Mum's the word as Skibb masters make their debut

THE Mothership has landed.

At the recent Skibbereen Rowing Club Head of the River meet on the Marina in Cork city, Skibb’s women’s masters eight made their racing debut on the river Lee, showing it’s never too late to get involved in rowing and sport. 

The majority of these women have taken up rowing recently much to the amusement of their off-spring who are also active junior rowers in the club.

Making up the crew are Zenda Williams, Debbie Heaphy, Avril Coakley, Sue McCarthy, Margaret Fitzgerald, Sharon Murphy, Janet Murran and Barbara Nugent, with Jessica Tidmarsh as cox.

Meanwhile, numbers were up 100 entries on last year at Skibbereen Rowing Club’s Head of the River, as 385 crews turned up to test themselves against their rivals and assess how they are settling into the winter phase of training.

A large number of junior crews came to race which gives an indication that rowing continues to grow in popularity in Ireland following on from the recent international successes at world championship and Olympics levels. 

With very favourable weather conditions racing started at Custom House Quay with the finish line three kilometres down the river Lee at Blackrock Castle.

Cork Boat Club’s men’s intermediate eight set the fastest time of the day of nine minutes 19 seconds.  

Skibbereen Rowing Club had a number of wins, namely the men’s senior pair, junior 16 men’s coxed quad, women’s inter single scull and women’s senior coxless four.

Shandon and UCC also recorded a number of wins on the day.