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The premier domestic event in the Irish rowing calendar took place last weekend at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. The event attracted its largest entry of crews in its long history, with 1,127 crews entered. Killarney and Kerry rowing were strongly represented as no less than six clubs from the Kingdom contested the three-day event held from Friday to Sunday last. The Killarney clubs of Muckross and Workmen were joined by fellow Kerry clubs Killorglin, Kenmare, Tralee and Waterville in the battle for top national honours.

During a successful Championship Regatta for the Kerry clubs, the main highlight was the double victory by Workmens RC in both the Women’s Junior Coxless Quad and Women’s Junior Double. With three of their rowers already qualified to the Irish squad for upcoming international competition, it was of little surprise to those in the know that the girls from Workmen entered the Championships as strong favourites for the Junior sculling events.

Ciara Moynihan and Ciara Browne were winners of the Womens Junior Double, however they had to work hard in both their heat and final to see off the challenge of the Killorglin RC duo of Rhiannon O’Donoghue and Anna Tyther, who finished second to make it an impressive Kerry rowing 1-2 in the event with New Ross third.

On Sunday, the Workmens double crew teamed up with Miriam Fleming and Annie O’Donoghue in the Women’s Junior Quad where they dominated their heat prior to securing their Championship win in the event final with a comprehensive victory over Commercial RC of Dublin in second and Bann RC in third.

The double Championship win was historic for the Workmens club, bridging a 29-year gap since the club last won a national title with its trio of title wins in 1989. It brings the club’s championship tally to five and brings the Pat Erwin Shield for the Womens Junior Double to Kerry for the first time. The Seán Hackett Memorial Cup for the Womens Junior Quad will also take pride of place in the Workmens club as it is only the second time this Championship pot has been won by a Kerry club since Killorglin RC’s victory in 2006.

The focus for the Workmen’s Championship winning rowers now turns international as they swap club colours for green blades. The double of Ciara Moynihan and Ciara Browne will race for Ireland in the World Junior Rowing Championships taking place in the Czech Republic in August. Meanwhile, Annie O’Donoghue will also race for Ireland at the Coupe de la Jeunesse regatta for European junior crews, taking place at Cork’s National Rowing Centre at the end of July.

The Workmen club also came close to two further Championship wins, with Annie O’Donoghue finishing second place in the Women’s Club grade single scull while James McCarthy delivered a matching silver medal in the final of the Men’s Club Single. Outside of the Championship events, Ryan Bartlett delivered an additional gold medal for Workmen, winning his final of the Mens Junior 14 Single.

There was more records in the making for Killarney rowing as Muckross RC became the first Kerry club to win the Men’s Masters Four event at the Irish Championship Regatta. Maurice Coffey, Brendan O’Neill, Jeremy Kenny, former Olympian Paul Griffin and cox Siobhán Galvin overcame the reigning Limerick composite crew of Castleconnell and UL for a historic gold. The club’s B crew in the same event were also third. The two Muckross Masters Fours also raced as one crew in the Masters Eight event. While the Muckross Eight rowed in the fastest time, the age-based handicap system for this older grade saw two crews start and finish ahead of Muckross. At the opposite end of the age scale, there was more gold medals for Muckross in the Men’s Junior 14 Quad, won by the crew of Cian McAuliffe, Niall Coffey, Rory Stack, Nathan O’Connor and cox Ian Coffey. Muckross was also second in four events including Ethan O’Neill and Aisling Coffey in the Mens and Womens Junior 15 single events respectively, in addition to both the Womens Junior 15 and Junior 14 quadruple sculls.

With renowned coach Noel Casey at the helm, Kenmare Rowing & Boat Club has also become a serious force on the national stage. Having only made its Championship debut in recent years, the club has nurtured great success among its junior ranks. Rowan Johnson was winner of the Men’s Junior 15 Single while Ellen Harrington took a second gold for Kenmare RBC in the Women’s Junior 14 Single. Tom Kelly was second in the Men’s Junior 16 single for Kenmare while Eimear Crowley also placed a strong third in the final of the Women’s Junior 18 single. Both Tom and Eimear will also don green jerseys in the coming weeks, with Eimear Crowley selected for Ireland in the Coupe de la Jeunesse and Tom Kelly racing in the Home International Regatta. Tom’s sister Sarah, rowing with Dublin University Ladies Boat Club, has also been selected to the Irish senior squad for the Homes event along with  Georgia O’Brien, another Kenmare rowing star currently affiliated with UL RC.

With Monika Dukarska leading the charge for Killorglin RC at the recent rowing World Cup event in Lucerne, her fellow female rowers from the Laune based club delivered more success back home. Rhiannon O’Donoghue and Anna Tyther were silver medallists in three Championship finals including the Women’s Intermediate Double, Junior Double and Junior Pair. The Junior 17 duo have been selected to row for Ireland in both the Coupe de la Jeunesse and Home International Regattas. Airida Mateviciute was both a winner of the Women’s Junior 14 single scull finals and a silver medallist in the Junior 15 single, while Jessica Lee secured gold for Killorglin in the Women’s Masters single event.

The powerhouse of Kerry rowing was also further in evidence in the adult men’s sculling events. Fionan Crowley, a native of Killorglin and sister of current international rower Aileen, was the winner of the Men’s Senior Single Scull Championship rowing with Castleconnell BC. Killarney oarsman Aodhán Burns, son of Workmens lead coach Mickey-Joe and brother of Kerry senior footballer Micheál, was also in superb form as he claimed the Men’s Lightweight Single Scull Championship. Aodhan’s third place finish in the Men’s Senior Scull also placed two Kerry natives in the top three of men’s single rowing nationally.

Overall, some fantastic results by Kerry clubs and rowers competing at the top level of domestic rowing. With several final wins and many more medals and top three finishes at underage level, there is no doubt that the future of Kerry rowing is bright.

KERRY JUNIOR ROWERS SELECTED FOR IRELAND SQUAD 2018

Junior World Rowing Championships (Czech Republic, August 2018):

Ciara Moynihan (Workmens RC) and Ciara Browne (Workmens RC).

Coupe de la Jeunesse (Cork, July 2018):

Annie O’Donoghue (Workmen RC), Eimear Crowley (Kenmare RBC), Rhiannon O’Donoghue (Killorglin RC) and Anna Tyther (Killorglin RC).

Home International Regatta (Cork, July 2018):

Georgia O’Brien (UL RC/Kenmare RBC), Sarah Kelly (Kenmare, DULBC), Tom Kelly (Kenmare RBC), Rhiannon O’Donoghue (Killorglin RC) and Anna Tyther (Killorglin RC).