Enniskillen Royal Boat Club (ERBC) had a fantastic weekend in Dublin competing in Neptune Regatta on Saturday and Commercial Regatta on Sunday, coming home with 13 wins over the two days.

These were the first regattas of 2022 and the first of either of these events to be held since 2019 due to Covid.

On Saturday, there were four great wins over the course of the day, with 14 crews competing.

The boys’ J14 4X crew of Evan Donaghy, Lorcan Sreenivasan, Joshua Inhat, Luke Bailey and cox Daniel Montgomery overcame the challenge from Blackrock College RC to take the win.

The Boys first eight crew of Tom Blake, Tim Murphy, Charlie Smith, Conor Richardson, Nathan Kelly, Oran Harty, Kyle Abraham, Luke and Cox Frankie Reihill overcame the crew from Methodist College Belfast to take the win in a great race.

The boys’ J18 coxless quad – Callum Timoney, Marcus Davis-Kunze, Oran Harty and Luke Paton – had a great win in their final over Athlone BC, which they won by four lengths.

The Boys Club 1 4+ crew of Tom Blake, Tim Murphy, Lewis Nixon, Charlie Smith and cox Frankie Reihill had a great win over the home Club, Neptune RC.

Two races went right to the finish line.

The Boys J16 8+ Owen Kelly, Joshua Coalter, Matthew Shaw, Jacob Halliday, Oliver Khew, Rory Keogh, Ian Fleming and cox Katelyn Fee had a brilliant race against Commercial RC, with everyone having to await the official decision to declare the winners of the race, because it was too close to call.

This race was fantastic experience for the boys, who are expected to grow in confidence as a crew as the season progresses.

The most exciting race of the day was the Girls J18 8+ against UCD in the Club eights – another race that was only decided on the finish line.

The crew of Cristiona McCaffrey, Laura Turner, Martha McBrien, Acorn Cassidy, Katie Donnelly, Niamh Campbell, Rachel Cullinan and cox Grace Ralph really put it up to the University crew, which had former ERBC rower Aine McCreesh in the five seat, matching them stroke for stroke, with the lead changing between the two crews many times down the Liffey course.

The Junior crews had a brilliant day at Commercial Regatta on Sunday, coming away with nine wins from the 13 crews who competed, with all rowers coming home with at least one medal.

The club also received the Inaugural Jimmy Bermingham Memorial Trophy, along with Neptune RC and St. Michael’s RC for the best overall visiting club at the regatta.

All three clubs had an equal number of wins.

Great wins

There were great wins for both the MJ14 8X+ and the WJ14 8X+. The Girls final saw both ERBC crews race each other to take the win.

The final of the MJ14 4X+ also saw two ERBC crews race each other, with the crew of Jacob Woods, Cillian Donaghy, Ben Cameron, Conor Taylor and cox Summer Armstrong coming out the winners of the final after receiving a bye in the semi-final.

The other MJ14 4X+ crew of Bruno Favro Maguire, Dara McMurray Taylor, Cameron Bell, Oliver McNeary and cox Abbey Wilson had overcome the crew from Coleraine Grammar School in the semi-final.

The WJ15 4X+ crews had two fine wins in straight finals against Commercial RC and Sligo RC.

There was a lovely win for Natalie Turner and Isabella Wright in the final of the WJ14 2X over Coleraine Grammar School.

ERBC also had two excellent wins out of three in straight finals for the WJ15 4X+ crews overcoming challenges from Neptune RC and Coleraine Grammar School.

Eoghan Campbell and Harley Shepard saw off the challenge from Commercial RC on their home water to take the MJ15 2X title.

Next up for the rowers of ERBC is Limerick Regatta, on Saturday, April 23.