CIRC (Jes) Rowing - Event Report

The sun shone all day for Galway Regatta - a welcome change from the wet weather at the Galway Head, a few months before. And, while the wind picked up in the middle of the day to make a cross-wind, it did not impede the rowers too much - although a few inattentive crews did end up in the reeds, on the eastern bank of the Corrib, throughout the course of the day.

It was an early start for the club, with rowers arriving at 7:30am to begin bringing boats up to Dangan, where the tents were being pitched and the trailer waited. The Jes parent volunteers did an excellent job of organising a barbeque food stand, which fed rowers and spectators with delicious burgers, sausages (and any amount of tomatoes and onions) between 10am and 3pm.

It was a very successful event for the club, made all the more enjoyable, for all, by the good weather.
Wins for CIRC included the Women's J18 Pair, Women's J15 8 , and Womens J15 Oct.

As always, one of the highlights of the Galway Regatta was the Anderson Cup - the hotly contested Mens J18 Eights competition, which has long been a source of rivalry between the 2 local rowing schools - St Joseph's (the Bish) and the Coláiste Iognáid (theJes). This year, the Jes's senior crew (Emma Tannian [cox], Tom Healy, Daniel Leahy Coen, Paul Schofield, Yegor Kaar, Finín McCormack, Cuan Friel, Oisín O’Conaire and Tomás O’Flatharta) were up against two Bish crews. And a tight, exciting, race it was, with excellent rowing demonstrated by all. One of the Bish crew members had come off his seat for a few strokes which may account for the half-length lead that the Jes had, as they passed the CIRC tent (to the thunderous encouragement from every other Jes rower and supporter on the riverbank), approximately 3 quarters of the way down the course. Trees blocked the view for the final stretch, causing 30 or so Jes rowers to sprint towards Dangan slip, as soon as the leading Eight's passed by, to get a clear view of the finish. A Jes single sculler, on her way up to the start of the course, was directly opposite the Jes tent as the racing Eights passed her. She stopped rowing and watched the race with bated breath, from her unrivalled vantage point - her hand to her mouth the whole time. Although we could not see the finish line, those on the bank (wise enough not to sprint with the rowers) were certain of the race result when we saw her punch the air, just as we heard the finish-line horn sound, and then smoothly begin rowing again.

Congratulations to the whole crew, their coaches Paul Hornibrook and Fiona Lawless, and especially Emma Tannian (cox), the first woman ever to win an the Anderson cup

This was a long day for the club, as they were in the very last few races of the day, as well as the first few. But at least the travel time from the event back to the clubhouse was short - and for once there was no need to stop in Supermacs! Most of the competitors rowed boats back to the clubhouse while people on the land packed up the jeep and trailer to bring everything else back - all of which was unpacked in short order.