TRINITY led from the start, UCDL came from behind and Shandon went flat out to make an unrestrained statement on the strength of Irish women's rowing at what is arguably the home of English sobriety, Henley-on-Thames.

Pre-Olympic absences weakened some of the events but the occasion and the opportunity had UCDL on edge throughout Women's Henley.

Beaten finalists last year, the tension in the eight was palpable as they lined-up in an early rematch against the Thames Club.

Vanessa Lawrenson, stroking for the first time in the boat, looked about ready to get out and go for a short walk and the first 20 strokes were a collective release of nervous energy, enough to establish the winning lead of a third of a length.

Without seeding it appeared that the final had been won in the first round. The sprint finish of Temple began to tell as UCDL were to discover in the final; they also had a sprint start which left the Dublin crew's first few strokes looking sluggish by comparison and a couple of seats down by the end of Temple Island.

Halfway down the 1,500 metre course Temple had stretched the lead to two thirds of a length yet they still lacked any composure. "They cracked along the enclosure and their bowgirl practically did an air shot. I called a push and they pushed but seat by seat we went through them and once we were ahead we kept on powering and there was no way they were coming back," Kate Rooney, UCDL's cox said

UCDL found a run on the boat that had been previously elusive and Ireland won their first open eights title at Women's Henley in a time of 4.49 by half a length.

Trinity's win in the college coxed fours was more commanding and broke a course record they had only just set. The four - Claire Magee, Ruth Doyle, Sally Moorhead, Eithne McSwiney and coxed by Ronan Cunniffe - had already dispatched the fancied Oxford Brookes crew with four lengths to spare and the final turned out to be more of a race against the clock than against their opponents from Edinburgh University.

At the end of what their coach, Angus Woods, described as another fairly straight forward four length win, the four had beaten both. From the start Trinity were striking higher and were three quarters of a length up at the

Temple. By the barrier, one third into the race, the lead was two lengths and Moorhead had a new target. "We were going really hard for the first half, concentrating on our own rhythm and when we got that we were looking to push for the college record."

At 5.29, that statistic is now 16 seconds faster than it was at the start of the regatta and will support Trinity's championship ambitions in senior and intermediate fours.

Shandon's junior women showed that what they lack in technique they can more than make up for in aggression against essentially English and Welsh home international crews that some of Shandon's oarswomen will be racing against in Strathclyde next month.

By the eights final, Shandon had broken the event's record twice and faced an American crew, St Paul's, two years their senior. Shandon's approach was typically route one, the initial strike rate was 51 and never dropped below 39 strokes a minute. It was spectacular but it was also hurried and snatched and at the enclosures the Americans had extended an early lead to half a length. It wasn't safe though, Shandon pushed continuously to the Upper Thames boathouse and hauled back the advantage to a canvass but couldn't raise it any further when St Paul's responded on the line to take the half a length verdict.