Head of the River 2012 brings curtain down on Winter season

Date Published: {J}

The Galway Head of the River – the traditional climax of the Winter racing season for rowers from all corners of Ireland – took place on the Corrib in ideal rowing conditions on Saturday.

Jointly hosted by long time organisers Tribesmen Rowing Club, and new-comers NUI Galway Boat Club, the event was a major success with in excess of 270 boats entered, across all categories and age groups from Junior 16 eights, to masters single sculls.

Competitors from all four provinces vied for success with strong entries from all the Galway clubs. In the men’s senior eights; the NUIG Graduates, representing Grainne Mhaol Rowing Club, joined forces with the NUIG students to form two strong eights, with both crews featuring a mix of internationals and future stars of the sport.

These eights finished first and second, with a margin of less than two seconds between them, while Cork Boat Club finishing third. The top women’s event, the Women’s senior fours, was won by Cork Boat Club.

As usual, the Men’s Junior 8 was a hotly contested event, with a strong local entry; Galway Rowing Club achieved a notable success in defeating St Joseph’s Rowing Club, current national champions, by a margin of 3 seconds.

Galway Rowing Club scored a Junior eights double, with their women’s Junior eight also winning. The women’s junior fours was won by Muckross Rowing Club.

The event also marked the first competitive outing for Cumann Rámhaíochta Choláiste na Coiribe, Galway’s newest club, and the only club in the country where rowing crews are coached and coxed “as gaeilge”.

Other notable local wins included Colaise Iognaid taking the Men’s Junior 16 double sculls and quadruple sculls events, St Joseph’s winning the Men’s Junior 16 eight and Junior 16 four, and NUIG winning both the Men’s Intermediate four and the Women’s Novice four.