‘NOTHING IS HELD BACK ON THE WATER’

ON land, the Maharees regatta is a relaxed, sociable affair where local and visiting oarsmen and women mingle and chat. On the sea it’s a different matter; the competition is intense and not an inch is given, regardless of age or experience.

David Sheehan loves, and laughs at, the intensity of naomhóg racing. Along with some of his pals, he got into racing for the craic “but it got competitive very fast”.

“Nothing is held back on the water, but we’re all friends back on the pier,” said David who is from Brandon but rows with a Maharees under-18 crew.

Things didn’t go as well as he had hoped on Sunday as they came fourth in the under-18s and third in the parish race but he puts that down to the Junior Cert interrupting their training. They’ll do better at Ventry Regatta in two weeks’ time and he’s confident they have the beating of the Brandon and Dingle crews.

Sunday was David’s fourth Maharees Regatta, which makes him a relative newcomer to the sport. Jackie Goodwin, on the other hand, is a seasoned veteran who has seen and won it all at regattas up and down the west coast and is now one of the organisers of the Maharees Regatta. He thought of retiring a few years ago but at his 40th Maharees Regatta on Sunday he joked that “it’s too late to stop now”.

Affable on the pier and fiercely competitive on sea, he and his crew put in a muscle-bursting performance to come a close second in the men’s race. Naomhóg racing, “it kind of gets into the blood,” says Jackie and, on that point, the gap between four and 40 years’ experience is bridged.

The second place crew of Jackie Goodwin, Joe Rua, Mairtín and Michael Mulkerins in the senior men’s race at the Maharees Regatta congratulate the winning crew of John Joe and Patrick Hussey, Sean Scanlon and Colm O’Connor.

Right: Eileen Lynch at her station as carpark attendant at the Maharees Regatta on Sunday. For the past 10 years Eileen has provided parking during the regatta at her family’s waterfront field and the money raised is donated to Temple Street Children’s...

Leanne O’Grady, Alison O’Donohgue and Orla Goodwinand from the Maharees with Lin Moriarty (right) from Brandon at the Maharees Regatta on Sunday.

David Sheehan, Brandon, (right) and William Goodwin, Maharees.