Ireland will have a new crew at the World Championships next month. Trials on Wednesday yielded a women's double scull of Helen Walshe and Monika Dukarska, which will be part of the Ireland team to compete in Amsterdam in five weeks' time. Walshe proved faster as a single sculler than Eimear Moran or Dukarska, and Walshe and Dukarska was the fastest combination.
The women's pair of Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy are also Amsterdam-bound.
The Ireland team for the World U-23 Championships in Varese in Italy fly out on Monday. Eight Ireland rowers are part of an entry of 800 from 51 national federations. Coach Mary McLachlan will travel with the team. Her husband, Ireland lead coach Don McLachlan, is recovering from a recent illness.
Ireland Performance Director Morten Espersen has fixed a camp for September for men's lightweight rowers who hope to represent Ireland next year. The stated aim is to form Olympic class crews (the lightweight four and lightweight double) in the run-up to next year's World Championships, at which boats can by qualified for the Olympic Games in Rio, and to develop a lightweight squad "for 2016 and beyond".
Paul Griffin, a multi-medallist at international events and double Olympian, competed at the Irish Rowing Championships last weekend. He looked trim and fit, but he told The Irish Times he has made no decision on whether to throw himself back into the fray. He would only do so if he could compete at the very top level.
A success
The championships were a success. But one quibble is the number of titles open to adult rowers. The new club grade offers another chance of a pot to those who have moved beyond novice but not into senior – which is surely what intermediate should be.
Instead proven internationals won intermediate titles and the club grade – supposed to give a boost to smaller clubs – saw four of the six titles shared between big clubs like UCD and NUIG.
The Irish-flagged boat Battleborn yesterday had about 430 nautical miles (800km) to complete in the Pacific Rowing Race. They lie in second place and should reach Hawaii in seven to eight days.
