Nov 23rd, 2012
The third annual Boat Ball was held on Saturday November 17th in the Burlington Hotel, Lesson St. The blacktie event is a significant fundraiser for both DUBC and DULBC, with all profits on tickets sold being split and ploughed back into the clubs. This year was the most financially successful Boat Ball for DUBC. The event was attended by over one hundred young Trinity rowers from the Novice, Intermediate and Senior crews and was organised by Ben Morgan and Grace Gannon. Club members were treated to a fine wine reception in the Burlington’s opulent Sussex room, followed by a delicious four course meal. Memorable captain’s speeches were given with live vocal entertainment being provided by the very popular ‘Trinitones’- who sang a number of popular classic and contemporary hits in their distinctive barbershop style. All at DUBC would like to thank the Trinitones for performing so well at this year’s BoatBall. After the live entertainment, the dancefloor opened up and club members danced the night away to the beat of the infamous DJ Alan. A late-night bar served to quench any thirst and club consensus is that this year’s Boatball was the best to date. Raffle prizes including a two night Bed and Breakfast stay at the Burlington and also a three course meal for two at the Clontarf Castle Hotel-were presented to the lucky ticket holders and a memorable night was had by all with vital funds being raised for the club in the process.
Nov 13th, 2012
It was a good weekend with the DUBC dominating Neptune Head of the River, winning the Senior, Intermediate and Novice 8+. The senior double scull was also won by the combined efforts of Paul Flaherty and Patrick Hughes. The excellent performance of the DULBC must also be acknowledged. Well done to all the crews competing in a head that provided some fierce competition and great craic.
Nov 1st, 2012
The 2012 Newsletter is now available here.
Oct 30th, 2012
Tickets will be on sale next week from the Arts Block stand – Wednesday: 1-2 Thursday: 10-2 Friday: 12-2 or from DULBC & DUBC training during the week.
Please find details about the upcoming Boat Ball here.
Oct 18th, 2012
DUBC got off to a successful start to the new season with an overall win at the Dublin Sculling Ladder for the third year in a row. The squad took to the water on the 13th of October, against strong entries from both UCD and Commercial, but succeeded in retaining the title with a brilliant performance from the whole squad. Three of the team, Paddy Hughes, Paul Flaherty and Eoin McCarthy came in the top ten, with Matthew Brophy and Dillon Rooney just outside it in 11th and 12th. 26 DUBC oarsmen took to the water over all to participate in the time trial event. Out of 180 scullers entered on the day over half of DUBC’s entries came within the top third of results.
The day also saw a new record set at the Dublin Sculling Ladder, when Chris George a former DUBC oarsman, participated in all eight of the time trials which make up the event. Taking part in the eight time trials is part of Dr. George’s aim to raise money for the Mark Pollock Trust and is in addition to the full Iron Man he completed a few weeks ago. Find Chris’ Sponsorship Page here.
The fresher men tested themselves last week for the first time of the season too over a three-race erg relay. Well done to the winning team of Harry Crowley, David Stokes, Alex Leslie and Alex Conway who stormed ahead to win the 4×500, 4×1000 and 4×250. A month’s technique was quickly forgotten but the four men showed great potential from start to finish. Watch out for those names, they might be assisting DUBC’s ladder win in twelve months time.
Photo Album of the Sculling Ladder (by Peter Wolfe)
RESULTS FROM THE DUBLIN SCULLING LADDER HERE.
Sept 26th, 2012
And so it began, another week of luring the very best sportspeople Trinity has to offer to join our illustrious Boat Club, with promises of unimaginable fitness and muscle tone (and little mention of 7am training sessions!) We kicked off the week on Saturday in Trinity Hall in Rathmines, with a stand trying to recruit the eager freshers’ who had only just unpacked their bags and scarcely made themselves at home in their new abode. While no records were set regarding recruiting numbers, several very capable oarsmen as well as many with great potential were added to the DUBC roster even before Freshers’ week had even officially begun. With the dawn of Monday morning we strung up DUBC’s brand new banner high above Front square so it was visible from all corners. (presumably to draw those who can most easily see above the crowds in any case, to our stand!) Monday was by far our busiest day, as it always is. While attracting a large number of recruits to DUBC is always the aim, quantity without quality is all but useless in rowing – as in any sport – and so we set about finding those needles in the haystack that was the Freshers’ fair that had the potential to become great oarsmen. It is not always enough to simply be “head and shoulders” above everyone else, and so we also tried to seek out the former track athletes as well as the rugby players and indeed all sportspeople who came to Trinity looking to try something new. In an attempt to drum up some interest in the stand we created the “100m Challenge” on the ergo, with the “amazing” €20 prize fund for the fastest man over 100m during the course of the week. It quickly became apparent however, that the real challenge was indeed staying on the seat with many of the participants finishing the challenge having fallen off the seat using only arms and backs, sacrilege as we know in the world of rowing! The 2 joint winners of the prize Sean O’Neill and Patrick Hughes (neither quite eligible for the novice squad…) however clocked an impressive time of 15.5 seconds! The rest of the week unfortunately failed to keep pace with Monday and most of the day was spent trying to make sure the oars and banner stayed upright in the blustery conditions. We did manage to recruit many other students with great potential throughout the week, several who were reluctant to join on Monday, and many who were almost forcibly brought to the stand to part ways with the €5 joining fee. The week was a rousing success in terms of recruiting coxswains, which the club always struggles with, a dozen or so was among the week’s recruits. Friday brought a number of last minute signees, who had been humming and hawing, walking past the stand every day for the last 4 and finally took the plunge on the final day and so with all the names taken we asked each and every one of them to join us for the Boat House open day in Islandbridge the following day. 
