Pictures: Mícheál Ó’Suilleabháin
With Irish Olympic rowers strongly in the hunt for medals in Paris this week, there was great excitement closer to home as another rowing squad competed in the annual Home International Regatta in Scotland.
The event is the annual Triple Crown contest for Irish rowing and it brings together senior and junior crews from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
This year’s contest took place on Saturday last at the HQ of Scottish rowing in Strathclyde near Glasgow and four rowers from Muckross Rowing Club, Killarney were selected among the Irish contingent which also featured Nathan Guerin and his coach Heidi Giles of Tralee Rowing Club, challenging in the para rowing competition.
The highlight of the day for the Kerry representatives was in the Men’s Senior Coxed Four event, with Muckross rowers Patrick Buckley and Finn O’Sullivan racing to victory for Ireland along with two of their university crewmates from UL RC, Christopher O’Donovan and Adam Grace.
The talented quartet of rowers were joined by Noah Giltinan of Presentation Brothers Rowing Club, Cork in the coxswain seat.
Adam Grace and Patrick Buckley
In an impressive display, the crew led from the first quarter all the way to the finish of the 2km race with England second, Scotland third and Wales in fourth. It was a greatresult for the UL and Muckross rowers, with Patrick, from Rookery Road, Ballycasheen and Finn, from Headford, making their international debuts for Ireland.
The triumph was among one of four race wins for Ireland with gold medals also won in the Men’s Senior Single, Men’s Junior Double and Women’s PR2 Para Single.
Joining Patrick and Finn among the Irish squad were Niamh Coffey, from Coolies in Muckross and Ethan O’Neill, who hails from Gortagullane in Muckross, whose successful rowing careers also began as junior rowers for the Muckross club.
Both Niamh and Ethan have since progressed to senior level as university rowers, with Niamh recently graduating from UL RC and Ethan continuing his studies at UCC RC.
In the Women’s Senior Pair event, Niamh was joined by fellow UL and Skibbereen rower, Alyssa Mannix. In a close battle, the Irish pair fought hard against a strong Scottish crew. Less than one second separated the Irish and Scottish boats racing into the final quarter but it was a Scottish surge which saw Niamh and Alyssa cross the line in second for a silver medal placing with England third and Wales fourth.
Ethan O’Neill was selected to race in the Men’s Senior Coxless Four along with Rohan Nolan (Queens University BC), Tiarnan Mc Knight (Commercial RC Dublin) and Thomas Stevens of Commercial RC Dublin.
Top honours in the event went to Scotland who battled closely with England in second, with the Irish Fours crew a strong third and well clear of Wales in fourth.
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