ROWING Record entry for Irish Rowing Championships

A record entry of over twelve hundred boats will compete in this year's Irish Rowing Championships which take place at the National Rowing Centre in Inniscarra, Cork next weekend.

With a record 230 races over three days, the racing gets underway at 8.00 pm on Friday (10 July)with the last race concluding the event at 6.00 pm on Sunday evening 12 July).

Regatta secretary Kieran Kerr said today, "This is by far the biggest entry we've ever had and will be the largest Irish Rowing Championship with over a thousand athletes competing from fifty clubs across the country. There are a total of eighteen Championship events for Men and the same number for Women with a total of twelve Junior events for both Junior men and Junior women."

The premier trophy event, the Men's Senior Eight for the Big Pot is expected to be between UCD and Queen's BC from Belfast who are, without doubt, the stand-out crews this year. While each team scored early season victories over each other, UCD will start as favourites having welcomed back two former internationals, Sean Jacob and Con Collis to their boat. NUIG, bolstered by the addition of Olympian Cormac Folan along with Alan Martin and James Wall, are also expected to challenge strongly.

Meanwhile Sean Jacob, who is entered in four events, will be hoping to add to his tally of thirteen Irish Championship victories.

The Men's Senior Scull event will have Olympian Cathal Moynihan (Neptune), recently resumed training following an injury layoff , facing major opposition from Sean Jacob (UCD), Liam Molloy (NUIG) and David Heffernan (Shandon).

NUIG look clear favourites for both the Men's Senior 4 and the Men's Pair.

The Women's Senior Eight sees defending champions, a composite from Muckross and Carlow Rowing Club facing stern opposition from Dublin University Ladies Boat Club and a composite from UCD and Old Collegians.

The Women's Single sculls will be a mix of youth against experience with new up and coming stars Lisa Dilleen and Monika Dukarska doing battle against Becky Quinn and Siobhan Jacob. Becky Quinn, whose current tally of Irish championship victories is seventeen, has entered three events, and now has a real chance of equalling, if not surpassing, Vanessa Lawrenson's remarkable record of eighteen victories.

Information

• Martin Corcoran, CEO Rowing Ireland 087 6876738