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Olympic plans could change local rowing traditions

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CHANGES: Off shore rowing is growing in popularity. The All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships were held in Dingle last summer and over 600 competitors took part. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

 

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By Sean Moriarty

Rowing Ireland held a public open meeting in Killarney last night (Thursday) to discuss the national governing body’s plans for offshore rowing, which is set to become a new arena for the sport on the international stage.

The sport’s world governing body, FISA, is behind a plan to include offshore rowing in future Olympic Games. This is in response to increasing pressure by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to replace existing codes in favour of adding new events.

Favourite to get the chop are the lightweight classes, a category where Irish rowers have excelled in the past.

Local Olympic hero Paul Griffin represented Ireland in the Athens Olympics (2004) and finished sixth alongside fellow Muckross oarsman Cathal Moynihan in the lightweight coxless four final in Beijing four years later. The lightweight four event has already been culled since 2016 and the sole lightweight boat at Olympic level is now the double sculls.

During the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the O’Donovan brothers of Skibbereen won silver behind France in the lightweight double sculls, the first rowing medal won by Ireland in the Olympics. Tokyo 2020 may be the last time the lightweight double features as an Olympic event.

However, offshore rowing is growing in popularity, to the point that Muckross Rowing Club will soon take delivery of its first offshore quad boat.

This growth in offshore rowing is offering new opportunities for rowers countrywide, including local rowing clubs in Killarney.

A new summer league has been announced for this season with regattas taking place in Kerry, Cork, Wicklow, Wexford, Donegal and Antrim and there are over 30 clubs competing nationally offshore.

“A simple analogy would be cycling when they started to include mountain biking alongside the road races,” Muckross Rowing Club PRO Tim O’Shea told the Killarney Advertiser.

“It won’t mean the end to lightweight rowing, but it might present alternative opportunities to get local rowers to the Olympics and further grow the sport nationally. Offshore rowing is a very different skill in a different style of boat, you are fighting currents and waves where the Olympic style of rowing as we know it requires mostly calm conditions.”

Depending on the next move by the IOC, offshore rowing could be included in the Olympics as early as Paris in 2024 and Rowing Ireland is getting ready. The discipline is already confirmed for the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal in 2022.

 

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes GAA Club hosted a special day out for its senior members on Monday, this week, taking a group aged between 70 and 90 on a cruise across the Lakes of Killarney.

Organised by the Dr Crokes Healthy Club committee under its Crokes Cruisers initiative, the event was held to recognise the lifetime contribution made by long-standing members who continue to support club activities behind the scenes.
The group travelled on two vessels, including An Cathal, an open boat operated by local brothers Tony and Mike Fleming. Built to preserve the traditional Killarney lake boat style, it is the only purpose-built, fully accessible boat on the lakes, allowing members with mobility issues and wheelchair users to safely join the two-hour trip.
Following the lake tour, the party gathered on shore for coffee and refreshments provided by Derric McMahon and Harry Clifton of the Ross Castle Garden Cafe.
The initiative forms part of the club’s ongoing community work as a Gold Award winner in the GAA Healthy Club programme.

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