It is not often a sports report starts with a reference to climate change but the Irish Rowing Championships is one such.

For three weeks the wind has raged in Inniscarra, Co. Cork and no rowing has taken place and it looked like it would happen again on week four but, miraculously, small windows of opportunity appeared and a three day regatta was compressed into one on the Sunday.

And the results were impressive for Enniskillen Royal Boat Club.

The Boys J16 eight of Eoghan Campbell, Harry Coalter, Ryan Topping, Joe Murphy, Owen Kelly, Kyle Bailey, Hugo McChesney, Evan Donaghy and cox Katelyn Fee, proved to be the best crew in the country at this age group when they rowed a magnificent race to come through the pack late in the race to beat the ancient rivals St Joseph’s College Galway.

There are no individual heroes in a rowing crew but some times the stroke man can have a big influence on the outcome and this was the case with Evan Donaghy in that position urged on by Katelyn Fee as cox. They left nine other crews in their wake.

Early on Sunday morning the J18 eight of Austin Cassidy, Oliver Khew, Kyle Abraham, Callum Timoney, Oran Harty, George Kernoghan, Nathan Kelly, Marcus Davis-Kunze and Cox Katelyn Fee, were determined to avenge last year’s dead heat which was controversially awarded to St Joseph’s.

In a monumental tussle over the two kilometre windy track they withstood all that the Galway crew could throw at them midway and came through from behind in the last 200 metres to win by 0.8 of a second.

Marcus Davis-Kunze at stroke, Nathan Kelly and Kyle Abraham could at last smile after two previous defeats.

ERBC have now won this event six out of the last nine years.This is the Holy Grail of Irish Junior rowing and to beat crews from the other three provinces is very commendable.

The girls J16 and 18 eights had a tough day finishing second in both races.

The 16 crew of Errie Powell, Ruby Hamill, Naomi Robinson, Annabelle Kingston, Erin Trimble, Hannah Armstrong, Zara Welsh, Isabella Wright and Cox Jessica Thompson, had a late reshuffle due to the compressed programme and performed beyond expectations against very strong crews from throughout the island.

In the end it came down to a shoot out between ERBC and Lee Rowing Club from Cork with the former two seconds ahead in a pulsating finish.

Zara Welsh at stroke had an impressive debut in her first championship event and the anguish of defeat will spur on her crew mates next season.

The much awaited final of the J18 girls eight was not disappointing.The heats had shown there was little to choose between Skibbereen, Shandon, St. Michael’s and Enniskillen.

The ERBC crew of Clodagh O’Donnell, Rachel Cullinane, Chloe Thompson, Rhea Cartin-McCloskey, Acorn Cassidy, Laura Turner, Kate Huddleston and Cox Jessica Thompson had led at halfway but as the crews crossed the line St Michael’s were ahead by one second.

Again not to highlight a specific rower - but mention should be made of Kate Huddlestone, the 15 year old stroke who was admirable with her composure in such a big race. It was tough to handle for these hardy girls from the Erne but there are plenty returning for next year and the lessons will be stored carefully for future races.

There were many other noteworthy performance especially by the single scullers who contended with very choppy water but all completed the course and have the desire to go on to greater things.