by Kieran Kerr
Competitive rowing as we know it today commenced in Limerick in 1866 with the establishment of Shannon Rowing Club which was initially based in a wooden shed in the docks. The arrival of Limerick Boat Club in 1870 was, however, the catalyst for significant development of the sport locally. In addition to providing opposition for Shannon Rowing Club, it also initiated the first Limerick Regatta in 1870. The city was now part of the Irish regatta circuit resulting in clubs from across the country coming to compete with the local clubs. They were joined by Athlunkard Boat Club in 1898, St Michael’s Temperance Society Rowing Club in 1899 and St John’s Temperance Society Rowing Club in 1905. This meant the city had five clubs at the beginning of the twentieth century, the largest number in any of the urban areas in the country.
In the intervening century and a half, rowing in Limerick developed and adapted to demographic, societal and sporting changes. During that time the sport evolved from an activity for young adult men to a gender balanced sport with the largest cohort being under eighteen years of age. The sport also now caters for masters men and women who often row into their eighties.
In recent times, the changing weather patterns have had an impact on the sport in Limerick. Increased rainfall has resulted in significantly faster water flow on the Shannon which has made launching on the North facing slips of both Limerick Boat Club and Shannon Rowing Club dangerous. Due to this, Shannon have relocated all rowing activities to new facilities in Annacotty and Limerick have developed a new slipway on the Southern sheltered side of Wellesley Pier. Winter flooding has also become a regular feature in Castleconnell and O’Briensbridge impacting training for both Castleconnell Boat Club and St Michael’s Rowing Club which has a secondary base there.
Despite these changes and challenges, rowing has maintained its popularity and Limerick now boats six active clubs in the city and surrounding areas.
Clubs
In addition to those that preceded it, the following is a list of Limerick rowing clubs which have affiliated to the Irish Amateur Rowing Union (Rowing Ireland) since it was established in 1899:
Askeaton Rowing Club 1968-1972
Founded by David Floyd who had rowed with Drogheda Rowing Club, Askeaton was an active club for a number of years. It held successful regattas from 1968-1971. The Maiden Eight Championship, with a record breaking seventeen entries, was held at the regatta in 1968 and the Junior Four Championship in 1970. Colours: White, green and black.
Athlunkard Boat Club – Founded 1898
Based beside O’Dwyer Bridge at the end of Athlunkard Street, it has the honourable distinction of being the only Limerick club to win the Senior Eight Championship on two occasions in 1913 and 1923. It also won Intermediate and Maiden Eight championship in the 1940s. Colours: Crimson and blue.
Further reading – The story of Athlunkard Boat Club (Michael Kiely & Denis O’Shaughnessy, 2012)
Castleconnell Boat Club – Founded 1983
Founded by brothers Gerry and Jim O’Neill, who were former members of Limerick Boat Club but living in Castleconnell, the club is based at World’s End in Castleconnell. It has undergone significant expansion since the first rudimentary boat storage shed was erected in the car park outside what are now the club premises. Colours: Red and grey.
Castletroy College Rowing Club 2011-2012
Based in Castleconnell Boat Club, this school was affiliated for two years. It never competed during that time with the exception of the Schools Regatta.
CBS Rowing Club 1946-1964
In July 1946 Limerick Boat Club affiliated CBS who competed during the year in maroon and white. The club appears to have become dormant and there is no sign of them appearing in subsequent seasons. CBS rowed out of Shannon Rowing Club from 1953-1960. A CBS crew won the Maiden Eight Championship in 1954, rowing as Shannon. They moved to Athlunkard Boat Club in 1960 from where they continued to compete until part way during the 1964 season at which time CBS refused to fund rowing any further. The boys completed the remainder of the season as Athlunkard. Colours: Royal blue and white.
Coláiste Chiaráin Rowing Club 2003-2014
This Croom based school briefly rowed out of Limerick Boat Club before moving to Castleconnell Boat Club. The club was very active for a decade but ceased rowing at the end of 2014. Colours: Black and white with red piping.
