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Aoife O’Connell competing in Tullamore.
By Jane Boyle, Tralee Rowing Club PRO
Last weekend TRC enjoyed a successful trip to National Championships, we were thrilled with the results and the increasing depth in our squad.
We are very proud of all our participants. We are a small, young club and despite the challenges of recent seasons, we find it really reassuring that we are continuing to progress, achieving notable results and developing rowers and squads who are able to compete at a national level.
Our most successful crews were Sean Morris in the MJ161x, and Georgina Kennedy, Aoife O’Connell, Catherine Steward, Sadhbh Cadogan, and Rosie Giles in the WJ164x+.
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They both won their heats in the time trials and went on to place an agonising 4th, mere fractions of a second from medal positions.
Irish rowing is in a really good place at the moment, the standard is high and highly competitive, to make any impact takes a minimum of a 46 weeks a year commitment from the junior rowers, their coaches, club volunteers and their families.
Sean Morris, Daragh Morris, Billy Giles, Oisin Lawlor competing in Tullamore.
We have a considerable number of young people who are going to bed early and getting up early, in dark and wet conditions through out the Autumn, Winter and Spring and saying to their peers and families “I can’t, I have training”. That training is relentless, using all of your body, 6 days a week.
Their reward is literally their day in the sun when regatta season comes around, unmatched camaraderie, as crews support each other, emotionally and practically, working together to get boats on and off the water and roaring encouragement for whatever crew is on the water.
Common current negative generalisations about young people most certainly do not apply to our members, our finalists and our entire championship squad: Sean Morris, Georgina Kennedy, Aoife O’Connell, Catherine Steward, Sadhbh Cadogan, Rosie Giles, Daragh Morris, Billy Giles, Oisin Lawlor, Jared O’Briain, Amy Darcy, Alex Maritz, Millie Hayes, David Lynch, Niall McCarthy (Jared O’Briain rowed as well as coxed) a number of our rowers participated in two or three events.
Thanks to Daragh Morris who took Conall MacThreinfir’s seats in 2 crews and get well soon to Conall who took ill on Thursday.
The adults of our club were ably represented by Paula Moloney who raced in the WClub1x, Paula generally rows in the masters category, so the 2k distance was twice her usual challenge, well done Paula!
This weekend followed on from our success at the Rowing Ireland 1KM Classic the week before when club member Daragh Morris came 1st in MJ14x1 category and James Morris & Jim Breen took 1st place in MM8x
The rowers should all be proud of the season they put in and we look forward to seeing them building on it next season.
We are lucky to have a big and diverse coaching team and they deserve much credit. The best is most definitely yet to come!
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