National centre opened

ROWING:You could believe you were on the Continent, and not just because of the sun sheen on the glassy surface of the lake

The National Rowing Centre at Farran Wood in Cork was opened yesterday evening with a fanfare fitting for a spectacular building which would not look out of place in the wealthiest country.

The Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue who opened the centre, deemed the facilities "magnificent".

The two-storey construction of dark wood and tinted glass cost €5.4 million and covers 600 square metres which will house modern facilities for the international rowing team and mentors: a gym; a boat room; a restaurant; a high performance laboratory; a weights room; a video analysis room; on-the-water test equipment; offices for the High Performance Coach and Manager and administration staff.

There are hopes that international teams training for the Olympics in 2012 in London will use the venue.

According to the man who drove the project, Mick O'Callaghan of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, the decision on the next phase, featuring accommodation and an athlete recovery centre has still to be finalised. "We're planning for it to happen," he said.

The Ireland rowing team for the season was officially announced last night, and some of the athletes are only two weeks from their first engagement, at Essen in Germany.

IRELAND (team for World Cups in Linz, Austria and Amsterdam): Men - Four: S O'Neill, C Folan, S Casey, A Martin. Quadruple Scull: J Wall, C Collis, P O'Brien, P Murray. Single: S Jacob. Lightweight Four: E Coakley, R Coakley, R Archibald, P Griffin. Reserve: C Moynihan. Women - Double: C Ryan, H Walshe. Lightweight Double: S Jennings, N Ni Cheilleachair. Reserve: O Duddy. Under-23 Team: Men - Four: M Walsh, N Kenny, A Kelly, D Walsh. Lightweight Four: D Murphy, B Clarke, V Ruane, K Clarke. Lightweight Double Scull: G Ward, L Molloy. Women - Lightweight Single (from): O Hayes, S McCrohan.