ROWING Single Scullers to take top billing at Irish Rowing Championships for small boats in Cork this weekend

With over 350 crews entered across 30 events, next weekend’s Irish Rowing Championships for smaller boats will bring down the curtain on what has been an exciting regatta season for Irish rowing.

Rowing Ireland CEO, Martin Corcoran explained, “This year, to increase overall competitor entries, we adopted a new format for the championships.  The bigger boat championship with the blue riband Senior Eight race was held in July and the smaller boat championship, consisting of singles, double sculls and quads is now held in September.”

While other accomplished rowers, including several former champions, are in action this weekend, it's the battle of the big men in the single sculls which takes top billing.

The men’s senior single scull sees two time winner and reigning champion Sean Jacob (Old Collegians Boat Club) face top class competition from Rory O’Connor (IT Tralee)  who is also a two time senior sculling champion along with two top lightweights in Olympian Riachard Coakey (Skibbereen) and Peter Hanily (St. Michael’s). Coakley and Hanily will face off again in the lightweight scull later the same day.

There are nine competitors in the women’s senior single sculls and all nine have international experience with outstanding pedigrees.  Old Collegian BC’s Sanita Puspure, the defending  senior women’s sculling champion will face tough competition from Killorglin RC’s Monika Dukarska and Tribesmen RC’s lightweight Siobhan Mc Crohan. McCrohan is ending a very successful international season with three A final appearances.

One of the other standout events is the men's senior quad with U23 silver medalists, the all-Skibbereen quad of Mark O’ Donovan, Justin Ryan, Gearoid Murphy and Olympian Richard Coakley. 

NUIG will have Olympian Cormac Folan, U23 silver medalist Niall Kenny and the experienced duo of Liam Molloy and Dave Mannion.

The third significant entry in this category is a combined UCD and St Michael's crew of David Neale (UCD) along with St. Michael’s Sean Jacob who is joined by clubmates Peter Hanily and ex-World men’s lightweight single champion, Sam Lynch.

In the men’s Junior single sculls, Turlough Hughes from King’s Hospital, fresh from the World Junior Championships, will meet stiff competition from the Skibbereen trio of Gary O’Donovan, Paul O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll.

CEO Martin Corcoran stated that the “largest championship entry is the men’s junior single sculls with 28 scullers”.  “Because of the large entry the organising committee has decided to run a time trial which will take place at 8am with the top 18 qualifying for the semi finals.”