This weekend, the Irish head season comes into full swing as crews take on the notorious and testing six-kilometre course of Erne Fours Head of the River Race. Long, exposed, and full of technical demands, Lough Erne delivers challenges to even the most experienced rowers. Its sweeping bends and narrow bridges mean that strategic steering will be as crucial as speed, particularly in the coxless quads where rhythm and focus must hold under the pressure of such a demanding course. Beyond the course itself, this event marks one of the first major tests of the winter season, giving crews a chance to lay down their marker for the 2025/26 season.
Women’s Senior Quad
With just one entry, the University of Galway’s senior quad won’t have direct competition, but they will be racing against the clock, possibly with ambitions of setting the standard for the women’s field, and continuing Galway’s dominance in this event over recent years.
The greatest asset of this crew will be their experience. All four athletes come from the championship-winning women’s Senior eight from this summer, meaning this is a combination that knows how to move well together under pressure. It is also a crew with significant international experience. While Emma Waters represented Ireland in the women’s four at the World Rowing Championships, Emma Fagan also had the chance to wear the green vest at the U23 European Rowing Championships this summer, contributing to the crew’s impressive resume.
This crew’s domestic success and international experience speak for themselves, and the chemistry they built while training and racing together last season will be their engine. With no other senior entries, they have nothing to lose. If they can steer a sharp line through the bends of Lough Erne and execute a clean race, they may be eyeing the fastest time of the day.
Women’s Intermediate Quad
The intermediate category looks set to be an intra-club showdown between the two Queen’s University Belfast quads.
The Queen’s ‘A’ crew is full of impressive rising Irish talent. Amilia McAleer, who is leading this crew from the stroke seat, had an exceptional summer of international racing. Representing Ireland at both the U23 World Rowing Championships and Home International Regatta, McAleer became the first Queen’s athlete to progress from novice to European representation, demonstrating the strength of this programme. She is backed up by Holly Bartlett and Alannah Donohoe, both of whom were members of the Queen’s crew that progressed to the Henley Women’s Regatta quarterfinals this summer. It is hard to look past this lineup with their race experience. If they can come together and hold their nerve throughout, they will likely set the pace in this category.
But we shouldn’t underestimate the Queen’s ‘B’ crew. A standout from this crew is Georgia Donohoe, who had an impressive first rowing season last year. Not only was she a member of the Championship-winning novice quad, but she was also a member of one of the Queen’s crews who qualified at Henley Women’s Regatta, no small feat for a newcomer to the sport. This crew aims to prove that Queen’s depth extends far beyond its top quad. I would expect them to push their ‘A’ crew and themselves until the last stroke of this race.
Women’s Club Coxed Quad
The club quad event adds another level of intrigue to the women’s quads, with university, masters, and junior entries all competing. This offers a rare chance for these less experienced crews to test themselves against the clock, and with coxes onboard, steering may be less of a concern, although the twists of Lough Erne still offer no easy ride for a cox.
Of the four crews entered in this category, the crew to watch could again come from Queen’s University Belfast. Every member of this crew picked up an oar for the first time last year, and they all graduated from one of the most successful novice programmes in the country. Following a highly successful 2024-25 novice campaign for the club, these athletes have advanced to the senior programme and will be eager to showcase the progress they have made, even early in the season. The time that they put down this weekend will be an early indicator of what Queen’s might achieve later in the season as these athletes blend into their senior squads.
Predictions:
While the University of Galway remains unchallenged in their own category, if they find their rhythm on the day, their experience could see them post the fastest women’s time of the day in the senior quad. Queens look the clear favourites across the other categories, where their Intermediate ‘A’ crew will likely prevail thanks to their domestic and international experience. In the club coxed quad, it seems likely that the Queen’s athletes will build on the momentum from their novice year to emerge as the top team. For all these crews, this race is a statement of opportunity, a chance to measure progress and a chance to establish new pecking orders for the season ahead.
