LAST year Kealan Mannix barely rowed.

Instead, he made a conscious decision to stay on dry land, spending five days a week in the gym.

Now he’s back, feeling stronger than ever.

‘I think I’m as fast as I’ve ever been back on the river, which is good because I kind of found I stagnated a little bit for a few years,’ he explains.

‘I was coming back every year and I was more or less the same speed I was the year before. I was quick, but not quick enough.’

The Rosscarbery man, now 27 years old, felt he needed a jolt to his system, so he stepped out of the boat.

‘I kind of took last year out completely to build up a bit of strength in the weight room,’ he says.

‘I literally did no rowing, apart from three weeks on the water before the national championships. That was about it. Apart from that, I was pretty much off rowing altogether.

‘I was in the weight room maybe five times a week. I put on a lot of weight and I've lost almost all of it again, unfortunately, because I'm kind of a small heavyweight.

‘But I’ve definitely held on to a lot of the strength, which is the main thing. I feel like I’m rowing a lot better now – more powerful and more comfortable as well.’

Kealan Mannix has represented Ireland on the international stage. (Photo: rowreport.ie)

Mannix returned to Skibbereen Rowing Club colours last year, having raced with the University of Limerick Rowing Club for a number of years.

‘I actually did far better than I thought I would at last year’s champs,’ he quipped.

‘We came third in the senior double and second in the intermediate four. I was surprised how well I did off just a few weeks of training.’

He knows all about the Skibb set-up, having previously won three ‘pots’ with the club at the Irish Rowing Championships – the senior quad in 2018, then the intermediate single and intermediate double in 2019.

He will take to the water at the National Rowing Centre this weekend for the 2026 championships, as Skibbereen Rowing Club – the country’s most successful club – target additions to their record haul. Already, they have racked up 204 national titles.

‘My plan is to do the senior single, double and quad.’

After several years away with UL, Mannix has a fresh appreciation for life back at Skibbereen Rowing Club.

‘With UL, we were essentially running the club ourselves. In the lead-up to every regatta I’d be organising the boats, driving the trailer, getting everything down there. We kind of did everything ourselves,’ Mannix explains.

‘Then you come back to Skibb and it’s like living the life of luxury! Everything is done for you. Come the championships there’ll be 20 people helping out and the boat will nearly be rigged for you by the time you get there.

‘The coaches are great too, and it’s good to have scullers around. UL is mainly a sweep club because it's a university, whereas I was always a sculler. It's been good having the lads to scull with this year.’

Mannix has dipped his oar in several different rowing disciplines, from coastal to beach sprints, as well as river rowing.

‘I’m still going to do the coastal this year – I’m planning on going to the Europeans and the Worlds. I've also been selected for the Home International Regatta on the flat water again. I haven't been there since 2018,’ he explains.

Before all that is this weekend’s national championships, the biggest weekend in the domestic rowing calendar.

It’s a chance for Mannix to add to his haul of titles, and continue the impressive form he has shown this year. There was his win in the men’s senior single scull at the Cork Head of the River, as well as success at the London Metropolitan and Cork regattas.

‘The year out definitely did me good. I have a different outlook on it now and I'm definitely stronger than I was.’