time of 08:25.15. Lydia faced tough competition but held strong ground, and she managed to edge ahead of Italian rower Federica Cesarini, securing second place. Lydia earned herself a spot on the podium with a silver medal. Lydia raced rowers from Switzerland, Italy, China, and the Netherlands.

Lydia Heaphy competed in the Lightweight Women’s Sculls A/B Semi-Final, finishing first with a time of 08:32.81, and progressed into the A Final. Lydia faced tough competition with crews from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Great Britain.

Gary O’Donovan competed in the Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls Final A, placing fourth with a time of 07:24.52. Gary was rowing alongside Chilean Felipe Andres Cardenas Morales, who finished ahead of Gary by a tenth of a second. The race saw tough competition throughout, with two rowers from Italy also earning places on the podium.

Gary O’Donovan qualified for the A Final by finishing second in the Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls A/B Semi-Final. It was a tight race with two boats from France and the Chilean boat competing with Gary for the three available places. Gary finished second behind the French Sculler by less than two-tenths of a second. Gary finished with a time of 07:35.59 and moved into the A Final.

Aileen Crowley and Monika Dukarska competed in the Women’s Pair Repechage, finishing first with a time of 07:35.44, qualifying for the A final. It was a close race right until the last hundred metres, in which Aileen and Monika fought off the Chilean team to claim first place. They will race in the A Final on Sunday morning.

Tara Hanlon and Claire Feerick also competed in the Women’s Pair Repechage, finishing third and also qualifying for the A final. Tara and Claire finished with a time of 07:40.73. Both pairs faced teams from Chile, China and the Czech Republic. Tara and Claire will race in the A Final on Sunday.

Ronan Byrne and Phil Doyle competed in the Men’s Double Sculls A/B semi-final, finishing in first with a time of 06:27.65. The double made substantial progress in the final 500 metres, beating the British crew by less than a second and securing their place in the A Final on Sunday.

Jack Dorney, Alex Byrne, John Kearney and Ross Corrigan competed in the Men’s Four Repechage, finishing fifth with a time of 06:21.50. It was a close race, with teams from Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands battling for two places in the A Final, ultimately resulting in a win for the Dutch team. Jack, Alex, John and Ross will compete in the B Final on Sunday.

In the Women’s Single Sculls, Sanita Puspure finished second with a time of 08:06.18 in the A/B Semi-Final. The race was won by Victoria Thornley of Great Britain, who led by just over one second. Sanita rowed alongside scullers from the United States, Greece, Mexico and the Netherlands and secured her place in the A Final.

Daire Lynch placed third in the Men’s Single Sculls A/B Semi-Final with a time of 07:12.29. Daire fought off competition from Japanese rower Ryuta Arakawa, gaining ground in the last 500 metres and securing the remaining place in the A Final. This was a tight race right until the end, with the top four crews finishing within three-and-a-half seconds of each other.

Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy competed in the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls A/B Semi-Final. The double started strong and maintained a steady lead to finish first with a time of 06:36.95. Paul and Fintan finished four seconds ahead of their Belgian counterparts, who finished second. The pair secured their place in the A Final on Sunday morning.

Sunday’s Racing Times (IST)

08:45 M4- (Jack Dorney, Alex Byrne, John Kearney & Ross Corrigan) B Final

09:15 W2- (Aileen Crowley & Monika Dukarska) – A Final

09:15 W2- (Tara Hanlon & Claire Feerick) – A Final

10:28 M2x (Ronan Byrne & Phil Doyle) – A Final

11:13 W1x (Sanita Puspure) – A Final

11:29 M1x (Daire Lynch)- A Final

11:44 LM2x (Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy) – A Final

Saturdays Results

LW1x (Lydia Heaphy) – 1st – A/B Semi-Final

LM1x (Gary O’Donovan) – 2nd – A/B Semi-Final

W2- (Aileen Crowley & Monika Dukarska) – 1st – Repechage

W2- (Tara Hanlon & Claire Feerick) – 3rd – Repechage

M2x (Ronan Byrne & Phil Doyle) – 1st – A/B Semi-Final

M4- (Jack Dorney, Alex Byrne, John Kearney & Ross Corrigan) – 5th – Repechage

W1x (Sanita Puspure) – 2nd – A/B Semi-Final

M1x (Daire Lynch) – 3rd – A/B Semi-Final

LM2x (Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy) – 1st – A/B Semi-Final

Saturday’s A Final Results

14:15 LW1x (Lydia Heaphy) – 2nd – A Final

14:27 LM1x (Gary O’Donovan – 4th – A Final

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21st May 2021

Six Irish Crews Qualify for World Rowing Cup II A/B Semi-Final

Rowing Ireland had nine crews competing at the World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne today. Six of the crews qualified directly to the A/B Semi-Final and three will compete in the Repechage on Saturday morning.

Crowley & Dukarska Second in Women’s Pair

There were two Irish boats competing in the first heat in the Women’s Pair. Aileen Crowley and Monika Dukarska finished second behind the Spanish boat. Tara Hanlon and Claire Feerick finished fourth with less than half a second behind the Czech Boat. Aileen and Monika finished with a time of 07:30.12 and Tara and Claire finished with a time of 07:41.36. As only the first-place crew went directly to the A Final, both Irish boats will compete in the Repechage on Saturday.

Men’s Double of Byrne & Doyle first in heat

The Men’s Double of Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle finished first in their Heat. Ronan and Phil led from the start and beat the crews from France, Great Britain and Lithuania. They finished with a time of 06:16.31 and progressed to the A/B Semi-Final on Saturday.

Heaphy first in the Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls Heat

Lydia Heaphy finished first in the Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls Heat. Lydia was competing against two Italian crews and a boat from Bulgaria. Lydia raced alongside the Italian Boats from the start and took the lead after the thousand-meter mark. Lydia finished with a time of 07:54.09 and will now race in the A/B Semi-Final on Saturday.

O’Donovan won the Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls Heat

Gary O’Donovan won the Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls Heat. Gary beat crews from Germany, Algeria, Chile and Japan. He took the lead halfway through the race and maintained the strong lead until the finish. Gary finished with a time of 07:10.15 and will race in the A/B Semi-Final on Saturday.

Men’s Four finished third

The Men’s Four finished third in their Heat. Jack, Alex, John and Ross were racing against crews from Great Britain, Poland and Switzerland. They finished third behind the boats from Great Britain and Poland with a time of 06:13.56 and will race in the Repechage on Saturday morning.

Sanita Puspure won the Women’s Single Scull Heat. Sanita beat crews from Austria, Serbia, Netherlands and Sweden. Sanita held the lead for the majority of the race and finished ahead of Magdalena Lobnig with a time of 07:38.45. Sanita will race in the A/B Semi-Final on Saturday.

Lynch second in the Men’s Single Sculls

Daire Lynch finished second in the Men’s Single Sculls Heat. Daire finished behind Oliver Zeidler from Germany and ahead of the boats from Brazil, Norway and Benin. Daire finished with a time of 07:13.98 and progressed to the Quarter Final later in the day.

Daire raced in the Men’s Single Sculls Quarter Final this afternoon and qualified for the A/B Semi-Final by finishing third. Daire finished just behind the sculler from Lithuania and Sverri Nielsen of Denmark went on to win. Daire booked his place in the A/B Semi-Final tomorrow with a time of 07:11.18.

Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy finished first their Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls Heat. They dominated the heat from the very start and finished well ahead of the chasing pack. They beat crews from Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and Venezuela. Paul and Fintan finished with a time of 06:24.98 and moved to the A/B Semi-Final on Saturday.