Rowing ColumnThe weather may suggest winter, but tomorrow marks the big spring lift-off in the rowing season in Ireland. The Tribesmen Head of the River in Galway has 368 crews entered and in Dublin the crowd-pleasing colours races will put rowing centre stage in the capital for an hour or so.
NUIG take on St Michael's, Neptune and a composite from Queen's University and Lady Victoria in the men's senior eight in Galway in the last of the three heads (4.15). St Joseph's appear as a senior entry in both quadruple and fours, but the entries, by St Joseph's coach Mike Heskin, represent the national junior squad, who will use the event as part of their weekend camp.
Heskin, who has stepped aside as one of the organisers of the head, was honoured last night along with Peadar Ó hIci and the late Tom Shaughnessy at a boat-naming ceremony in Galway. Shaughnessy was one of the quiet men behind the Tribesmen head.
Galwayman Ciaran Gannon, who died in the second World War in Burma, is remembered each time the men's colours race between UCD and Trinity is run on the Liffey. Last year's Gannon Cup was an opportunity for Gannon's alma mater, UCD, under full-time coach John Holland, to establish themselves as top dogs. However, tomorrow's race (1.15 from O'Connell Bridge to Heuston Bridge) may give Trinity a chance of revenge.
"We had our ass kicked at the Erne Head," said Holland yesterday, speaking of Trinity's impressive margin two weeks ago. Trinity coach Tim Levy has a relatively inexperienced crew - only two of the eight, Joe Calnan and Rob Swift, learned the sport at school and only Calnan and Ed Roffe-Silvestre competed at this level last year. But Levy thinks the young crew are contenders. "I hope we have a good chance," he said yesterday.
In the women's senior race, the Corcoran Cup (12.50), UCD are also the defending champions and would hope to set up another double for the college. Holland has a surprise ace in his pack in the men's crew in the form of Rob Michael, who will row in the number four seat.
Michael is one of the impressively large invited entry to the first national selection regatta in Cork next weekend. Niall O'Toole is not on the official list but is a late entry; Helen Walshe is injured and Sam Lynch, while not entered, is still in with a shout of selection if he is fit come final selection. "We will not cut off our noses," said national coach Harald Jahrling yesterday.
The final placings in the Atlantic Rowing Race saw the first boat home, All Relative, demoted to third for using all their ballast water and James Cracknell and Ben Fogle to fourth for using 60 litres of theirs. Paul Gleeson and Tori Holmes, in the Christina, were 13th overall and 10th of the 20 pairs.
