ROWING: NUIG proved they have the engine to outpace the opposition at the St Michael's Head of the River at O'Brien's Bridge, Co Clare, on Saturday. The college's premier eight, entered under the name "Cortina" and stroked by Alan Martin, recorded by far the fastest of the 366 runs on the day, clocking nine minutes and 53 seconds for the two-mile course.
The Shannon was at its beguiling best for competitors as the morning fog which delayed the start for an hour gave way to the sunshine which lasted until the last boat came home just short of five o'clock.
The young men from St Joseph's in Galway revelled in the conditions. Coach Mike Heskin played down their chances, but the junior eight from "The Bish" finished only a second off second place, which was taken by the host club's intermediate eight.
Paul O'Brien expressed himself dissatisfied with two of his three runs, yet ended up tied first in the junior single scull with Offaly's Rory O'Connor. O'Brien looks set for a place in an Ivy League university in the US.
Skibbereen's Eugene Coakley was the fastest single sculler on the day, 14 seconds ahead of his brother, Richard, while Niamh Ni Cheilleachair, competing for local club Castleconnell, won the women's equivalent.
Garda's Caroline Ryan, who finished second to Ni Cheilleachair, continues to struggle with the muscle problem which has affected her performance in the last year, although she said on Saturday that she is recovering.
Trinity and Lady Elizabeth dominated the men's pair, with the three fastest boats. The winning pair was a combination of youth, in Trinity's Stuart King, and experience in Brendan Smyth of Lady Elizabeth.
Like so many top Irish internationals, Ni Cheilleachair and Eugene Coakley are both lightweights, and may be relieved to hear that proposed changes to the weight categories have been rejected by FISA, the sport's governing body.
Delegates to FISA's Extraordinary Congress in Dubrovnik in Croatia also chose to accept the lightweight eight back into World Championship contention and to deem the world under-23 regatta a World Championship.