Two buses brought 70 of our new recruits out to Islandbridge on Saturday morning for a tour of the Boat House. After splitting them into 4 smaller groups, including one group of coxes which was encouraging to see, we showed them four different stations: The first was in the rowing tank with our new Development coach Colm Dowling, where they learned the basics of the rowing stroke, next was in the long room on the ergos where the basics of “hands, body, slide” were taught, before heading outside to one station where the recruits got a closer look at some of the equipment we use before heading out along the towpath watching an 8 in full flight up and down the river. The open day was a chance for the novices to get a better feel for what the sport is about and also to ask the more senior members any questions they had. It was definitely a huge success and hopefully we will see all those who were there on Saturday as well as many more of those who signed up during Freshers’ Week down at training sessions in the weeks to come. All in all it was most certainly a hugely successful Freshers’ week with a large crop of excellent recruits who, with the help of our new Development Coach Colm Dowling, will be lining up along side a UCD crew in six months time with a view to winning the Dan Quinn shield for the first time in three years!
Open Day/Freshers’ Week Photo Album
Sept 16th, 2012
The 2012 DUBC sculling camp commenced early on Monday the 10th of September. With the boat trailer heavily laden with single sculls the athletes and coaches began the journey down to the National Rowing Center in Inniscarra Co. Cork for what would prove to be an eventful and greatly beneficial week working on improving our rowing technique in single sculls.
Upon arrival at the NRC, the trailer was unloaded and the sculls rigged for the first of the water sessions. The more experienced members of the crew aiding the novices in the business of rigging which would soon become second nature to them. With the boats and athletes prepped and prepared the lads took to the water under the watchful eyes of DUBC Senior Coach Gerry Cantan and the incoming DUBC Development Coach Colm Dowling, both having come to DUBC from Commercial RC. Fortunately, the first paddle of the camp took place in good weather conditions allowing athletes, perhaps slightly rusty after the summer break, to reacquaint themselves with sculling. A 12 kilometer low rate paddle followed with each sculler being given advice on aspects of the stroke to augment or improve from Gerry and Colm in their launches. The outing completed, the athletes stowed their boats and after a quick debrief, made their way to the houses in the Lee Valley Golf Course to get on with the important business of eating dinner and getting some much needed rest.
Early the next morning we launched our boats for what would be another 12k paddle. As the group spread out over the lake, the novice scullers were supervised primarily by Colm while Gerry took the inter/senior rowers. After a break for a lunch and a quick power nap the athletes returned for a second session, which followed the familiar pattern of a 12k paddle up the River Lee. The kilometers on the water being covered and Gerry’s constructive criticisms coupled with Colm’s observations began to tell and the the technical standard began to improve noticeably especially among the novices. Tuesday evening found a fatigued DUBC gathered in one of the houses after dinner for a video session of footage taken during the day’s outings; the video helped identify individual flaws in technique and demonstrated elements of the stroke to be improved upon.
On Wednesday there was another long water session in the form of a 14k paddle down to Inniscarra Dam and back. The constant supervision of Gerry and Colm got the two groups down to the dam and back, plus a few blisters, in the never ending pursuit of a the perfect stroke. Following lunch and some rest we returned to the NRC where the the wind had picked up and made the lake very choppy. Instead of a another paddle, a session on the ergs and work in the weights room working on lifting technique complemented what had been another satisfying day of training.
That evening another video session hosted by Gerry exhibiting his unique ability to explain the subtleties of sculling in abstract metaphors added to the developing awareness of the importance of blade placement and leg drive in moving the boat efficiently. Thursday morning again found the DUBC taking to the water but this time for three low rate 2k pieces on the regatta course, with Gerry urging us to out relax one another and maintain the best form possible throughout the pieces, with the competitive nature of many of the athletes coming to the fore as they pushed each other for position. Again the second session of the day could not be carried out on the water due to deteriorating weather and instead a long run was followed by an improvised hand ball type game using a course bouy for a ball.
