Image Credit: Irish Rowing
Less than a month to go until the National Championships, the final Grand League Regatta of the season, and summer very much here, can only mean one thing – it’s time for Cork Regatta. Held over the 21st and 22nd of June in the seclusion of the National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Co. Cork, it’s the final tune-up event before the heads go down one final time before Champs in mid-July. Colossal entries in almost every event mean we’re set for some very fiery races, and the women’s senior eight is no exception.
University College Dublin Ladies BC/ Old Collegians BC
The various iterations of this composite crew has drawn eyes all season, given women’s rowing in Ireland tends to struggle outside the historically powerful universities. Anchored in stroke and bow by twins Alison and Sarah Daly, it comprises a blend of current UCD students and faces familiar to the programme, and a very similar lineup recently placed second in the D-final of the Metropolitan Regatta. With some fresh faces like Lauryn Roche joining in, I expect a solid performance from this heavily experienced crew.
University College Cork RC
UCC came out swinging in the season’s early stages, running out to a commanding victory in this premier category at the University Championships in April. They have lost a couple of core faces from that lineup, however, including Olympian Margaret Cremen and 2024 National Champion in the lightweight single, Clíodhna Nolan, but I’d still expect a spirited race from a confident crew. UCC have stayed relatively quiet on the racing scene, not joining the Irish contingent in London for the Metropolitan Regatta, so it will be interesting to see how their preparations have played out in the quiet of the Marina.
University of Limerick RC
Reigning national champions in the senior eight, this time last year UL were pipped by the University of Galway at Cork Regatta but returned with a vengeance for the Championships. Considering the prestige they were entering, the club was comparatively slow to the 2025 season, but have returned to form in recent weeks. They fielded the fastest Irish women’s eight on the Sunday of the Metropolitan Regatta, winning the C-final in 6:44, and they have a proven track record of finding top speed for the Championships.
University College Dublin Ladies BC
UCD are fielding an established crew alongside their juggernaut composite. This lineup has stayed comparatively consistent all year and has seen success in club 2, including at the University Championships in April. They have gained a notable asset in Ailise O’Sullivan, who raced in the senior coxed four that won at Skibbereen Regatta. O’Sullivan is an impressive athlete with double junior team representation at the Home International Regatta under her belt, and her experience will add a lot to an already well-trained and united crew.
Dublin University Ladies BC
The Trinity entry in this category is perhaps surprising, given some struggles in their attempts to field a top-level eight throughout the season. A heavy loss to UCD at the Colours Boat Race was reinforced at the University Championships and more recently to Neptune RC at Trinity Regatta. However, this is a relatively fresh lineup, with Ginevra Guglielimi, Annie Moore, and Róisín Cormican joining in a rejigged version of the early-season top eight. While I wouldn’t propose medal contention for this crew at this Regatta, an analysis of the crew indicates, similar to UCD, eligibility for the club 2 category, meaning a vested interest in testing their speed against the top of the eights field. It will be interesting to contrast their times with UCD’s entry as discussed above, and with the University of Galway’s entry in intermediate eight, who have similarly “stacked” a crew.
Prediction
I’d call UL to take the win – they have entered a crew bursting with established talent and some newer names, and as a programme, they have a solid history of big summer performances. I think the UCD/OC composite will take second, and UCC could be positioned to round out the medals in third. A commanding victory here could mean decisive things for the Championships in three short weeks, but stranger things have happened than a rapid turnaround for any crew, and in any case, all crews will unquestionably be seeking to give a clear assertion of their ambitions for the second weekend in July.
