Kilmacsimon to roll out red carpet for coastal rowing championships

KILMACSIMON Swimming and Rowing Club is gearing up for one of its busiest and best years yet. Not alone is the club celebrating its landmark 40th anniversary this year but it will also host the 2024 Irish Coastal Rowing Championships in August.

As rowers are leaving the rowing machines to get back on the water in advance of the coastal rowing regatta season ahead, Kilmacsimon is busy planning for these national championships that will take place at the National Rowing Centre (NRC) in Farran Woods on August 17th and 18th.

Enjoying the launch were, from left, Olivia Morgan, Ronan Hawkins, Max Lynch, Fiachara Corrigan and Roisín Kelly.

These championships are the pinnacle of the coastal rowing calendar and are run under the governance of Rowing Ireland. Up to 1500 competitors and another 2000 supporters will converge on Farran to see clubs from all along the coast of Ireland compete in both junior and adult races over the two days.

The launch event took place in the clubhouse at Kilmacsimon, and club chairperson Jerry O’Sullivan thanked Rowing Ireland for the use of the rowing centre for the weekend and added what a fantastic opportunity it is for rowers to see and use the facilities at the NRC, which is home to Ireland’s elite rowers, including a sizeable West Cork contingent such as Olympic medallists Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy and Emily Hegarty.

Colette Holland, Kilmacsimon Rowing Club PRO, with, from left, Eoghán Kelleher, Access Credit Union, and Jerry O’Sullivan, Kilmacsimon Rowing Club Chairperson.

O’Sullivan also extended an invitation to everyone in the coastal rowing community of Ireland to come to these championships. He announced that Shane Russell of the Whitegate Rowing Club will act as regatta director, working closely with a dedicated committee appointed to organise the event.

Secretary of the Rowing Ireland Coastal Championships Committee Niamh Lordan explained that rowing would be taking place over the two days, with junior categories starting from U12 and stretching to adults over 55, demonstrating what an all-inclusive sport rowing can be.

Chairperson of the Rowing Ireland Coastal Championships Committee, Ted McSweeney, congratulated Kilmacsimon on taking on this major project. He thanked the dedicated committee and regatta director Shane Russell for organising it. Also in attendance at the launch was Pat Kiely, acting CEO of Rowing Ireland, as well as Holly Davis, Junior Female Rower of the Year 2023.