Trinity crews took all four titles on offer at the colours races on the Liffey on Saturday – a first for the college. The Dublin University crews, who have been active and successful in pre-season heads of the river, looked sharper than their UCD rivals over the O’Connell Bridge to St James’s Gate course.

In the Gannon Cup for senior men, Trinity gained a slight advantage in the early stages and stretched it to three-quarters of a length coming through Capel Street bridge. They were in control from there on and won by one and a half lengths.

The Corcoran Cup for senior women was a terrific race. UCD, on the north station, took the lead and held it down the course: but they could never stretch their advantage to a full length. Trinity, calm and controlled, launched the decisive attack in the closing stages. Of the eight bridges on the course they led through only the final two. They won by half a length.

“It kind of went to plan, to be honest,” said Trinity women’s coach Andrew Coleman. “We knew what UCD wanted to do once they had the north station – and we didn’t let them do it. But the girls had to hold on in the middle [of the race] and they did. It was a good contest between two good crews.”

The two novice races were surprisingly one-sided, and quite similar, contests. The Trinity crews, starting on the south station, made light of the early disadvantage and powered away from their UCD rivals. Both won easily.

Galway victory

At the big Galway Head of the River on Saturday, UCC won the men’s senior four, beating NUIG and a composite of NUIG and Gráinne Mhaol – a rare ‘away win’ in this class. NUIG’s senior eight were the fastest crew, but had the field to themselves. Michael Maher of Commercial and UCC’s Amy Bulman were the fastest senior single scullers.

The head was run in excellent conditions, but there was a glitch in matching times to the final order of the crews competing, especially in the second race run.