#Rowing: Rowing Ireland is set to add a new event to the calendar in September, the forerunner of a major calendar change. The new regatta, which will be incorporated into the Irish Open in September, will be for young rowers. It will become an anuual event, and grow each year until it incorporates competition for under-20 and under-22 rowers. Pat McInerney, who presented the proposal to the fixtures meeting ahead of the Rowing Ireland agm in Dublin today, agreed that it might, in time advance the case of holding the Irish Championships in September.
Antonio Maurogiovanni, the Ireland high performance director, flew in from the Ireland training camp for the fixtures meeting and agm. He was fully in favour of the new regatta and wished to see the Irish Championships move to September. Patrick Boomer, Andy Harrington, Ronan Byrne and Conor Egan have joined the Ireland camp in Varese.
A major change in the calendar for 2019 sees Skibbereen Regatta and Lough Rynn switch positions. Lough Rynn is now pencilled in for Sunday, April 14th, a day after a combined University and Schools Championships, while Skibbereen would run on May 4th and 5th. Trinity switched to May 11th and Portadown to May 4th.
Awards at Rowing Ireland AGM:
President’s: Gerry Cantan. Leinster: Kathryn Wall. Munster: Teresita O’Callaghan. Connacht: Micheal O Marcachain. Ulster: Ronald Walker (2018). Shane Kernan (2017).