Offaly Rowing Club fares well in Head of the River
Offaly Rowing Club held its annual time trial - Offaly Head of the River - recently. Four races were held and a total of seven clubs participated in the racing events comprising in excess of 100 entries. Offaly Rowing Club was the most successful club, winning four of the ten categories along with two from Carlow Rowing Club, and one win each for Commercial Rowing Club Dublin, St. Michael's Rowing Club Limerick and Athlone Rowing Club. An overcast Saturday morning saw the club host the Offaly Head of the River 2009 on the Grand Canal over 2,250 metre course. Twenty to thirty competitors participated in each of the four races. Sculling categories included Junior categories, with participants under the age of eighteen along with adult categories including masters or veteran competitors. Rowing clubs competing in the Offaly Head of the River travelled from counties Westmeath - Athlone Rowing Club; Limerick - St. Michael's Rowing Club; Dublin - Old Collegians Boat Club and Commercial Rowing Club; Leitrim - Carrick-on-Shannon Rowing Club; Kilkenny - Graiguenamanagh Rowing Club; and Carlow - Carlow Rowing Club. Offaly Rowing Club was represented in Junior, Senior and Masters grades. Sheila Clavin, a former Offaly Rowing Club member, represented St. Michael's Rowing Club in the senior women single sculls category. A prize giving ceremony was held at Offaly Rowing Club following racing. The fastest time in each category where four or more competitors raced were presented with a Mullingar pewter trophy. Ciaran Ward of Commercial Rowing Club was awarded the Offaly Rowing Club cup for the fastest time overall. Offaly Rowing Club participated in six Junior race categories. Maurice Harnett was the only Offaly rower to compete in the Junior 16 single scull. Jarlath Glynn, Dermot Lynam, Aaron O'Neill and John Neale competed in the Junior 15 single scull. Cathal Phelan, Patrick Grogan and James Peters raced in the Junior 14 single scull. Two Offaly crews competed in the double sculls category consisting of Cathal Phelan and Patrick Grogan and Jarlath Glynn and Dermot Lynam respectfully. The Offaly Junior women competed in two categories the women's junior 14 single sculls and the women's junior double sculls. Five Offaly women competed in the junior single sculls namely Claire Mangan, Nicole Finlay, Leah Maher, Aoife Hehir and Rachel Byrne. In the double scull race, two Offaly women's crews competed in the following pairing Claire Mangan and Nicole Finlay and Kaylin Maher and Leah Maher. At senior level, Offaly was represented by Kate O'Flynn and Ciara Ní Cheilleachair in the double scull and Joanne and Eimear Moran in both the single scull and double scull categories. At Masters Level, Offaly Rowing Club was represented by Vincent Hussey and David McCabe. Offaly Rowing Club winners included Cathal Phelan in the men's junior 14 single scull. Following a very successful rowing season Cathal repeated his victorious streak with a win in the Offaly time trial. There was a win for Claire Mangan in the women's junior 14 single scull category. The 2010 rowing calendar will see Claire move up an age category to compete at junior 15. For senior club members Joanne Moran and Eimear Moran, the Offaly Head of the River signals a return to competitive rowing. In the Masters category, David McCabe got his training for 2010 off to a good start. The event was very successful thanks to the contributions of numerous club members and friends. RESULTS Men's Junior 12 single scull: Brian Curran, Carlow Rowing Club. Men's Junior 14 single scull: Cathal Phelan, Offaly Rowing Club. Women's Junior 14 single scull: Claire Mangan, Offaly Rowing Club. Men's Junior 15 single scull: Shane Byrne, Carlow Rowing Club. Men's Junior 16 single scull: Paul Little, Carrick-on-Shannon. Men's Junior 18 single scull: Ciaran Ward, Commercial Rowing Club. Men's Junior double scull: Colin Barrett and James Hannon, Athlone Rowing Club. Women's Senior single scull: Sheila Clavin, St. Michael's Rowing Club. Women's Senior double scull: Eimear and Joanne Moran, Offaly Rowing Club. Men's Masters single scull: David McCabe, Offaly Rowing Club.