Fermoy men raise the roof for Shannon Rowing Club
Two former Fermoy oarsmen are raising the roof on Shannon Rowing Club in Limerick, spearheading a campaign to repair the roof of the historic building on Sarsfield Bridge in the Treaty city.
Seán Murphy and John Gleeson, both from Fermoy, joined Shannon Rowing Club when they moved to Limerick, and are calling on their friends and former teammates to support their compatriots in Shannon. John is now president of the Shannon Rowing Club, where Seán is captain. He spoke to TheAvondhu, thanking people for their support so far, particularly in Fermoy and Dusseldorf.
“Donations are flooding in - we’re very grateful to everyone who’s donated so far, it’s been brilliant. The building is so iconic, and the inside of the building has been preserved to an immaculate degree. It’s just the roof that we need to protect now.”
They are heading a campaign to raise €15,000 to repair the roof, where the need for work was identified two years ago.
Since they began publicity of the drive, the men have seen funds flood in from donors in Fermoy and Germany, as the Fermoy Rowing Club are twinned with Ruderclub Germania in Dusseldorf, where they have enjoyed a friendship since 1988.
‘THE GUYS ARE IN TROUBLE, LET’S GIVE THEM A HAND’
Paul Kavanagh, Secretary for Fermoy Rowing Club, explained how their relationship began.
“In 1988, we met the Ruderclub on the Blackwater, and we invited them in for a shower and a bite to eat, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since! They come over here every St Patrick’s Day and we explore rivers of Ireland together and Fermoy Rowing Club visit them for a marathon every October, the same weekend as German Unity Day. We’ve stayed in their houses and have been close friends with the club for over 30 years. We’re the only Irish team to be invited to the Rhine Marathon every October, which is a fantastic honour for us.”
The importance of the relationship between rowing clubs is paramount, and their German friends naturally got on board with the fundraising effort as soon as they heard about it.
“We have a Whatsapp group with some of the German team, so of course we told them, and they of course donated too - it’s an iconic building, and every bit helps. They said ‘the guys are in trouble, let’s give them a hand’, and so they did.”
More information on the campaign can be found on shannonrowingclub.com.