There’s a big entry in every sense for Skibbereen Regatta at the National Rowing Centre this weekend. The event covers two days, Saturday and Sunday, and there are over 700 crews entered and a good selection of internationals.
Olympians Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen (pictured) along with lightweight colleague Lydia Heaphy are just back from training camp in Italy, and Monika Dukarska, Gary O’Donovan, Ronan Byrne and Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy are also entered.
Medical student Paul O’Donovan is exam-tied. The understandable paucity of university entries for the same reason does highlight the alarming lack of adult rowers outside the university and international systems just now.
The big numbers of young rowers competing in the Grand League format holds out the prospect of hot competition for the greatest regatta of the year so far.