Friday, the final day of the camp, again found the lake unsuitable for sculling and so more work on the ergometers and some sprints and weightlifting emptied the remaining reserves of energy from the athletes. After the derigging of the sculls and loading the trailer, we bid a fond farewell to the NRC which had hosted us for an intense but productive training camp and set off on the return trip to Dublin and some much needed rest and recuperation. The benefits of going down to Cork to spend a week sculling were immediately clear to all who went, the rigors of sculling in a single provide the best environment for the identification of individual errors and the quickest and clearest platform for ironing them out; there aren’t many places to hide in a single as they say. The emphasis on developing sculling within DUBC and inculcating an ethos of seeking constant improvement has undeniably been a key factor in the club’s recent successes.
Sept 15th, 2012
Welcome to the new website for DUBC. Please note that all the news below this update is from the previous website.
July 23rd, 2012
Trinity’s men had crews competing on all 3 days of events in the 2012 Irish Championships. All of which competed superbly and did themselves and their college proud.
Friday was the opening day of the championships with four crews competing, Paul Mannix in the J18 1X, 2 Intermediate 4+’s and the Novice 8+.
The closest race of the day was the shootout between NUIG and Trinity in the men’s intermediate coxed four. NUIG had taken over the lead from Trinity and led as the crews charged for the line. But Trinity found another gear upped the rate and came like a train to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by 0.6 of a second. Cox: Maeve Crockett Stk: Daniel Ryan 3: Ian Kelly 2: Paul Flaherty Bow: Patrick Hughes.
J18 sculler Paul Mannix performed superbly making the final in an intensely competitive field. We look forward to see what sort of damage he can do with some extra preparation next year.
The novice 8s golden year ended disappointingly but that cannot tarnish their undefeated record for the season coming into the championships. The novice squad was greatly weakened in the lead up to champs with people leaving for job commitments and summer engagements.
Saturday saw a fleet of trinity scullers take to the water for novice 1X championships. With Matthew Brophy competing excellently but some unfortunate steering meant he had to settle for 5th behind some tough competition.
However DUBC’s main focus for 2012 was fast approaching in the men’s intermediate 8+. The crew and cox Maeve Crockett executed a perfect race plan pushing any chance of losing out of everybody’s mind by the 1000 metre mark. Crossing the finishing line comfortably over a length ahead of NUIG and UCD who had to fight over the scraps left by DUBC.
Cox: Maeve Crockett Stk. Daniel Ryan 7. Ian Kelly 6. Paul Flaherty 5. Patrick Hughes 4. Charlie Landale 3. Will Hurley 2. Fionn McCaffrey Bow. Dillion Rooney.
Sunday the final day of the championships saw the novice 4s, inter pair, inter double and senior 8 take to the water. With both novice 4s making it to the final with ease but lacked the killer instinct needed in the final to secure the championship
The inter pair, a new combination coming together in late June saw a young pair take on the field and really impressed making their final coming in at a respectable 4th in a challenging field.
The inter double, again another new combination, but this time having never competed together before their race were unfortunate to be drawn in a tough heat and failed to make it through to their final.
And so on to the senior 8s, the intermediate from the previous day’s victory took to the water one last time. Having reached the target for the year, bodies started to relax, the weekend’s racing caught up with a few oarsmen, the mental sharpness that was there before all the other races seemed to missing. I heard some of the crew wanted to leave themselves a challenge for next season but that’s just a rumour.
And so DUBC looks to the future with a solid group of senior standard athletes, competitive novices moving into inter level and with a new development coach the novices should be of a high calibre.
The future looks bright. The future… is black and white.
March 27th, 2012
Trinity claim Best Overall Club at Dublin Head of the River
The Dublin University Boat Clubs are in celebratory mood this weekend having claimed the Diana Cooke Cup for best overall club at the 68th annual Dublin Head of the River Race, which took place on Saturday, 24th March. Hundreds of enthusiastic supporters and bemused tourists who lined the Liffey Boardwalk watched and cheered happily as the crews of DUBC and DULBC took to the river. Amid the fleet of forty boats competing at this year’s event, was tough competition from UCD, Queens and Commercial rowing clubs.
The time-trial course ran for just over 3km; starting the Ha’penny Bridge, providing a navigational challenge through the ten bridges of the city centre and finishing with a one kilometre sprint section, from Heuston Station to Islandbridge. The race is the largest rowing spectacle to take place on the River Liffey each year, and provides a good opportunity for friends, family and supporters to see our rowers in action. This support could be clearly heard on the Millennium Bridge, where Trinity supporters had amassed, greeting the crews passing underneath with a deafening roar.
