Following the success of the Senior 4+ at Henley Royal Regatta, the Novices of the Club stole the show at the 4s/8s National Championships at the weekend in Cork.

The premier event of the domestic rowing season, the Irish Rowing Championship, took place at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Wood, Iniscarra, Co Cork Friday and Saturday, 16 and 17 July with over 1,200 rowers competing over the two days.

This year the championship is split into two events in July and September. The July championship features the big boats, the eights and fours, while the singles, doubles and quads will be held in September. However the highlight of the event is the Senior Eight, or 'Big Pot', race on Saturday afternoon.

'This is the first year of the new format and it is designed to allow crews to focus on two events. It will also encourage rowing in smaller boats over the summer months which should help raise standards,' said Rowing Ireland CEO Martin Corcoran.

He added: 'The events for this weekend are eights and fours for men and women in junior, novice, intermediate and senior. There are also sculling and quad events for the under 14, 15 and 16 rowers.'

This year's Senior Eight form clubs are NUIG, Queen's Belfast, Muckross Killarney, St Michael's Limerick, and a UCD/Commercial composite crew. The composite crew will include the UCD four who won at Henley, together with Olympian Sean Jacob and Commercial's Colm Dowling, Dan Murphy and Frank Folan.

Club Update:

UCD won the Novice 8 Championships for the 3rd time in 4 years.  It's another great achievement and credit to the Crew and to those who coached during the year, particularly John O'Keeffe, Pat Gannon, Brian Barter and all who worked with the novices during the year. John in particular has been an extraordinary servant to the Club over the years, he was Captain in 1966 and his father, also John, was Captain in 1931.

In the last few years UCDBC have worked to introduce new top calibre oarsmen to the club whilst continuing to develop our own Novices.
The benefit of that was seen in the PA oarsmen this year, 2 of who are scholarship oarsmen and 2 of who took up rowing in College as novices. Novices are always the lifeblood of the Club and hopefully it will see some of this crew on the Winners Podium at Henley in years to come.

According to the records that brings to 99 the total number of 'premier' events that the Club has won since the Wylie in 1938. This includes 54 National Championship wins (Excluding 4 OCBC), 2 Henley wins, 2 Intervarsity Championship. (The Lady Victoria University Championship Cup, introduced 2009.), 15 Wylie Cups and 26 Gannon Cups (Introduced 1947.). It would be a fantastic achievement to hit the 100 at the small boats Championships in September.

The UCD/OC/Commercial Senior VIII came 3rd at the weekend in a great race which was won by 3 feet by NUIG from Queens with the UCD 1l behind. The favoured Muckross crew were beaten into 4^th. The S4 was 2nd to NUIG also by 1l. OC/UCD came 2nd in the Womens Senior VIII.

It is also fitting that the 1960 UCD Senior Pot VIII was honoured at the weekend by Rowing Ireland. Over the last few weeks the club has enjoyed success with the current top oarsmen (and have another preparing for the World U23's), success with our Novices and recognition of past achievements.

Traditionally the incoming Captain of the Boat Club took over when the last boat was tied down after the Championships, however the Championships has been split this year, and the Club 's incoming Captain has taken over following last weekends racing.
Colm Pierce, who was in the PA 4 is the new Captain and we wish him every success in the coming year.

On behalf of UCD Boat Club President, Murrough O’Brien, all of the Senior Committee and UCD Sport, they would like to thank and congratulate Pat Courtis who has just finished his Captaincy. Pat showed great maturity in what was, at times a difficult year off the water.
He did a good job and he should also be proud of the success the Club enjoyed during his year in charge. He captained 5 premier event wins which were The Prince Albert Cup, HRR, Novice VIII Pot, Lady Victoria Cup (Intervarsity), Wylie Cup (Intervarsity VIII's) and the Gannon Cup.