Cappoquin Rowing Club

01/06/2026

London Metropolitan Regatta 30–31 May

A brilliant weekend of racing for our Cappoquin rowers representing their universities at Dorney Lake 💙🚣‍♂️

Michael McGrath (University of Galway) kicked things off in the Men’s 1x, taking on Senior and U23 opposition and powering his way into the A Final, finishing 8th overall, a huge result in a stacked field.

On Sunday, Michael was back on the water in the Men’s 4x‑ with Ciaran O’Sullivan, Zack Meegan and Rian Claffey. The crew set the fastest time in the time trial, securing their place in the A Final. In a fiercely competitive race with just 5 seconds separating all six crews, they held 2nd place to the last 500m and finished a strong 5th.

Elaine Quinn also lined out in the Women’s 8+ with the University of Limerick, adding to a great weekend of Cappoquin representation.

Fantastic to see our rowers continuing to compete and excel with their universities. Proud of you all 💙

26/05/2026

EMPTY THE TANK! That was the mantra from coach Paul McGrath as Cappoquin crews took on the Dublin Metropolitan Regatta in stunning 26°C sunshine at Blessington Lakes and our rowers delivered from the very first stroke.
From 8 am, with 107 races on the programme, our athletes showed grit, power and heart across every event.
🔥 Early action Our J15 Men’s Coxed Quad opened the day with a strong 3rd place finish over 1000m, a brilliant effort from James Quinn, Billy Houlihan, Alex Carthy, Conor Houlihan and cox Cathal Organ.
🚣 J18 Division 2 Coxed Quad Ciaran Organ, Malachy Hallahan, Finlay Miles and Cathal Organ cox: James Quinn put in a superb heat to qualify for the A Final, where they later claimed 2nd place in 7:06.5 behind Commercial RC.
🔥 Double Sculls standout performance with four Cappoquin boats entered, the Men’s Club Double Scull heats were packed but our Junior 16 brothers, Ciaran and Cathal Organ, stole the show with the fastest heat time of the day, earning the centre lane for the A Final.
🏆 A Final Victory In the last race of the day, the Organ brothers powered home in spectacular style, winning the Junior Men’s Double Scull in 7:21.5, ahead of Neptune and Waterford. A phenomenal achievement.
Club Captain Frankie Aherne praised the determination shown across all crews and thanked parents and supporters who kept spirits high throughout a long, hot day. The tanks were well and truly emptied.
Next stop: National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Cork — 6 June. Onwards, Cappoquin! 🚣‍♂️

18/05/2026

WIND & WINS at the Lee Regatta! What a day for Cappoquin Rowing Club as our crews battled fierce conditions at the annual Lee Regatta last Saturday, 16th May. With winds gusting up to 8m/s, 99 races scheduled and the river Lee throwing everything at us, our athletes showed nothing but grit, teamwork and heart.
The day kicked off early as athletes and parents arrived at 8am to rig boats delivered from Cappoquin by Frank McLaughlan. Racing began at 9.30am with our Junior 14 girls leading the charge. Maeve, Amelie, Alisha and Aileen, coxed by Grace, handled their first ever flying start brilliantly, finishing a proud fourth.
A quick turnaround saw the Junior 15 girls Quad take on a downpour and a six boat race, securing another strong fourth place.
By afternoon, conditions worsened with wind against tide, forcing the cancellation of all Junior 13 races. Still, our crews kept pushing. In the Men’s Club Double, Malachy & Finlay powered to an impressive second place, while Alex & Fabian fought bravely in extremely tough water.
Our Women’s Club Quad gave a huge performance, narrowly missing out at the line. Junior 14 and Junior 16 sculls were later cancelled as conditions deteriorated further.
But Cappoquin spirit never fades. Our Junior 15 boys Quad, James, Billy, Conor and Alex, coxed by Cathal, delivered a brilliant second place. Then came a golden moment: Ciaran & Cathal Organ stormed home to win the Junior 16 Men’s Double by a canvas after a gutsy comeback.
More medals followed as Billy & Conor claimed silver in the Junior 15 Double. The final races of the day saw our Junior 16 Quad battle hard for second before regrouping instantly for the Men’s Club coxed Quad, where Ciaran, Cathal, Finlay and Malachy, coxed by James, dominated from the start to win gold with a verdict of “easily”.
A long, wild, unforgettable day and Cappoquin Rowing Club rose to every challenge. Huge congratulations to all rowers, parents and supporters. You did us proud.

