RowingWhat should be a quiet time of the year in rowing won't appear so to anyone who visits Blessington Lakes tomorrow. The Neptune Head of the River has an entry of 234 crews, spread over two starts (11.30 and 2.30) and with world-class talents to boot.
Eugene Coakley, part of the Ireland lightweight four which gained the country's best undisputed result in Athens 2004 - sixth - competes in the senior single scull.
Tim Harnedy and Neil Casey, international panellists who were the spare men in Athens, are also entered in the senior single, where they may be able to measure their prowess against one of Ireland's outstanding heavyweight oarsmen, Albert Maher of Commercial. Coakley and Harnedy also team up in the senior double.
Sinead Jennings, world champion in the women's lightweight single in 2001, competes in the women's senior single. It will be interesting to see how Caroline Ryan of Garda, who is returning from injury, measures up against the Ireland star.
Jennings has her sights set on the World Championships in Japan next year, and has been training in Ireland with another international, Heather Boyle.
Five crews are entered in what should be a competitive test in the men's senior eight. Commercial, the national champions, face Neptune, Lady Elizabeth, Garda and University of Limerick.
Off the water the week ahead is also set to be busy. Three candidates, - two Antipodeans and one (non-Irish) European - are set to be interviewed for the position of national coach. The four-man interview panel is: Frank Durkin, president of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union; Richard Parr, high performance director of the IARU; Mick O'Callaghan, International Rowing Committee, IARU; Finbarr Kirwan, Irish Sports Council.
It seems a pity no Irish person is in the frame: indeed as a top oarsman and coach of recent years, Tony O'Connor, heads to the Antipodes we could be recruiting a coach from there.
Coincidentally, Tony O'Connor snr has taken over as president of Neptune, while Gerry "Spuddy" Murphy is the new captain.
The upcoming egm of the IARU seems likely to make or oversee changes in three key areas. The loopholes which allow experienced athletes to compete in the novice grade will be addressed; not all regattas will be of the same status, allowing lesser regattas to draw entries where until now some competitors feared moving up a grade if they won there; and the registration system will be rescued from its present unsatisfactory state.
The committee which is working to streamline changes in the rules will continue to accept suggestions in the weeks ahead.
Race starts which bring Ireland into line with FISA norms and a tightening up of the method of raising the international levy also seem on course for introduction.
