The 2026 season is underway, and this weekend sees the return of the Irish Indoor Rowing Championships (IIRC) at the UL Sports Arena. Many of the athletes attending on Saturday will be hoping to start 2026 with a strong showing in their respective events. Some will use the event to produce a 2 K time worthy of being invited to the subsequent Irish trial or training camp in the coming weeks. In the women’s U23 event, there is a surprisingly small entry this year, with only 11 competitors set to participate, compared to 25 competitors in the previous year. Regardless of the number of entries, the eleven women competing will strive to deliver a strong performance in front of hundreds of spectators.
Roisin Byrne & Laura Meehan – University of Limerick
Building on last year’s results, Roisin Byrne finished 12th and could be in a position to take the title this year, given the return of some competitors. As a junior, Byrne enjoyed a good season in sculling events with several wins across the domestic calendar, such as Lough Rynn and Dublin Metro regattas in 2023, and the Munster Branch regatta in 2024, before joining the University of Limerick last year for academics. With nine of her clubmates making up the entry on Saturday, she will be aware of where she sits on the internal club ranking and will look to stamp her authority with a podium finish. One of those is Laura Meehan, who looks to add to her chances of selection for the Irish U23 team later this year. At the November trial, she and her pair partner, Amy Barrett, finished an impressive third, having only had a few outings together beforehand. A good performance in her 2k will undoubtedly earn Meehan an invitation to the next stage of the selection process.
Valeria Miroshnichenko – Donegal Bay RC
Another athlete returning from last year to improve is Miroshnickkenko of Donegal Bay. She finished 17th behind Roisin Byrne in the 2025 IIRC and is back to challenge again for a higher finish. Hailing from an offshore club, offshore rowers have been no strangers to the IIRC, bringing their strength from rowing in the sea with a much heavier boat onto the rowing machine, and if Miroshnickkenko has had a good training block, she could be vying for a medal in the last 500m.
Claudia Neff – Cork BC
Having competed at the November trial, Claudia Neff comes to the UL Sports Arena hoping to post a solid 2k score worthy of continuing her progression in the U23 team selection. She raced with her sister Isabelle Neff in the U23 pair at the November trial, finishing in fifth place. Claudia is another rower who brings coastal rowing strength to the ergometer, having raced at the Irish Coastal Championships in 2024 for Ballycotton Rowing Club, winning both the U21 and Senior Coastal coxed four. With an invitation to the subsequent trial, her target, Claudia Neff, could be the one to beat on Saturday.
Predictions
With several competitors relying on good scores for U23 selection, we could be in store for some close racing and fast times. I predict Laura Meehan to come out on top ahead of fellow triallist Claudia Neff, with Roisin Byrne and Valeria Miroshnichenko challenging for third place. In the UL Sports Arena, though, anything can happen, and the athletes will need to be laser-focused and calm while having supporters watching from close quarters.
