We check in with Wicklow Rowing Club
2019 was a magical year in Wicklow
ROB DUNNE has been involved with Wicklow Rowing Club for over 40 years. He has seen it all and has witnessed all sort of success that the club has enjoyed over its almost 65-year existence. Yet, when asked, he singles out 2019 as a year that holds a special place in his memory.
‘Last year was one of our best years in a long time; we won five national titles,’ Dunne said. ‘We went to the Irish coastal rowing championships and the National Rowing Centre, in Cork, last August and we won four Irish championships there, from under-18s to senior ladies, junior men, and the coastal four men’s.
‘At the end of the year, we had picked up 10 sets of championship medals; three gold, five silver, and two bronze. Under-14 and 16 went unbeaten all year. That means more to us than anything. When the youth are doing well, you can bring them through. We have not been as successful at senior as we would like to be, expect for the ladies. We need to be bringing the kids through the categories to develop them into good senior rowers.’
Wicklow had been part of the national championships before then, of course. Having started competing at that level in the 1990s, they went on to win three times before stepping away from the competition in 2005 due to external circumstances. It was an unfortunate development, as being able to contest for medals at the All-Irelands allowed for Wicklow to demonstrate what the club was capable of, as well as giving younger members something to work towards into the future.
Their time in exile came to an end in time for the 2019 championships, which took place at the aforementioned National Rowing Centre, in Cork, which acted as a motivational tool by informing the crew of what they were coming up against.
‘We had a very good domestic season, as well, so everybody was buoyed up and positive when we went down to the National Rowing Centre. This is where the O’Donovan’s trained. When the guys got down there, they were a bit awestruck by the facilities.
‘When we saw the facilities that these guys have, we said to ourselves: ‘well, look, this is what we need to aspire to. We need to be able to get there.’
As Dunne alluded to, Wicklow enjoyed quite the successful domestic campaign in the lead-up to the nationals. A total of 18 crews represented the club in competition across a number of different categories and age grades. With those 18 teams, Wicklow picked up 10 sets of medals in total; three gold, five silver, and two bronze. That haul gave the rowers plenty of confidence going into Cork, which paid off in a big way.
Seven crews were sommitted to take part in the traditional and coastal four categories. In the case of the former, the under-18 boys, senior men, and senior women all won their respective races, while the junior men came second in their coastal four, and the pre-veterans won theirs.
It was a significant return to the All-Ireland fold for a club that had spent the previous 14 years on the outskirts.
‘It gave a big lift to the club, especially for the youngsters to see that there is a big rewards at the end. You can progress from regional and county, to nationals. We had met a lot of friends who we would have competed against in past All-Irelands and they were very welcoming. They did not realise how good we were but when we got back onto the national stage, they saw how good we were.’
It only got better from there. Wicklow were subsequently entered into the national offshore championships, which took place in Antrim. The demands that came along with the race meant more strenuous training to prepare for the ocean race that, unlike skiffs, involved each man having two oars. Once again, Wicklow committed plenty of rowers to the competition in singles, doubles, and four-person quads. The dedication paid off, as a quad crew including former world champion and Olympian Niall O’Toole, sealed the historic win to round off a sensational 2019.
Unfortunately, their planned trip to the European championships did not materialise due to the coronavirus pandemic that has bogged down sport across the globe this year. However, when competition hopefully returns in 2021, Wicklow will be ready to pick