The opening day of the Irish Rowing Championships saw Portora Boat Club win the blue riband of Junior rowing, the Men's J18 8 for a third year in a row.

Having not won the coveted title for 34 years before their 2014 success, Portora have now won three in a row but none probably quite as dramatic as this one with Portora prevailing by 0.4 of a second over Cork Boat Club.

The thrilling success delighted the large Portora support on the 'beach' with this a particularly excellent win as Portora had lost out to Cork only three weeks ago.

The winning Portora crew which was coxed by Rory Farragher was James Foster, Ross Corrigan, Sam Armstrong, Conor McLaughlin, Nathan Timoney, Odhran Donaghy, Sean O'Hare Smith and Aaron Johnston.

Head coach Derek Holland, speaking immediately after the win, admitted the work the boys had put in since their exams helped turn the tables with Cork but admitted it was so exciting he found it hard to watch.

"Very delighted to have won the title for three years in a row but to be honest, I am just trying to compose myself, it is probably the first Portora race in my time that I could not watch!

"I was nearly physically sick but I knew three weeks ago there was a good Cork crew and I did not want any surprises so we came down and they beat us. The last two weeks, we upped the intensity, we knew it was going to be tight  but I believed in them and the finish was thrilling."

Elsewhere there was an Irish title for the Women's J15 4X+, as the crew of Darerca Daly Hutton, Victoria Wilson, Abby Corry and Caoimhe Leonard coxed by Ben Corrigan held off the challenge of Lee Rowing Club in Cork to win.

It was a case of so close and yet so far for the Women's J16 8 of Zoe McCutcheon, Hannah Sharkey, Caitlynn Fee, Maria O'Doherty, Ali Murphy, Judith Lunny, Trudie McComb and Jessica Long coxed by Rebecca Conway who produced a season's best performance but went down by a length to Colaisté Iognaíd from Galway, having to settle for silver.

The championships continue over Saturday and Sunday where Portora will look to add to their medal haul.