Rowing_Ireland

Rowing Ireland

Rowing Ireland

Governing body for rowing sports on the island of Ireland


Rowing Ireland, formerly the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, is the governing body of rowing for Ireland.[1][2] It is a cross-border organisation administering the sport in both the Republic of Ireland[1] and Northern Ireland.[2]

Quick Facts Sport, Jurisdiction ...

Rowing Ireland is a member of the Olympic Council of Ireland[3] and the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron (FISA).[4]

Membership

In excess of 100 clubs are affiliated to Rowing Ireland.[5] These are from every part of the island and include schools, third level institutions and open clubs.

In 2019 Rowing Ireland launched its strategy until 2024. This has four pillars: Supporting clubs, High Performance, Rowing for all and Leading our sport.

National Rowing Centre

The National Rowing Centre (NRC) in Farran Wood, Cork is the headquarters of Rowing Ireland and is also the base of the High Performance team. The centre has an eight-lane Albano course and hosts a number of regattas and the Championship Regatta each year. Every four years it hosts the Home International Regatta.[6] In 1999 and 2008 it hosted the Coupe de la Jeunesse[7] It successfully hosted the event again in 2018.[8]

Irish Championships

Presentation Brothers College, winners of the Junior pair 2021.

Established in 1899 as the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, the association hosted its first championship in 1912.[3] At the 1912 AGM, which was held in February, it was agreed that a cup be purchased for £100 for the Union to be presented for annual competition amongst senior eights. This would in time become known as "The Big Pot". The inaugural Senior eights championship took place at Metropolitan Regatta in Ringsend on the Lower Liffey in July 1912 and City of Derry Boating Club were the winners.[9] It would be 1934 before the Junior (Intermediate) eights championship was added.[10] Since then many additional championships have been added and 44 are now contested each year at the Championship Regatta.[11] In 2017 it added the Irish Offshore Rowing Championship and in 2018 the inaugural Irish Coastal Rowing Championships took place. The results of all championships can be found at www.irishrowingarchives.com

National team

Rowing Ireland is responsible for the selection and management of the Irish national team, through its High Performance programme. Crews are selected for regattas such as the Olympic Games, World Rowing Championships, European Rowing Championships, and the World Rowing Cup.[12]

National squad

This was the team selected for the 2023 World Rowing Championships, held in Belgrade, Serbia.[13][14]

As of 23 August 2023
More information Boat, Name ...

Personnel

This was the coaching and management personnel selected for the 2023 World Rowing Championships, held in Belgrade, Serbia.[13]

As of 23 August 2023
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Olympics and Paralympics

Olympics

Ireland first sent a boat to an Olympic regatta to the 1948 Summer Olympics, where they sent a men's eight.[15] The IARU received its affiliation from FISA on the 3rd of August, 1948, two days before the start of the regatta, allowing Ireland to send a crew.[16]

It was not until 1972, when Seán Drea entered the men's single sculls, coming seventh.[17] Ireland would go on to field at least one crew at every Olympic regatta except 1984.[18] Four years later, Drea came fourth in the same event.[19]

At the 1996 Summer Olympics, the crew in the men's lightweight coxless four consisting of Derek Holland, Sam Lynch, Neville Maxwell and Tony O'Connor also came fourth.[20]

It was not until 2016, when brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan broke through and won Ireland's first Olympic medal in rowing: a silver in the men's lightweight double sculls.[21] The O'Donovans' relaxed interview style endeared followers and they became internet sensations in the wake of their success,[22] and they were invited on to The Graham Norton Show for its 2016 New Year's Eve special.[23]

At the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, Ireland entered thirteen athletes across six boats, more than any other Olympic regatta. The women's coxless four, consisting of Emily Hegarty, Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, and Fiona Murtagh, won a bronze medal,[24] and Paul O'Donovan joined Fintan McCarthy to win Ireland's first rowing gold in the men's lightweight double sculls[25]

For the 2024 Summer Olympics, Ireland has so far qualified twelve athletes across six boats.[26]

Medal table

More information Games, Event ...

Paralympics

At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Ireland fielded a crew in the mixed coxed four.[27] For the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Ireland has qualified a boat for the PR2 mixed double sculls.[28]

World Championships

Ireland has won sixteen gold, eight silver and eleven bronze medals at the World Rowing Championships.[29][30]

Gold medallists

More information Year, Event ...

European Championships

The European Rowing Championships were re-established in 2007, after a hiatus dating to 1973. At these, Ireland has won six gold, five silver, and five bronze medals.[31]

Gold medallists

More information Year, Event ...

References

  1. "Olympic Council of Ireland: Introduction to Rowing". Olympic Council of Ireland. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  2. Cork set to host prestigious Junior Regatta in 2018 Aifric Keogh 8 August 2015, Sportswoman.ie
  3. "High Performance". rowingireland.ie. Rowing Ireland. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  4. O'Brien, Clara. "2023 World Championships – Team Announcement". rowingireland.ie. Rowing Ireland. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  5. "2023 World Rowing Championships - Entry List" (PDF). World Rowing. FISA/World Rowing. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  6. "1948 Olympics And The Thin Green Line, Part 1". Hear The Boat Sing. Hear The Boat Sing. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  7. "Ireland's Part in the Growth of the F.I.S.A. Family". Hear The Boat Sing. Hear The Boat Sing. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  8. "Rowing at the 1972 Munich Summer Games: Men's Single Sculls". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  9. Kerr, Kieran. "Irish Rowing Olympians" (PDF). Irish Rowing Archives. Irish Rowing Archives. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  10. "Rowing at the 1976 Monteral Summer Games: Men's Single Sculls". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  11. "Rowing at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games: Men's Lightweight Coxless Fours". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  12. "Relive the moment of rowing history in Rio". rte.ie. RTÉ. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  13. Slawson, Nicola. "Ireland's O'Donovan brothers become web sensations after medal win". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  14. "Series 20, New Year's Eve Show". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  15. "Tokyo 2020: Gold for O'Donovan and McCarthy". rte.ie. RTÉ. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  16. O'Riordan, Ian (10 September 2023). "Ireland take four medals home from World Rowing Championships". Irish Times. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  17. Kerr, Kieran. "Irish Rowing Paralympians" (PDF). Irish Rowing Archives. Irish Rowing Archives. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  18. Kerr, Kieran. "Rowing Ireland - European Championship Medals" (PDF). Irish Rowing Archives. Irish Rowing Archives. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

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