On September 7th, the O’Connell Centenary Cup was presented to the winning crew from St. Michael’s Rowing Club by Denis O’Callaghan, the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. The presentation ceremony was held at the County Hall and attended by councillors, members of St. Michael’s Rowing Club, council staff, and representatives of Rowing Ireland. The cup has a rich historical background and was awarded to the winning crew during the Kingstown Regatta in 1875 to commemorate the centenary of Daniel O’Connell’s birth. After more than 70 years, St. Michael’s Rowing Club and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council revived the event, which will be held annually going forward.
The race was held on July 2023, as part of the Coastival celebrations, and involved traditional east coast fixed seat skiffs with mixed crews of four rowers, two female and two male, plus a coxswain, competing in a sprint across Dún Laoghaire harbour.
The twelve participating coastal rowers, selected from more than thirty people who put themselves forward by means of a chance draw, did not regularly compete or train together.
The winning crew consisted of Sonja Storm, Martin Dowd, Tommy Hammill, Sarah Good Leonard, and coxswain Gary Byrne.
The O’Connell Centenary Cup was presented by the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown, Denis O’Callaghan, to the winning crew from St. Michael’s Rowing Club. The cup is on public display in the entrance area of County Hall in Dun Laoghaire
Stephen Brady, the Council’s Director of Corporate Affairs, hosted the event and welcomed all the participants.
The Cathaoirleach congratulated the winning crew and spoke about the importance of treasuring tradition. He also highlighted the work of DLR archivist Georgina Sweetnam, whose contribution was crucial for reviving the race and the event itself.
Simone Sav, St. Michael’s Rowing Club Chairperson, expressed gratitude to dlr County Council for their continued support of the club and to Rowing Ireland for their guidance. She also thanked the council’s Harbour Operations Manager, Tim Ryan, and the Harbour Master, Harry Duggan, for their assistance. Marie Kinsella, Chair of the Coastal Division, Shane Russell, Vice-Chair of the Coastal Division, and David Hussey, Rowing Ireland board member, also attended the event.
Gary Byrne, a member of the winning crew, was surprised to see his grandfather’s name, John Byrne, engraved on the O’Connell Centenary Cup dating back to 1944. The cup has been put on display in the entrance area in County Hall, Dún Laoghaire. The race will be held every year, and more crews are expected to join next year.
