National Rowing Centre Opened & Irish Team Named

Wednesday 2nd May 2007

Minister O’Donoghue Officially Opens National Rowing Centre in Cork

Irish team named for World Cup Regattas

Mr. John O’Donoghue T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism officially opened the spectacular National Rowing Centre (NRC) at Farran Wood, Inniscara in Cork today.  The new facility will provide a world class rowing centre for the full spectrum of Irish rowing. It will host national and international competitions, and will serve as a centre of excellence for the Irish rowing’s high performance programme from the junior ranks right through to the senior stars.

“As President of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union (IARU) I have been lucky enough to witness many successes in Irish rowing but this is one of our proudest days”, remarked Frank Durkin.

“Our vision was for a supreme home for Irish rowing and without doubt this is what we have, thanks to the generous support of the Government, and the hard work of those in rowing, principally Mick O’Callaghan. I am delighted also that we are opening this centre at a time when have the rowers wearing the green that match these outstanding facilities; they deserve this centre.”

The magnificent centre has been fully funded by the Government under the Sports Capital Programme, with over €5.4million allocated to the project since work began in 2000.

Speaking at the event Minister O’Donoghue stated: “There could hardly be a better use of our money than to put it into sports facilities and the hands of the staunch committees who run and maintain them. Irish rowers have been very successful at World, Olympic and International regattas and this magnificent centre should ensure even greater success in the years ahead.”

Generous support from the Irish Sports Council and the Irish Institute of Sport will enable the IARU to base, and run their elite high performance programme out of the NRC, with their every amenity for training and recovery on site.

The NRC has a high performance sports science and physiology room resourced by a full time sports science co-ordinator, a high performance training gym, an elite strength and conditioning gym, an Anti-Doping and medical room, and canteen in addition to extensive recovery and changing facilities.

There are also five large boat bays to house the national team equipment, offices to house the governing body and centre management, with an attractive viewing deck which gives a tremendous view of the impressive course.

Irish Institute of Sport Executive Chairman Sean Kelly spoke at the opening: “Rowing is one our most consistently successful sports and we are pleased to be in a position. with our support, and that of the Irish Sports Council, to enable the high performance programme to operate out of this superb facility. Our very best, and aspiring young rowing athletes have everything they need here to prepare and train to realise their significant potential on the International stage.”

The first event on the calendar for the newly opened NRC will be Cork Regatta in July, while it will host the first of its international visitors when it stages the Home Internationals with athletes from England, Scotland, and Wales. In 2008 the European Junior Championships; the ‘Coupe de La Jeunesse’ will be staged at the centre.

Word has spread of the fabulous new facilities in Farran Wood with a number of top international teams expressing interest in using the NRC for training camps. Irish head coach Harald Jahrling is not surprised; “This is a top class training facility comparable to those of the world’s top rowing nations. It’s no wonder that a number of the those nations want to come here for training camps; it’s a great stamp of approval from the best in the business for the National Rowing Centre.”

Irish Team Named

The Irish coach used the opportunity of the official opening to name his team for the first two regattas of the upcoming three leg World Cup series. Ireland will send six boats to the first and second World Cup regattas, which take place in Austria and the Netherlands respectively, in June.

Three of the six boats remain unchanged from last season; the men’s heavyweight four (M4-), and the women’s lightweight double (LW2x) that both finished 7th at last year’s World Championships, alongside Dubliner Sean Casey in the heavyweight single scull (M1x).

The lightweight four (LM4-) that claimed bronze at last year’s World Championships sees one change with Richard Coakley, younger brother of Eugene, coming in to replace Gearoid Towey, who is not competing this season. Tim Harnedy, who partnered Richard Coakley in the lightweight men’s double last season is unavailable for selection at the moment due to injury, so head coach Jahrling has decided not to send a boat in that particular class.

Irish heavyweight rowing continues to flourish under the stewardship of Jahrling and his team with two new Irish boats travelling to the World Cups; a women’s double (W2x), and a men’s quad (M4x). A team consisting of four boats was also announced for the Under 23 World Championships, which take place in Scotland in July.

The overall World Cup champions are determined after a series of three regattas (Linz, Amsterdam and Lucerne in July) with the centrepiece of the International season the World Championships in Munich, Germany beginning August 20th, which, this year also serve as the major Olympic qualifying event.

Ends.

Issued on behalf of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union by the Irish Sports Council

For further information:

Mick O’Callaghan, Irish Team Manager& Project Manager; National Rowing Centre

086-8030145

or

Sinéad McElroy, Irish Sports Council, 087-6338512, smcelroy@irishsportscouncil.ie

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Irish Senior Team for World Cup 1 & 2

Heavyweight Men’s Four (M4-)

Alan Martin (NUIG)

Sean Casey (Muckross)

Cormac Folan (NUIG)

Sean O’Neill (St. Michael’s)

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)                            

Paul Griffin (Muckross)
Richard Archibald (Lady Victoria BC)
Richard Coakley (Skibbereen)

Eugene Coakley (Skibbereen)

Reserve: Cathal Moynihan (Neptune)

Heavyweight Men’s Single Scull (M1x)

Sean Jacob (Commercial)

Lightweight Women’s Double Scull (LW2x)

Niamh NiCheilleachair (Castleconnell)

Sinéad Jennings (St.Michael’s)

Reserve: Orla Duddy (Belfast)

Women’s Heavyweight Double (W2x)

Helen Walshe (UCD)

Caroline Ryan (Garda)

Men’s Heavyweight Quad (M4x)

Paul Murray (NUIG)

Paul O’Brien (Garda)

Con Collis (UCD)
James Wall (NUIG)

Manager:        Michael O’Callaghan

Coaches:         Harald Jahrling, Debbie Fox

Doctor:            Siobhan Jacob

Physio:            Sarah-Jane McDonnell

Irish Team – Under23 World Championships

Heavyweight Men’s Four (M4-)

David Walsh (Cork)

Aodhan Kelly (Neptune)

Niall Kenny (St. Michael’s)

Martin Walsh (Imperial)

Lightweight Women’s Single Scull (LW1x)

From    Siobhan McCrohan (Tribesman)

            Orla Hayes (Skibbereen)

Lightweight Men’s Double Scull (LM2x)

Liam Molloy (NUIG)

Ger Ward (Commercial)

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)

Kevin Clarke (Commercial)

Vincent Ruane (NUIG)

Ben Clarke (Commercial)

Daniel Murphy (Cork)

Reserve:           (M1x) Rory O’Connor (Offaly)

Manager:        Ciara NiCheilleachair

Coach:                        Colin Barratt