Crescent College Boat Club 1957–1973
Hosted by Limerick Boat Club, Crescent College Boat Club was active for over a decade. For the first few seasons it was affiliated under the name “Sacred Heart College. Colours: Black and white with a blue crest, later blue and white.
Desmond Rowing Club 2021 – 2022
This Askeaton based club attempted to revive rowing in the area. Despite obtaining a number of boats and commencing training, the club never competed. Colours: Green, black and white.
Limerick Boat Club – Founded 1870
The second oldest rowing club in Limerick, it is based on the western side of Wellesley Pier. The club obtained worldwide fame in February 2014 when a video clip of the boathouse roof being ripped off during Storm Darwin went viral. Following a number of years off the water, the club reopened its doors in 2016 and currently has an active recreational membership. Colours: Black and white.
Limerick Boat Club Annual Reports 1870 – 1933
Further reading – On Wellesley Pier – The history of Limerick Boat Club (Tony Tynne, 2021)
Limerick Technical Institute 1954-1955
This second level institution had an eight at both Cork and Limerick regattas in 1954 and a four in Limerick the following year. They used Limerick Boat Club equipment and facilities. Colours: Black & white.
NIHE Rowing Club 1972-1977
The National Institute for Higher Education RC would in future years be succeeded by UL Rowing Club. It was based in St Michael’s and a number of the members were former schoolboys who started their rowing with St Munchin’s. The club had a number of successes, particularly at senior level. In 1976 a pair consisting of Leo Murphy and Pat Griffin became the first Limerick crew to row at Henley Royal Regatta. The club disbanded once this group of oarsmen graduated. Colours: White with a green and black sash.
Shannon Rowing Club – Founded 1866
The oldest rowing club in Limerick. The original boathouse used by the club was in the West end of the Docks before moving to their magnificent new premises on Wellesley Pier in 1905. In recent years, the increased flow in the river made launching hazardous and as a result the club moved all rowing activity to Annacotty in 2008, where they have boat storage. They retained a gymnasium and function rooms in the city clubhouse. Colours: Royal blue and white
Club records – the club records from the early century have been donated to the Limerick Archives.
Southern Command Rowing Club 1978-1981
Rowed out of Shannon Rowing Club until 1981 at which time their coxed four boat was moved to Athlone. May also have rowed out of Shannon in the 1960’s.
St John’s Boat Club 1905-1933
Like St Michael’s, this was an offshoot of a Temperance Society. The clubhouse, located between the Potato Market and the courthouse in an area known as the “long Dock”, was built in 1905. In 1929 it changed its name to Curraghour Boat Club. In 1933 “after many years of hard luck in not winning a pot” the club retired from competitive rowing Colours: Scarlet, white and amber. [Plaque on the site states “Curraghour B.C. – Est 1877”. This is a reference to the fact that the club can trace usage of the site by forebears of the current members to that date]
St Michael’s Rowing Club – Founded 1899 [first season competing was 1901]
Part of St Michael’s Temperance Society which offered a variety of sports, the rowing section started life rowing from the old Shannon boathouse in the West end of the docks. When this was demolished to make way for the expansion of the docks in the 1930’s the club had a nomadic existence for a number of years before moving to its current location on O’Callaghan’s Strand. Sam Lynch was World Champion in 2001 and 2002 while Sinead Lynch won a World Championship silver medal. The following members have competed at the Olympics – Sam Lynch (1996 & 2004), Seán O’Neill (2008) and Sinéad Lynch (2016). In 2013 the club purchased a field in O’Briensbridge, adjacent to the Limerick Regatta Field, to facilitate winter training. Colours: Royal blue and old gold.
Further reading – Band of Gold – St Michael’s Rowing Club and its temperance origins (Kieran Kerr, 2016)
Club records – the club records from the early century have been donated to the Limerick Archives.