After the wash had settled and the prizes had been awarded, the Trinity crews returned to the Trinity Boathouse, bearing not only the pennants for the Men’s Novice VIII, Men’s Intermediate VIII and Ladies’ Intermediate VIII categories, but also as the Diana Cooke Cup for best overall club at the event.
After such a strong performance, the mood is buoyant in Islandbridge. Both clubs now look forward to the annual Trinity Regatta, which well be held at the Trinity Boathouse in Islandbridge on Easter Saturday, 7 April.
March 13th, 2012
The Gannon is fast approaching and the crews have been assembled. All DUBC oarsmen are eager to put their winter training to the test.
2012 Crews
Gannon VIII
Bow Paul Mannix
2 AJ Rawlinson
3 William Hurley
4 Charlie Landale
5 Patrick Hughes
6 Paul Flaherty
7 Ian Kelly
Stk Daniel Ryan
Cox Maeve Crockett
Dan Quinn Novice VIII
Bow Cormac Shine
2 Ian Hurley
3 TJ Fleming
4 Bernard Doherty
5 Michael Buckley
6 Seth Smith
7 Laurence Tyrrell
Stk Paul Mahony
Cox Connor Traynor
Goonan Novice VIII
Bow Jamie Pounch
2 TBD
3 John Flanagan
4 Mark McCormack
5 Joe Doyle
6 Andrew O’Hare
7 Stephen Deeney
Stk Alex Sloan
Cox TBD
March 7th, 2012
Club ties and scarves are available to purchase from Fionn McCaffrey. Fionn can be contacted at 087-6150479 or mccafff@tcd.ie
March 4th, 2012
Erne Head of the River, 3rd March
DUBC had another very competitive Saturday of racing in Enniskillen this weekend. The club fielded four crews, intermediate 8+, novice 8+, intermediate 4x and intermediate 4+. The second year novice 8 is certainly living up to its reputation, coming in streaks ahead of the competition over the 6kilometre race and defending the title claimed by last year’s novices.
The intermediate quad also claimed a pennant on the Erne for a second year in a row. The boat was steered from 3, which is an incredible feat in itself so a special mention must be made of Ian Kelly for doing an incredible job and steering a competitive course.
The intermediate 8 came in seven seconds behind their main competition for the coming season, NUIG, and only 40 seconds behind NUIG’s senior 8 who took the senior pennant. The crew are pleased with the result considering the boat is weakened through injury and illness and look forward to the coming short course racing season.
The intermediate 4+ was made up of second year novices not in the novice 8 and were pretty competitive in their category considering they had a clash midway down the course.
All of DUBC’s crews performed incredibly well considering they only had 3 training sessions in the above combinations prior to the race. DUBC is now in the build up for the Colours race on the 19th of March. With final crew selections due to be announced following further testing and seat racing within the squad this week.
January 19th, 2012
January saw the men of DUBC undertake intensive training camps, The inter/senior squad “braved” the 20 degree heat in Seville for an 8 day camp while both groups of novices had their own separate camps. The Spanish facilities were world class as international crews were among the other crews sharing the river and gym with, many of which are in the lead up to the London games. Rubbing shoulders with these high performance athletes certainly helped bolster a productive and professional week of training with roughly 210 kilometres completed by each Trinity athlete. Rowing on the River Guadalquivir presented the Irish athletes with a guaranteed row on flat conditions compared to Blessington lake which was experiencing gusts of around 100km/h in the week prior to the Seville excursion.The camp’s main goal was to develop and cement skills of small boats which can later be transferred into the larger crew boats as we move into the regatta season.
Conditions in Ireland almost led to the second year novice training camp being canceled but instead meant severely reduced water work and a week packed full of weights and indoor rowing machines. While seniors were in Spain the first year squad also had a meaningful week of hard work mainly focused on technique. They have all become accustomed to the early starts and trained until dark on a calmed Blessington lake. The novices racked up an impressive 40 kilometres a day in 8s and spent their lunch getting acquainted with sculls . The squad had two boats of eight and at some points only had one cox to steer them. This was compensated by allowing one group to take out the sculls whilst the other would head out in the eight. At the end of the week the first years took part in a friendly competition on the lake. There were a few capsizes, enough to make the locals curious as to why Trinity swimming club were up in Wicklow. The record for the week was 5 capsizes in one day courtesy of “sculling tricks and magic”. The first year squad expressed their deepest thanks to coxes and coach for the week and have become a close-knit group of friends thanks to it. All squads and coaches are happy with the progress but not yet fully satisfied as we start our run into the business end of the rowing season.