Skibbereen head gets go ahead at last

ROWING ROUND-UP:AT LAST. The Skibbereen Head of the River, which had to be deferred three weeks ago because of the weather, will be held tomorrow at the National Rowing Centre on Inniscarra Lake.

Given it is the last weekend before Christmas, and only a week after the national trials in Newry, the entry will be down on the original number, but the organisers are still upbeat.

“We’re going ahead. We’ve got about 25 clubs and over 300 crews,” said Violet Hayes of Skibbereen yesterday.

“We’re hoping the weather will be okay – it’s going to be calm but cold. It is happening!”

The event will feature the inaugural national pairs, doubles and singles heads.

The under-23 lightweight men’s group performed well at last weekend’s trial. Two of the top performers, Niall Kenny of NUIG and Peter Hanily of St Michael’s, are entered as a double scull and will take beating. Skibbereen man Mark O’Donovan headed this group and he will hope to make it two successful outings in a row. Eugene Coakley is injured and did not compete last weekend.

O’Donovan was second only to experienced heavyweight Seán Jacob in the time trial last Sunday – if only just. Jacob will not be competing tomorrow – “you wait ages for competition then two come along at once” – but is fully on board for the trials process and generally upbeat about the professionalism of the new system.

Jacob’s bid to compete in the Beijing Olympics came to an unfortunate end when he was cut from the programme in 2008. He says he will take it “one step at a time” this season.

The first step, taking on and prospering in the training programme set by national lead coach Adrian Cassidy, would seem to have been a success – he clocked five minutes 58 seconds for the ergometer in Newry, just three seconds off his personal best.

The junior men’s ergometer produced an extraordinary result and a great story. Up at the top of the rankings, as expected, was Westport man Turlough Hughes, probably the most promising junior sculler in the country. In seventh place, however, was a newcomer . . . with a very familiar look.

Patrick Hughes is Turlough’s identical twin, but while Turlough is a national champion in the novice single scull, Patrick “started rowing about six weeks ago”.