FROM THE ARCHIVES:Trinity Week ended on a high note in 1930 with the university regatta on the River Liffey at Islandbridge described by an anonymous reporter. –
JOE JOYCE
IN A blaze of summer glory “Trinity Week” came to a close on Saturday. It was a brilliant finish to a crowded week. The bad humour which the weather manifested early in the week was altered completely. As if repeating its misdeeds, the sun shone out of a cloudless sky, and gave us the first taste of genuine summer that we, so far, have had. It was a day which seemed to have been specially reserved for the conclusion of the University regatta.
The club’s secretary must have had arranged it all beforehand with the weather authorities. The upper reaches of sweet Anna Liffey never looked better. The river meandering lazily through the valley, past verdant banks and smiling uplands, was resplendent in sunshine.
Everything was fresh and green after the recent rain, and the trees and fields assumed their richest verdure. Within the enclosure the scene was extremely brilliant. Around the boathouse and grandstand and on the lawns a gay crowd assembled. The ladies, eager to avail of a rare occasion, wore their daintiest dresses, which lent to the picture a wealth of colour not often visible in these fickle summers.
Even mere man could detect that the fashionable colour was a blending of black and white, a compliment to the club. The tints of the blazers worn by the representatives of the rowing clubs added splendour to the scene.
Outside the enclosure along either bank of the river spectators gathered to watch the rowing, while from the lofty eyrie of the Magazine Fort across the river a big crowd looked down upon the scene with Olympian majesty. Everyone was in holiday mood, glad to be out of doors amid such surroundings, enjoying the amenities of life.
The only drawback in connection with the rowing over this course is that it is not possible to watch the boats throughout the race, owing to the bends in the river. The spectators are enabled to follow the race by means of an indicator and flags. An interesting departure was made this year by the introduction of boy scouts, who manipulated the signalling flags. They looked very smart, and they did their work carefully and correctly.
The rowing was hardly as interesting as usual, as there were not many provincial crews on the river. There was some excellent racing, notably in the senior competitions. The University crews did splendidly, and their style was very much admired. The day proved very enjoyable.
The contrast between the start and finish of Trinity Week this year will long be remembered. The opening day of the cricket match in the College Park was so bad that play had to be abandoned after about five minutes. The week came to an end on Saturday at Island Bridge under most ideal conditions and allowed the gaily-attired throng that filled the enclosure to enjoy the afternoon’s sport to the full.
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