Novice coxes complete South West coastal rowing course

SEVENTEEN novice coxes from West Cork’s coastal clubs completed South West Rowing’s coxswain training course in Rosscarbery. 

According to South West Rowing’s Development Officer, Tony Mannix, this is the association’s seventh time running this course and, to date, 120 coxswains have completed the programme since it first started in 2015. 

Mannix outlined that the course involved three modules: firstly, theory and discussions in a classroom setting, at Reenascreena hall. Trainees then went on the water at Rosscarbery lagoon with practical training on a boat, with a crew. The final part was an ergometer practical training module, on rowing machines.

Myross Rowing Club cousins, Hannah Connolly and Ellie McCarthy, successfully completed the coastal rowing coxes course.

Mannix also explained that most of the course’s previous graduates have gone on to cox for their clubs, both internally as training coxes, and also competing as coxes at local and national regattas. He hopes that the new alumni will go on to do the same.

South West Chairman Stephen O’Leary thanked coaches, Brian Whelton (Courtmacsherry), Marguerite Deasy (Ring), and Tadg Collins (Kilmacsimon), for presenting the course, and thanked Tony Mannix (Rosscarbery), who tutored the ergometer module, and organised the entire programme. 

O’Leary congratulated the 17 trainees who successfully completed the course:

Castletownbere – Lisa Gilsenan, Sorcha O’Driscoll, Fergus O’Driscoll.

Ring – Kate Verling, Charlie Sterling, Jana Scharzfeld.

Rosscarbery – Grace Hurley, Finnian Mannix, Jack Heir.

Courtmacsherry – Catherine Healy, Luke Nunan.

Myross – Ellie McCarthy, Hannah Connolly.

Kilmacsimon – Claudia Harrington, Cara O'Sullivan.

GalleyFlash – Katie Hayes.

Schull – Emer McNally.