National regatta not left in shade

Rowing:  In a year when the Athens Olympics are the primary focus and Henley Royal Regatta had a huge Irish entry, the National Championships might seem to be in danger of being overshadowed.

The premier domestic regatta, which begins today at the National Rowing Centre in Cork, has an impressively large entry, however, and offers the prospect of some hard-fought races - not least among crews just back from Henley.

All five entries in the men's senior coxed fours competed at the English regatta last weekend, some in coxless form. Trinity (Student Coxed Fours) and NUIG (Visitors' Cup) reached their respective semi-finals, while Garda (Britannia), St Michael's (Wyfolds) and Skibbereen/Galway (Visitors') all progressed beyond the first round.

NUIG, who beat the composite crew at Henley, look to be the form crew. Alan Martin, Marc Stephens, Paul Giblin and Cormac Folan are also entered in the coxless four and again would be favourites, although they should face stiff competition.

The men's senior eights could give the gifted NUIG four another chance to lift a "pot", this time as part of their college's standard bearers.

The prediction here is not as firm. Commercial are the holders, and their entry features the four men who reached the final of the Henley Quadruple Scull as the engine of the eight. All may not be available, though, which would weaken their challenge.

Lady Elizabeth, too, would fancy their chances of taking this title. Like NUIG in the Temple Cup, they lost out at the semi-final stage of the Thames Cup at Henley and feel they can do better.

If they take up the challenge, Commercial's Henley quartet of Albert Maher, Seán Jacob, Con Collis and Ciarán Lewis can - in various combinations - dominate the sculling programme.

Maher is the defending champion in the senior single scull and should add to his tally. Interesting entries are Skibbereen's Paul O'Sullivan, who reached the semi-final of the Diamond Sculls at Henley and Belfast's Richard Shirley, whom he beat in the quarter-final.

There is a strong Ulster entry, not least in the women's events.

The women's senior single could be one of the events of the regatta. Orlaith Duddy of Queen's University will join Commercial's Siobhán Jacob, defending champion Niamh Ní Cheilleachair and her Offaly team-mates Eimear and Joanne Moran in an attempt to end the outstanding run of the season so far - that of Helen Walshe.

The 23-year-old UCD woman has swept all before her in domestic regattas in her first year as a single sculler, winning intermediate and senior titles. She put the icing on the cake with a victory at Women's Henley.

Last year, Walshe was part of UCD's senior eight, which had a rather facile win in the premier women's event. This year promises to be more competitive, with NUIG, Queen's and Neptune all entered. The holders' recent campaign in British regattas may stand to them, however.

The depth of the entry in the less high-profile events is impressive - there are, for instance, 10 entries in the men's novice eight and 30 in the men's novice single scull.

St Joseph's of Galway have established themselves as hot favourites in the men's junior eight, and in the other sweep events Methody and St Michael's should grab a share of the glory.

The junior sculling events offer the chance of keen competition: the junior single has names that may become well-known come Beijing, among them Paul O'Brien of Neptune and Commercial's Ben Clarke and Ger Ward.