Bann, Commercial and the University of Limerick all won on the double in the second and third set of Saturday finals at the Irish Rowing Championships. The race to complete as many events as possible saw the programme run very early.
Flynn Greene of Bann won a brilliant race in the women’s junior 18 single sculls, defending the lead she held for over 1,000 metres against a tremendous challenge from Anna Keating of Shannon. The Shannon woman pushed hard coming to the finish, but a mis-stroke cost her and Greene held fast to win.
In the women’s senior double final, Bann’s Alex Hutchinson and Katie Shirlow reversed the result of the intermediate final. While in that race earlier in the day, Killorglin’s Aoibhe Horan and Monika Dukarska won after a battle, Bann were the queens here and they won by 8.4 seconds.
The University of Limerick’s Joe Tanner and Kealan Mannix came from behind to beat Shandon in the men’s senior double sculls.
The University of Limerick also won the women’s intermediate eight. Under pressure from University of Galway and UCD, they produced powerful, rhythmic rowing to win.
University of Galway beat a valiant Trinity in the men’s intermediate eight. Galway led through halfway; Trinity bit into the lead foot by foot. Would Galway crack – no. Trinity overlapped but could not catch the western crew, which won by 2.1 seconds.
Commercial (above, courtesy live coverage) won the women’s club two coxed four final with the most convincing of wins. They fashioned a big margin and held it to the line. Skibbereen were second.
Commercial added the men’s club two coxed four in the third set of finals. The men were quite dominant as they matched the achievement of the Commercial women.
As the conditions became rougher, Skibbereen men’s junior 18 pair also bossed their race to take another title for the west Cork club.