This weekend, clubs across Ireland will travel to Enniskillen for the Erne Eights Head of the River Race. Set against the winding stretch of Lough Erne, this race stands out as one of the defining races in the Irish rowing calendar. As the regatta season approaches, for many college athletes, this weekend marks the final head race before focus turns to regatta preparation and honing the speed developed through winter miles into fast 2k times.
The course itself requires much more than simply rowing fast. With sweeping bends and tight bridges, Lough Erne demands steering precision, a rhythmic approach through the turns, and crew composure under pressure to have a successful run. Strength and stamina are important, but experience counts here, and several of the women’s senior eight crews competing this weekend have plenty of it, meaning this will be a race to watch.
Dublin University Ladies Boat Club (DULBC)
DULBC enters this weekend as the benchmark crew. Not only has this club held the title in this event since 2019, but they also retain the course record set in 2015, a time I am sure they will be striving to beat this year. Continuity is a major strength in rowing and, with more than half of this year’s lineup featured in last season’s winning boat, this crew has proven chemistry and a clear understanding of how to execute this course effectively together.
The crew is led in the stern pair by Adelaide Telzrow and Maria Mezquita Garcia-Poggio, two athletes who dominated at the National Rowing Centre last summer, winning three national titles: the Intermediate pair, Intermediate coxed four, and Senior coxless four. The experience that these two athletes bring to their crew will prove invaluable. Not only do they have proven speed, but they also know how to row together, which should transfer down their boat, providing their crew with an unstoppable rhythm.
Strengthening this line-up further is the inclusion of the athletes from the winning Senior coxless four at the Erne Fours Head of the River Race earlier this season – Ginevra Guglielmi, Isobel Howley, Caoimhe Keller, and Jennifer Forde. This is another indication of both speed and familiarity with the course within this squad.
A strong showing at Newry Head of the River Race suggests this crew is building momentum. With their Colours race against University College Dublin looming later this month, Erne offers one final racing opportunity to prove speed and to sharpen execution. If this crew can maintain their cool under the pressure of Lough Erne, we can expect the DULBC dominance of Erne Head of the River Race to continue.
University of Galway Boat Club (UGBC)
UGBC is fielding a crew with plenty of potential and some athletes who have worked hard to prove themselves over the last two seasons. Two of such athletes who have proven their talent are Isobel O’Byrne and Avril O’Toole, who sit in the stern pair of this crew. These athletes have been taken directly from the bow pair of last summer’s National Championship-winning Senior eight. It cannot be understated how valuable this experience and confidence will be for this crew in establishing a composed, assertive rhythm from the start.
Course familiarity also comes into play with this crew as, earlier in the season, Aoife O’Sullivan, Avril O’Toole, and Sibeal Ni Fhlaithbheartaigh saw success in the women’s Senior quad at Erne Fours Head of the River Race, demonstrating both speed and control over this stretch of water, particularly in a coxless boat.
Momentum continued for UGBC at St. Michael’s Head of the River Race, where they claimed wins in the Intermediate eight, Senior quad, and Senior pair. With several members of those victorious crews lining up again this weekend in the Senior eight, UGBC arrives with plenty of racing experience and confidence in their ability as a squad. If they can channel that winning rhythm and apply it to this technical course, this could be a crew to watch this weekend.
University College Dublin’ A’ (UCD)
The first UCD crew in this event boasts some significant success from last year’s National Championships. Ailise O’Sullivan and Orla O’Sullivan were both members of last year’s successful Club eight, with Orla claiming the Club coxed four title during the same championship weekend. Coxswain Neasa Farrell steered both of those crews to victory last summer, and her inclusion in this Senior eight highlights some continuity from UCD. On such a technical course, having an experienced cox who knows their crew could be a major strength for this crew.
Joining them are Isabella Devitt and Carrie Savage, two athletes who have made the step up into the UCD senior squad this year following a standout novice season last year, where they claimed victory in the Novice eight at the Championship regatta. While UCD’s racing schedule has remained relatively quiet so far this year, both athletes have already featured in successful combinations at the Dublin Head of the River Race and the Lagan Head of the River Race, demonstrating the positive contributions they have made to the senior squad.
This is a crew with plenty of promise, combining high-level experience and emerging senior talent. With Colours against DULBC looming, Erne provides an opportunity to test speed directly against their rivals and one final chance to test race-day combinations.
University College Dublin ‘B’
UCD’s ‘B’ crew also presents an intriguing blend of experience and upward progression. Several of the athletes competed in the Alumni eight, which secured an impressive fifth place at the Head of the Charles Regatta. Experience of racing at that high calibre will have provided those athletes with invaluable confidence in high-pressure, high-profile competition, an experience they can share with the younger athletes in their crew, which will likely translate into a fast time on race day.
Athletes who will benefit from this experience include Katie Ryan, Aoife Rendu, and Leonore Church, who have also made the step up to senior status this year from last year’s winning novice eight crew. Being fielded to race on the senior squad reflects both individual development and the depth within UCD’s programme.
Prediction
UCD has consistently shown its ability to produce high speed in eight categories, and its performances at the Head of the Charles underlined that capacity to deliver fast times on demanding water. University of Galway, meanwhile, has demonstrated strength and consistency across the head season and can be expected to challenge throughout.
However, it is difficult to ignore the momentum DULBC has built as a programme in recent seasons, particularly their dominance in this event since 2019. Their experience on this course, combined with the continuity within this crew, makes them the logical favourites. If conditions align on the day, it would not be surprising to see them attach the clock to the field as well. A course record might not be the main objective, but it would certainly not be out of reach.
