Trinity may have failed to wrest the men's senior eights title from Neptune at the Metropolitan regatta at Blessington on Saturday but the college oarsmen came away happy. They took "The Blue Riband", the coxed four title, and also added the coxless four crown on a day blessed by bright sunshine and a manageable wind.
Trinity had to look back 33 years to find the last time they took the coxed four title, almost 11 years before stroke William Gilbert was born. "It was my first win at Metro, from junior all the way through," Gilbert said afterwards. It might also be the last for the experienced former Methody oarsman, whose final exams in Trinity are his main concern at the moment and who may be then lost to Irish rowing.
The Dublin college had 1 1/2 lengths to spare over a tired-looking Neptune four, and since the winning Trinity coxless four were the remainder of Trinity's eight, they may feel justified in claiming there is little between them and Neptune at the top level. And yet . . the question everyone had been asking was whether a Neptune eight without the engine of the national lightweight four, who are in Sweden training, could take on and beat the rest. And the answer was a Neptune win which, while not as emphatic as in the regattas earlier in the year, was still a clear victory, with Trinity firmly in second.
One of the more disappointed clubs on the day was Garda. Likely to be in the final shake-up in the eights race, they could not even take part - club captain and number six man in the boat Graham Tolan had to pull out with a virus and there was no satisfactory replacement available.
Ireland's top woman sculler, Mary Hussey, won an all-Commercial women's single sculls final. Debbie Stack and Vanessa Lawrenson, now rowing as a lightweight, filled second and third, although they may push the pre-eminent Hussey harder in the National Championships next month.
Hussey's brother, Padraig, who was an outstanding junior, pushed Albert Maher hard in the senior men's race, but Maher had his expected win. He confirmed afterwards that he will not compete in the Diamond Sculls at Henley, as he is concentrating on doing well at the final World Cup regatta at Lucerne.
Two of the best races of the day saw Queen's win the men's senior three eights title after a stirring battle with Castleconnell and Trinity, and Kerry's Fossa beating off UCD for the women's senior one coxless fours title.
A composite Carlow/Offaly crew beat St Michael's of Limerick by a length in the final of the "blue riband" event, the John J Duggan men's senior one four, at Carlow regatta yesterday. Carlow crews won 15 of the 45 events at the regatta.