03/05/2026

Our sponsored row took place yesterday under perfect conditions. The Blackwater was like glass as our crews set off after 4pm and made it safely back to the boathouse before 6pm. Everyone was welcomed home with great food and plenty of sweet treats.

A huge thank you to all the rowers who took part, to the parents for getting them to the starting point and cheering them on along the route and to all the volunteers whose hard work makes days like this run so smoothly. Here are a few photos from a fantastic day.

01/05/2026

Reminder: Our sponsored row takes place tomorrow, and we’re looking forward to seeing our crews take on the 16 mile journey from Youghal Bridge back to the boathouse. This event has become a real highlight of the year not just for the challenge, but for the spirit of support that surrounds it.

The sponsored row is one of our key fundraisers, helping us continue to grow and sustain the club . We’re deeply grateful to all who have already contributed. Your generosity makes a genuine difference. If you’d still like to make a donation, you’re very welcome to reach out to any committee or club member.

Thank you, as always, for standing behind the club and its rowers. We wish every participant a safe, enjoyable, and successful row tomorrow.

01/05/2026

Wishing our own Cormac Martin the very best of luck as he rows for Queens University Belfast at the BUCS Regatta this weekend at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham.

26/04/2026

26/04/2026

Cappoquin Rowing Club at Limerick Regatta 2026.

A fantastic day out for Cappoquin Rowing Club as short course racing got off to a flying start in fabulous sunshine with our Junior 16 boys, Ciaran & Cathal Organ stamping their authority on the Double Scull category in this junior 16 event. A highly contested category the boys stormed ahead in their heat winning in a time of 5:03.7 ahead of Carlow 5:18.5 followed by St.Michael’s 5:18.9, a clear 15 seconds to spare. They did not disappoint in the final with a confident win taking the lead from the start, leaving clear water between them and the rest of the field!

Our club 2 Double scull boys, Finlay Miles and Malachy Hallahan kept up the winning streak with a win in the Men’s club 2 Double scull, beating Castleconnell boat club closely challenged by Cork boat club.

Junior 16 coxed quad of James Quinn, Conor Houlihan, Finlay Miles & Alex Carthy were less fortunate in their qualifying heat getting squeezed out by rivals Colaiste Iognaid, Lee Valley and Waterford boat club. Not deterred, they boated later in the day with one crew change to compete in the Junior men’s 15 coxed quad taking 2nd place in the 8th Heat of this junior 15 event. Unfortunately not fast enough to qualify to grand final but sufficiently encouraged to continue training hard!

Our young girls took to the water at mid-day for the women’s junior 15 coxed quad but were unfortunate in the draw of very strong crews from Colaiste Iognaid, Shannon Boat club and Galway boat club settling for fourth place. The crew consisting of Grace McLaughlan, Regina Molnar, Bonnie McLaughlan, Amelie Miles cox Maeve Madden.

Our Women’s junior 14 coxed quad of Amelie Miles, Regina Molnar, Alisha O’Donnell, Aileen Singleton, cox Maeve put in a splendid performance coming in 3rd place. A great achievement for these young girls as they are new to the racing scene.

Well done to all rowers, coaches, parents and supporters.

26/04/2026

Club 2 Mens Double Scull winners - Finlay Miles and Malachy Hallahan

25/03/2026

On behalf of Cappoquin Rowing Club we would like to thank the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport / Sport Ireland for providing funding through the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP). This support has enabled us to purchase a much needed new trailer for transporting our boats, oars, RP3s, rowing machine and bikes.

We would also like to extend our gratitude to everyone who contributes to our fundraising efforts throughout the year. Your continued support is truly appreciated.