Funding will cover coach job

ROWING: A new international head coach should be in place within the next few months according to Frank Durkin, the president of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union. "Ideally we would like the process finished before the New Year," Durkin said yesterday.

Durkin said he was "happy enough" about the recent meeting with John Treacy of the Irish Sports Council. Funding for the year ahead is likely to be of the same order as in recent years, allowing for employment of a head coach and an assistant coach. Additional coaching and development posts are dependent on the raising of sponsorship.

The contract of Ireland's performance director Richard Parr is up for renewal at the end of this year, but Parr will have a say in the appointment of the head coach, who will report to the performance director. Parr's job seems to be secure, and his position should be strengthened under the new arrangement.

There has been a flurry of activity in submissions to the committee which is reviewing possible rule changes for the union's e.g.m. on January 15th.

On the water, the time trial for the Cork Sculling Ladder is set for Sunday at the marina in Cork city between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The ladder will continue until April of next year.

The Dublin Sculling Ladder begins tomorrow week at Islandbridge, and organiser Michael Johnston hopes to have an entry of about 100, including big names.

The Head of the Charles River festival in Boston on October 23rd and 24th includes a Garda men's eight and Muckross sculler Seán Casey, who finished fourth last year. Garda single sculler Caroline Ryan has had to withdraw due to the ongoing back muscle problem.

Gearóid Towey is also listed as an entry for the championship singles, but he too is a non-starter. The charity triathlon which Towey recently completed for the Irish Cancer Society has already raised over €40,000. "Hopefully we'll get to €50,000," the Fermoy man said yesterday.

Towey, who has put decisions on his rowing career on hold, returns to Trinity College, Dublin, as a student soon.

The college has an impressive share of former world rowing champions, as Sam Lynch is a medical student in the college, and Sinead Jennings has just enrolled in the same faculty.