ROWING:IRELAND'S MEN'S senior eight claimed a bronze medal at the the World University Rowing Championships in Szeged in Hungary yesterday.
The men in green had come through the “back door” of the repechage to the final, but they were clearly up for it yesterday. While Britain were set for gold early, Estonia and Ireland pushed France into fourth and claimed the silver and bronze medals. Poland’s big crew could only finish fifth.
The Ireland eight is coached by Queen’s University coach Mark Fangen Hall and was formed from the Queen’s crew which won the Irish and British university championships with the co-option of UCD men, Dave Neale in the bow and Finbar Manning in the five seat.
Fangen Hall said he was “over the moon” and was full of praise for his crew. He said the extra race in the repechage was “kind of part of the plan”.
“They didn’t row well in the heat. It was their first race together: mistakes were bound to be made and they were made. The rep gave them experience together.”
The race plan was completely changed for the final, with a big push just after halfway, so that they would be in the reckoning come the crucial final two minutes.
“And if you couldn’t do it for your country for two minutes you don’t deserve to wear the green,” said Fangen Hall.
Two of the Queen’s men have previously rowed for Dublin clubs: Abdulrahman Mohamed represented Commercial, while Eoin Mac Domhnaill rowed for Dublin University (Trinity) Boat Club. Both have been studying at Queen’s University this season.
The rise of a new generation of Irish rowers has been marked in recent months. The men’s quadruple took silver at the World under-23 championships and there were three other top-10 placings. Single sculler Turlough Hughes took 10th at the World Junior Championships and Irish crews took three silvers at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, a European junior tournament.
Fangen Hall said that the Queen’s University rowers, some of whom were just novices a few seasons ago, will play a bigger part in the national structures in the coming season.
Queen’s went out at the semi-final stage of the Temple Cup at Henley Royal Regatta and were pipped for victory by .13 of a second to an NUIG crew at the National Championships.
