Two Courtmacsherry rowers aim for Wales

TWO Courtmacsherry rowers, Anna O’Sullivan and Triona Foley, are taking part in the Celtic Challenge on the May bank holiday weekend.  

This is a biennial rowing race across the Irish Sea from Arklow to Aberystwyth in Wales, a distance of 167km, rowed on a Celtic Longboat.

For this gruelling challenge, Anna and Triona are part of a Cork ladies crew along with rowers from East Ferry, Blackrock, Schull and Naomhóga Chorcaí clubs.

In preparation for this 24-hour crossing, they have undertaken an intensive rowing machine programme since January, combined with long distance rows each weekend.

For the overnight crossing, they have trained in the dark, and trained in the wettest and windiest conditions possible, to be ready for the worst that the Irish Sea can throw at them. 

Triona Foley has represented Courtmacsherry Rowing Club in the FISA World Championships on Lake Geneva in 2017 and Vancouver in 2018.

Anna O’Sullivan has previous experience in long distance rowing, having competed in five of Cork’s Ocean to City races, two Great Island Rows, and also completed the Barrow Challenge.