UCD took three of the four titles on offer at a lively set of Colours Races in Dublin yesterday. Trinity’s novice women denied the college a second consecutive clean sweep in perfect conditions.

This showed that the rise of UCD, the national champions in both men’s and women’s eights, continues. Four very different contests in Colours rowing were laid out before the hollering fans and the early-morning strollers in Dublin’s city centre yesterday, but at the end UCD had collared all but one.

The exception came in the best race of the day, the women’s novice eights. Trinity showed spirit and poise as they rowed past the long-time leaders as the crews passed under the last two bridges of the eight, the James Joyce and Watling Street bridges. UCD, but they lost by just over a length and Trinity claimed Moorhead Trophy. Rowing at number three in the UCD novice boat was Aoibhinn Kenny, daughter of Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Team: Cox: Niamh Keegan; Stroke: Iseult Mossop; Seven: Orla Finnegan; Six: Isobel deStanlaigh; Five: Ciara O’Donovan; Four: Roisin Murphy O’Sullivan; Three: Aoibhinn Kenny; Two: Kate MacDonald; Bow: Jenny Newman.

The men’s novice race could not have been more different. UCD shot off from under O’Connell Bridge at such a pace the race was over by the first marker, the Ha’penny Bridge, where the big eight led by over a length and won much as they liked to claim the Dan Quinn Shield.

Team: Lee Mulvihill (Cox), Conor Reid, Darren O’Neill, Johnny Barnewell, Brendan Crosse, Christopher Newman, John Crowe, Nick Di Mascio, Patrick Cole.

UCD’s powerful senior eight might have been expected to produce similar fireworks in the main event, the Gannon Cup but they trailed all the way to the fourth bridge, Winetavern Street bridge, when the favourites made the decisive push. The win gave Dave Neale his fifth consecutive Gannon Cup win.

The Corcoran Cup for senior women saw UCD lead all the way, though Trinity exerted serious pressure in the closing stages they were not able to beat them to the finish and UCD retained the cup for another year.

Team: Aoife Ledwidge (Cox), Clodagh Tanner, Frances Judge, Niamh Kelly, Siofra Bennett, Claire Ni Reachtagain, Grace Collins, Aoife Feeley, Naomi Fearon.

In the men’s senior race, the Gannon Cup, Trinity took a surprise early lead. The bigger UCD eight reeled them in and as the crews passed the Four Courts, UCD had taken a lead they were not to lose. This gave Turlough Hughes of UCD a win over his twin brother Patrick, who rowed for Trinity.

Team: Hannah Fenlon (Cox), Turlough Hughes, Finbarr Manning, Gearoid Duane, David Neale, Conor Walshe, Emmett Feeley, Simon Craven, Vincent Manning

Colours Races 2012

Senior Men (Gannon Cup): UCD bt Trinity 1l

Novice Men (Dan Quinn Shield): UCD bt Trinity distance

Senior Women (Corcoran Cup): UCD bt Trinity 1¼ l

Novice Women: Trinity bt UCD 1¼ l