RowingAfter last weekend's stormy conditions comes . . . another storm, this time of activity on and off the water in the coming days.

The Irish Amateur Rowing Union (IARU) stages its annual general meeting at its new headquarters in west Dublin tomorrow; Trinity and UCD face each other in the annual colours races on the Liffey in the afternoon; in Cork, the postponed national trials begin with a two-day regatta.

Tomorrow's heats of the trials offer some promising head-to-heads. Albert Maher faces Seán Casey in the heavyweight single scull; Serryth Colbert of Leander teams up with John Forde of Tribesmen in a heavyweight pairing which takes on the young guns of Neptune in Martin Walsh and Aidan Kelly and the old heads of Lady Elizabeth in the form of Dave Kealy and Rob Laird; the evergreen Niall O'Toole of Commercial and Garda's Kenny McDonald are drawn together in the heat of the men's lightweight single scull.

Sunday's finals could be fraught affairs, not least in the lightweight single. Brian Young and Herbie Griffin go into the week knowing the places they have held in the lightweight squad are up for grabs and O'Toole, McDonald, Johnny Devitt and Dermot O'Sullivan will be out to prove themselves capable of joining Thor Nilsen's elite group.

Interestingly, Young has also opted to compete in the heavyweight single.

In the women's lightweight single the absence of Siobhán Jacob (injured) and Nicola Fitzsimon leaves a field of only six athletes, with a race tomorrow and Sunday.

Much interest will centre on how young Orla Hayes fares against Sinéad Jennings, Heather Boyle and Fiola Foley.

Fitzsimon has opted to stay in Dublin to represent Trinity in the Corcoran Cup, the women's colours race. UCD, winner of this trophy 13 times to Trinity's 11, have the superior form and look set to move off this unlucky figure.

In the men's senior race, the Gannon Cup, the form lines are the polar opposite, with Trinity the form crew. The Gannon is scheduled to start at 3.15 p.m and the Corcoran at 2.45 p.m.

Only a matter of miles away, the IARU a.g.m. should have concluded in time for delegates to see at least some of the racing.

It is not a rule-change year and there is no opposition to the incumbents.

However, because of the restrictions on past presidents serving on the executive, it loses one of its most dutiful members in Tom Fennessy.