Keogh is making a splash on the international rowing circuit

WICKLOW native Aaron Keogh with of Three Castles Rowing Club is certainly making a name for himself in the sport and has been selected as part of Team Ireland for the upcoming prestigious Coupe de la Jeunesse, which this year is being hosted in Ireland.

The Coupe de la Jeunesse is an annual international junior rowing regatta, open to rowers 18 years or under, rowed over 2,000 metres. This year, following extensive trials junior Wicklow rower Aaron Keogh joins 31 other athletes; 16 boys and 16 girls, who will take to the water proudly wearing the green rowing suit of Ireland.

This year the spotlight will truly be on the Irish rowers, as the prestigious event will be hosted in Ireland.

The last weekend of July, Friday 27th to Sunday 29th, will see young rowers from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and all across Ireland descend upon Cork to battle it out upon the dark waters of Inniscarra Lake at the National Rowing Centre.

Aaron Keogh who rows with Three Castles Rowing Club will join rowers from Limerick, Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Wexford and as far north as Fermanagh and Derry.

Under the expert guidance of coaches Pat McInerney, Dan Buckley, John Walsh and team manager Emily Dulohery, these rowers will take part in several races over the course of the weekend; Single, Double and Quad Sculls and in the Sweep category Eights, Fours and Pairs.

This two-day team event, which was founded in 1985, is a dramatic showcase of skill, strength, and teamwork like no other with points awarded to nations based on finishing position in each category.

As a result, a strong overall team is required to take overall victory at the Coupe. The event has only ever been won by Great Britain (14 wins), Italy (11 wins), and France (8 wins).

Ireland performed exceptionally well last year, highlighting our young talent in this growing Irish sport, bringing home a total of five gold medals across the women’s pair, single sculls and men’s quadruple categories.

The regatta, which encourages young rowers, has become a platform in Ireland for starting the international careers of some of our most successful and decorated Irish rowers such as Gary O‘Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll.

This July is the pinnacle of the Irish rowing calendar with Rowing Ireland announcing their International Festival of Rowing. Three weeks in succession, the National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods will play host to major National and International rowing regattas, which are all free for spectators to attend.

This festival kicks off with the big names in Irish rowing fighting it out at the Irish Rowing Championships from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th July. Saturday 21st July Ireland host the Home International Regatta with teams from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales on the water. The International Festival of Rowing is then rounded off with junior rowers taking centre stage with the prestigious Coupe de la Jeunesse Friday 27th to Sunday 29th July.