Muckross Rowing Club hosts successful Head of the River trials

Muckross Rowing Club hosted its annual Head of the River rowing time trial on Saturday last, March 21, at the National Rowing Centre in Farran, Cork.

The event took place under clear skies after being rescheduled from its original December date due to previous weather cancellations. As a key fixture in the winter rowing calendar, the event attracted 458 crews from 29 different clubs across Munster and Leinster.
The competition featured a specialized course length of 1950 metres, adapted from the standard 3km distance to help athletes transition toward the upcoming regatta season in April. This event remains the only time trial hosted at the sport’s national headquarters.
A composite Men’s Masters Eight, featuring rowers from six clubs across Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary, recorded the fastest time of the day at 6 minutes 39 seconds. Killorglin RC secured the title of fastest women’s crew, with their Junior 18 Quad finishing in 7 minutes 12 seconds. In the coastal categories, top honours went to Rosscarbery’s Men’s J16 Coastal Quad and Kilmacsimon RC’s Women’s J16 Coastal Quad.
The host club, Muckross RC, recorded five category wins during the meet. Victories came in the Women’s J16 Quad (Marissa O’Connor, Cara Spillane, Julia Weglarz, Orla Forde), Men’s Intermediate Single (Cillian Leslie), and the Men’s J14 Quad (Daire Murphy, Cian Whitty, Max Dorrill, Joe Hickey). Further success was seen in the Women’s J14 Octuple and the Women’s J16 Single, where Lauren O’Donoghue took the top spot. The club also secured three second-place and four third-place finishes.
Other Kerry clubs including Workmen RC of Killarney, Tralee RC, and Killorglin RC also showed strong form on the water. Speaking after the conclusion of the races, Event Secretary and Club Vice Chairman Tim O’Shea expressed satisfaction with the turnout and thanked the volunteers, parents, and sponsors who supported the event. With the time trial season now concluded, clubs will move their focus to the regatta season starting next month.

The 2026 Killarney Rally of the Lakes is set to introduce several major changes to the prestigious May Bank Holiday motorsport event.

The weekend will kick off with the ceremonial start ramp in Killarney town centre on Friday evening.

This high-energy event remains a fan favourite, drawing thousands of spectators to the town to see the crews and machinery up close before the competitive action begins on Saturday morning.

The opening day features a blend of legendary stages and fresh territory. While the route includes the iconic run over Moll’s Gap, a significant departure for 2026 sees the rally move towards Millstreet for much of the Saturday loop.

This involves the use of newer or lesser-used roads in the vicinity, providing a fresh challenge for drivers. In line with this shift, the service park for Saturday will be located at the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet.

Sunday’s action returns to the traditional heartland of South Kerry, featuring staples such as the Beallaghbeama Pass.

The organisers have introduced a twist on the Shanera stage, extending the route by approximately 4km over roads never used in this specific configuration.

In a major scheduling shift, the Junior contenders will now run their full eight-stage event on Saturday rather than the traditional Sunday slot.

Furthermore, following the success of the Rally Masters at Killarney Racecourse, a dedicated World Rally Car class will run exclusively on Sunday.

This class features iconic 2.0-litre machines from the early 2000s, including Subaru Imprezas and Ford Focus WRCs.

While these cars are no longer eligible for overall championship honours, they remain huge fan favourites and will provide a nostalgic soundtrack to the final day.

The event serves as a crucial counting round for the NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the Southern 4 Rally Championship, and the Moriarty’s Central Car Sales Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship.