13/07/2026
National Rowing Championships 2026
In blistering heat, the Irish National Rowing Championships kicked off on Friday, 10th July at Inniscarra Reservoir, with crews from across the country battling for national titles.
Malachy Hallahan opened Cappoquin’s campaign in the Men’s Jnr 18 1x, placing 23rd out of 51 in 7:53.3, a strong effort in tough conditions.
Saturday morning Bill Murphy lined out in the Men’s Intermediate 1x after a demanding year balancing Leaving Cert study with training. He posted 7:44.2, just missing the semi finals but delivering a performance to be proud of. The event was won by O’Connor (Neptune), with Sheridan (St. Michael’s) taking silver and former Cappoquin rower Michael McGrath (Galway University) claiming bronze.
Saturday afternoon saw three Cappoquin crews, Ciaran & Cathal Organ, Conor & Billy Houlihan, and Alex Carthy & James Quinn contest the J16 2x, one of the biggest events of the Championships with 58 entries. Ciaran and Cathal placed 4th overall in the time trial (7:34.7), earning a spot in Semi final Heat 2. With only 90 minutes’ recovery, they returned for the A Final in brutal headwinds, fighting hard to secure bronze in 7:37.4 behind St. Michael’s (7:29.3) and Lee (7:31.4). A superb achievement after dominating the category all season.
Sunday morning Bill Murphy and Stephen Quinn combined in the Men’s Intermediate 2x, finishing second in their heat (8:09.3) to reach the A Final. Commercial claimed the title in 7:47.8, with Galway University second in 7:51.1, featuring former Cappoquin rower Michael McGrath in the bow seat. A strong showing from Bill and Stephen in a highly competitive field.
Sunday afternoon saw our final crew take to the water, with Malachy Hallahan and Finlay Miles competing in the Mens J18A 2x, a fiercely contested event featuring 45 entries. They delivered a solid performance, finishing 27th overall. A great effort from both athletes, well done.
A huge congratulations to all Cappoquin athletes for representing the club with pride, resilience and commitment throughout the season.
Upcoming:
• Junior Summer Camp – Starts Monday, 27th July (Ger: 085 2560346)
• Cappoquin Regatta – Sunday, 19th July, 8am–2pm. All clubs, supporters and sponsors welcome.