SAILING: The proximity to Dublin of Blessington, which stages the National Senior and Intermediate Championships today and tomorrow, gives a chance for a large section of the public to see some of the elite in Irish sport in action - and in one crew, due to row at 12.15 today, they can see four of them in one "super boat".
Sam Lynch, the reigning world champion at lightweight single scull; Niall O'Toole, a gold medallist in the same event in 1991; Albert Maher, the premier heavyweight oarsman in the country in recent years; and Neal Byrne, dual Olympian and bronze medallist at the World Championship in 1999, have teamed up to compete as a quadruple scull.
Their opposition - UCD and a Tribesmen/UCC/Offaly composite - will at least know that if they give them a real race they will have impressed against some of the best in the world.
The men's senior eight final, scheduled for tomorrow evening, promises a real battle. Neptune's crew features another reigning world champion in lightweight pair gold medallist Tony O'Connor, and the core of the group which reached the semi-final of the Thames Cup at Henley.
But UCD, with a win against Neptune at Metropolitan regatta over this course under their belts this season, will be intent on upsetting the odds. And Garda, Commercial and Queen's University, in particular, will not feel they are there to make up the numbers.
O'Connor is also entered in both the senior pair, with Ciarán Lewis, and the coxed four, with Lewis, Neil Casey and Kevin Boyle, and so could have a year which ends with three national titles and - perhaps - a gold medal from the World Championships tucked in his pocket.
But some of the best crews in the country will have their own ideas about knocking the domestic side of the deal off the tracks.
Sam Lynch and Niall O'Toole team up to make a "golden" double scull, which should lift the title, but neither has entered the senior or lightweight single sculls events. Reigning senior champion Albert Maher is also not entered, and US-based Seán Casey may see a chance to validate his claim, as he would see it, to be taken seriously by the national selectors.
The senior women's single scull will have a similar edge. Siobhán Jacob and Becky Quinn both had fine wins at the Home Internationals and will feel they can compete at a higher level, but Joanne Moran and Alison Downey will also be out to prove themselves.
At the World Junior Championships in Lithuania, Ireland's sole representative, Eimear Moran, missed out on a place in today's A and B semi-finals. Needing to finish in the top two in her heat, the Offaly woman finished third.
