The 2017 Irish Rowing Championships take place this weekend running from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th July at the National Rowing Centre, Farran Wood, Cork. A record entry of over a thousand crews will take to the waters of the River Lee, while the three day event will showcase some of the best racing Ireland has to offer with 1049 crews competing in 264 races. The National Rowing Centre will welcome 60 clubs, including many Irish High Performance athletes including Gary & Paul O’Donovan, Sanita Puspure and Claire Lambe, as well as European Champions Shane O’ Driscoll and Mark O’ Donovan and European Silver medallist Denise Walsh.
The NUIG Men's Senior 8's crew of Oisin Nolan, Brion O'Rourke, Eoghan Whittle, Jack Bennett, Mantas Pukelis, Kevin Neville, Richard Bennett, Liam Keane and cox Cathal McNamara will be gunning for glory on Sunday evening in the blue riband event of the 2017 Irish Rowing Championships which starts today in Cork. Standing in their way however are the all-star Skibbereen crew that includes Olympians Paul and Gary O'Donovan. The Galway college have a composite crew with Cork entered in the Women's Senior 8's, with Alison Mooney, Georgina Deane, Marie Piggott, Sadhbh O'Connor and cox Sarah Sheridan from NUIG joined by Cork girls Tara Hanlon, Amy Mason, Grace Collins and Lisa Dilleen but they will have to overcome a Skibbereen/UCC crew that includes Irish internationals Aifric Keogh and Denise Walsh, and a UCD/Old Collegians crew that includes Olympians Claire Lambe and Sanita Puspure.
NUIG's Marie Piggott and Sadhbh O'Connor came second this morning in the Intermediate pairs semi final and will compete in the final at 1.15pm this afternoon.
Grainne Mhaol and Galway Rowing Club are also competing this weekend, with the Grainne Mhaols Womens Masters 8's crew in action in the final tomorrow afternoon, while the Galway Rowing Club Womens Club 8's crews will be very competitive in their heats on Sunday.
Galway are also represented in the junior races by Galway schools The Jez and The Bish.