St Munchin’s Rowing Club 1965-1974
Rowing commenced in St Munchin’s under Austin Reid who was an experienced rower who was teaching in the school. The club used the facilities of Athlunkard and St Michael’s. The club immediately made an impact on the Irish rowing scene by winning the School Fours event at Dublin Metropolitan Regatta in both 1966 and 1967. In the years before the inauguration of a Junior Fours Championship, this was regarded by most as the unofficial championship. In 1973 the club had its finest hour when the Junior Four won an Irish Trial at Blessington to gain selection to represent Ireland at the FISA World Championships in Nottingham. In so doing, they became the first Irish junior crew to participate internationally at any event other than the Home International. Sadly, rowing ceased in 1974 following the retirement of Austin Reid as coach. Colours: Blue & scarlet.
University of Limerick Rowing Club – Founded 1990
Founded as University of Limerick Boat Club but changed to “Rowing Club” in 1998. For many years it only participated at the University Championships, borrowing rowers and boats from other clubs, particularly St Michael’s where it was initially based. It subsequently boated out of virtually every club in Limerick before moving to its purpose-built clubhouse on the Plassey campus. Colours: Blue, gold and maroon.
Villiers School Boat Club 1962-1964
The North Circular based school rowed out of Limerick Boat Club for a number of years. In 1963 they had the distinction of being the only local crew to win at Limerick Regatta. Colours: Navy blue and red.
Wild Geese Rowing Club 2006-2010
This was a UL Alumni club. One of its main objectives was to facilitate an entry in Henley. It never competed domestically or abroad and ceased existence in 2010.
Events
Castleconnell Boat Club run a sprint regatta and head of the river in O’Briensbridge each year. In addition, St Michael’s Rowing Club run both an O’Briensbridge head and in recent years a City Head as well. The two main Limerick rowing events are as follows:
Limerick Regatta
Initiated by Limerick Boat Club in 1870, the regatta is now run by a committee consisting of representatives of the local rowing clubs – currently Athlunkard, Castleconnell, Limerick, Shannon, St Michael’s & UL. For many years the regatta took place on a Thursday afternoon during which many local businesses would close. It was one of the great social occasions of the year and the ladies and gentlemen would display their finery in the enclosure and grandstand. There was of course the opportunity for others to view the regatta from both banks as the crews competed over the mile long course. The Munster News estimated the size of the crowds observing the first regatta in 1870 at 30,000. The regatta was originally run on a tidal course in the city, starting below Barrington’s Pier and finishing in the city centre. With the explosion in the numbers competing in the 1970s, it was no longer possible to run the regatta on a tidal course on which rowing was limited to a number of hours before and after high tide. As a result, the regatta moved to Tinerana Bay in Killaloe, County Clare from 1975 to 1983. Unfortunately, the course was very exposed to wind and as a result of cancellations it moved again in 1984 to O’Briensbridge, County Clare. Here the Regatta Committee purchased land to establish a permanent base from which they run the regatta each year.
Further reading – Limerick Regatta – A century and a half of boat racing on the Shannon (Kieran Kerr, 2019)
Regatta records – the Regatta Committee records from the early century have been donated to the Limerick Archives.
Many of the Limerick Regatta programs have been scanned by IrishRowingArchives.com and can be found here – https://tinyurl.com/Regattaprograms
The Limerick Regatta trophies and other rowing memorabilia are on permanent display in the Peoples Museum of Limerick at No. 2 Pery Square.
Irish Indoor Rowing Championships
Since 2013 this event has been based in Limerick. Run in the UL Arena by Joe Cantillon’s Rowfit, the event is of international standard and often attracts overseas competitors, particularly those keen to break world records. The Provinces indoor event also takes place in the Arena each November.
Kieran Kerr has been actively involved in rowing administration at local, national and international level for over four decades. As a World Rowing umpire, he has officiated at ten World Rowing Championships and the Beijing Olympics. He has published Band of Gold – the history of St Michael’s Rowing Club and its temperance origins and Limerick Regatta – 150 years of boat racing on the Shannon. He is the founder of the Irish Rowing Archives – an archive to identify, preserve and share materials that record the values, culture and history of rowing in Ireland. In 2024 he completed an MA in History at Mary Immaculate College.