ROWING:  THE SIMMERING row over plans to alter the weir in Fermoy has boiled over. Fermoy Rowing Club is against the proposal and collected hundreds of signatures opposing the plan after a meeting on Wednesday night in which representatives of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources took questions from the public. "We have the guns out now. If they want to sit down for peace talks we'll sit down with them," said Paul Kavanagh of the rowing club yesterday.

The weir is in need of repair, but the club says the Department, implementing a European Directive on preservation of habitats, will effectively remove it and also introduce new fish passes. According to the club this would lower the level of the river so much that the club and the regatta it runs could become a thing of the past. Kavanagh says the weir can be altered in a way that would not so adversely affect a club which has 70 children and 30 seniors. He is worried the plan may be implemented by ministerial order - even though local councillors maintain it is a protected structure.

In response to questions from The Irish Times, a department spokesperson said yesterday there had been ongoing discussions on the design of the new structure. "Assurances have been given by the department's and OPW (Office of Public Works) engineers and fisheries board personnel that the proposed fish pass is designed so that there would be minimum impact on the rowing club's activities. Additional features have been included in the design at the suggestion of the rowing club."

The president of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, Tony Dooley, attended the meeting and was unimpressed by the response of the representatives of the department. "What struck me was that they kept saying how important the rowing club was - but they weren't really listening."

Some of the top rowers in Ireland get their chance to show their proficency on the ergometer (rowing machine) at the Irish Indoor Rowing Championships in UCD on Sunday. A record 420 competitors are entered, including Lisa Dilleen, who won her class at the British Indoor Championships. Caroline Ryan, Seán Jacob and Con Collis are also set to take part.