Athlone Boat Club crews put on a massive show at the Galway Regatta last weekend, taking home gold in a variety of age groups.
Currently gearing up for its own home regatta on Saturday, June 17 and the National Championships later in the summer, club rowers represented well at the event last weekend bringing home gold across the age group competitions.
Club President, Paul Donovan, shared that he is “extremely proud of all rowers”, and that “Athlone Boat Club continues to develop rowers to a high standard, and this season has been proof of this.”
The Junior 14s team, consisting of Ciara Connaughton and Lauren Cunningham, set off with a lightning start in the day’s first race, powering home with their first win in the double sculls. This was shortly followed by another win in the double sculls with Maya Rose Harrington and Felicity Heaslip pushing hard and being the first boat across the line. Rowing together for the first time, Oscar Mullally and Tadhg Dolan, made a dynamic duo hinting at what could come from the two in the next season.
The girls of the Junior 14 Coxed Quad team tailed to win a hard fought second place in their competition and the boys Junior 14 Coxed Quad, consisting of Oscar Mullally, Evin Claffey, Jack Hensey, Tadhg Dolan and Ruairi Collins, won their final with ease.
Despite a hugely positive performance from the Athlone club, there was one race that stood out with young Aoife Hensey taking home a win for the first time following her scull in the Women Junior 18 class. Not an easy category to take gold in, but Hensey’s determination paid off and after a season of hard training, it all paid off with an impressive finish. Flanked initially by the Galway and Loughrea scullers, Hensey pushed through and pulled away to lead the race, the final 200 meters saw all competitors make one final push, but Hensey kept her own, taking her first ever goal as a single sculler.
The Junior 18 boys’ team had eight members competing in quads, doubles and sculls; Zach Meegan, Rian Claffey, Aidan Molloy, James Heaslip, Oisin Dolan, Liam Rowan, Donal McDermott and Eoin Kane. All performed admirably in their respective finals, with Meegan and Claffey winning the single sculls and the duo joining Molloy and Heaslip to win gold in the quads.
The Junior Ladies team saw three back-to-back wins with Sophie Reynolds and Sophie Gethins, Cara Egan, Áine Bracken, Jessie Bolger, Sarah Rocket and Andrea Bolger beating crews from Shannon, Carrick, Sligo and Clonmel. The ladies’ performance in this regatta was great encouragement for the team and the strength of the Junior 15 Girls Squad as all were in brand new competitions with the Junior 15 8+ team taking on a confident opponent from Galway resulting in an excellent win, beating them by a length.
With such an excellent show, it is of little surprise that all coaches are extremely proud of all who took part. The Club is well underway with planning the home regatta at Coosan point on Saturday, June 17. A high volume of participants and spectators are expected, it is sure to be a fabulous day of racing in Athlone. Further details are available at www.athloneboatclub.ie
