PAGE 32
AN
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2012 / JANUARY 2013
OUTSTANDING YEAR
O
By Jason McDonnell n Saturday October 20th I spoke with Gabriel Murphy at St. Patrick’s Rowing Club end of season BBQ. Gabriel, who has been a member of the East Coast Council for a long time and was also PRO of the East Coast Rowing Council this year, said the club has had an outstanding year. The crews involved were: two U12 crews, an U14 crew, a junior ladies’ crew who won bronze, an U16 crew who also won bronze, a mixed crew who won silver, the intermediates who picked up bronze too and the juniors and
seniors who both won gold. The seniors have been unbeaten for the whole year on the East Coast and went on to win the All Ireland in Cork. While at the All Ireland, they took part in the Heritage Boat Race for original boats and came both first and second. They also won the Hobblers Challenge, a race around the Kish Lighthouse in September. The East Coast Regatta season starts around the Bank Holiday weekend in June, normally with the Stella Maris Regatta and then it goes on during the summer and finishes up in Wicklow
on the August Bank Holiday weekend. The indoor training starts for most rowers in January/February, and around March they try to get the boats back in the water. This year the crews saw a lot of wind and rain nearly every night of the week but all credit to them for persevering no matter the weather. In 2007 new rules were introduced where all skiffs must be built the same and this has made a huge difference to regattas. St. Patrick’s recently got a new uniformed boat which is the one shape to fit this criteria. And
REMEMBERING CHRISTY MURPHY
T
By Jimmy Purdy he recent death of Christy Murphy brought back memories of one of
St. Patrick’s Rowing Club’s best skiff rowing crew circa 1949. This crew had many successes along the East Coast stretch-
ing from Ringsend to Arklow and was made up of two sets of brothers; Thomas and Seamus Murphy and Christy and Paddy
this year, bar one race out of the whole year, the uniformed boat has been a winner. The new boats they row now are also compatible with the boats in Cornwall, West France, Scotland, Norway and the Basque area of Spain. The club also came second in a big contest in Italy. Gabriel would like to thank Irene Montgomery, who does a lot of the work for the kids and also makes the cakes (which get great reviews from all the clubs after every race). He would also like to thank Phillip Murphy, who is working very hard as the child welfare officer of the East Coast Rowing Council, not forgetting Ken Cunningham who was the rep for St. Patrick’s Rowing Club at most of the regattas during the year. A big thanks from the entire club to John Hawkins, who does a lot of work behind the scenes.
Murphy. During this time each regatta would draw big crowds with the big one in Wicklow on the August Bank Holiday Monday. Christy came from Whelan House and his family were very respected in the area. He married Laura McDonnell and eventually moved to Tonlegee Road in Coolock. At his funeral a Guard of Honour with oars raised took place in the Church yard by St. Patrick’s Rowing Club. Betty, his sister
Left: Members at St Patrick’s Rowing Club’s end of season BBQ. Above: John Doyle with the Wicklow Senior Cup for rowing 2012. Below: Senior crew, left to right Gay Murphy, David Doyle, Pierce Murphy, Dave Cunningham, John Doyle, Stephen McDonnell and Autumn Rose McDonnell.
and his brothers Paddy and Liam were present. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis. May his faithful soul be at the right hand of God. Main picture, left to right: Thomas Murphy, Paddy Murphy, Thumbs Murphy, Seamus Murphy, Christy Murphy. Pictured in the boat, left to right: Paddy Murphy, Seamus Murphy, Christy Murphy, Thomas Murphy, Thumbs Murphy.