​Lough Rinn comes of age as Carrick rowers shine at 1k Classic

Lough Rinn came of age as a top-class rowing venue at the weekend as it welcomed the Rowing Ireland 1k Classic Regatta, with Carrick on Shannon Rowing Club producing a superb series of performances against the leading young rowing talent from across the island of Ireland.

The two-day event, regarded as the de facto national championship regatta for J13 to J15 rowers, brought together all of the country's leading clubs and provided a spectacular showcase of the next generation of Irish rowing talent.

For douth Leitrim, it was also an important occasion for Lough Rinn, which has established itself as one of the country's premier rowing venues, second only at this stage to the National Rowing Centre (NRC) in Cork. Recent events at the venue have fallen victim to challenging weather conditions, but this time the weather Gods finally smiled on Lough Rinn, providing breezy but highly manageable conditions on Saturday with calm sunny conditions on Sunday allowing a full weekend of high-quality racing.

The 1k Classic had originally been scheduled for June, but adverse weather conditions forced its postponement. Its eventual staging at Lough Rinn proved a major success, with clubs travelling from throughout Ireland to compete over the 1,000-metre course. The 2026 event had 682 crews take to the water across 42 events.

Among them was Carrick-on-Shannon Rowing Club, no strangers to Lough Rinn, who enjoyed an outstanding weekend, recording four victories, two second-place finishes and a number of other highly promising results. Saturday provided a relatively quieter programme for Carrick, with the club represented by four single scullers and the J14 girls' coxed quad.

There was an immediate highlight for the club as Fionnán Kelly produced an excellent performance to claim gold in the J13 single sculls, despite competing a year underage in the category. There was also a superb performance from his brother Éanna Kelly, who narrowly missed out on victory to finish second in the J14 singles, while clubmate Ruben Lowe produced a strong row to finish fourth in the same event. In the J15 singles, Riain O'Donaile continued Carrick's impressive run of results with a very creditable third-place finish.

The Carrick J14 girls' 4x+ also gained valuable experience in their first major event of this type, producing an encouraging performance and gaining important racing experience against some of the country's strongest crews.

If Saturday provided an encouraging opening, Sunday saw Carrick's larger crews take centre stage, with the club entering a J13 girls' crew as well as J14 and J15 boys' and girls' 4x and 2x crews. The morning session produced two outstanding Carrick victories. First across the line were the J15 boys' 4x+ crew of Adam O'Brien, Darragh Ryan, Darragh Holohan, Krystian Wach and cox Riain O'Donaile. The Carrick crew found themselves locked in a thrilling battle with Enniskillen Rowing Club and Commercial Rowing Club Dublin, with the three crews pulling clear of the chasing pack. With the finish approaching, the Carrick crew timed their final sprint to perfection, producing a powerful closing effort to take the victory in a thrilling contest.

There was another dramatic finish shortly afterwards when Carrick's J14 boys' 4x+ took to the water. Ruben Lowe, Éanna Kelly, Fionnán Kelly, Senan Moran and cox Nessa Flynn battled throughout with crews from Cork Boat Club and Commercial Rowing Club Dublin at the front end of the field, well ahead of the other crews in the race. The Carrick boat held its composure under pressure and managed to keep its bow just ahead of the Cork crew, eventually crossing the line to secure a hard-fought half-length victory, with Commercial RC taking third.

Carrick's medal haul was completed in the afternoon as Ruben Lowe and Éanna Kelly produced another outstanding performance to claim gold in the MJ14 double sculls. Having already played a central role in the morning's victorious J14 4x+, the two young rowers showed remarkable consistency to return to the water just a couple of hours later and produce another winning performance. Their double-sculls victory added a fourth gold medal to Carrick's weekend haul and provided a fitting conclusion to what was an exceptional two days for the club.

For Carrick Rowing Club, the weekend represented far more than a collection of medals. The 1k Classic provides young rowers with the opportunity to race against the best crews from across Ireland and, for many of Carrick's athletes, the experience of competing at this level will prove invaluable as they continue their development.

For Lough Rinn, meanwhile, the weekend provided further evidence of the venue's potential to host major national rowing events. With clubs from right across the island making the journey to South Leitrim, the regatta showcased both the quality of the venue and the enthusiasm for rowing that exists throughout the country. Next year will once again see the Leitrim venue host the Home International Regatta - the annual four way head to head between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, last held in Ireland & Lough Rinn in 2023.

And for Carrick Rowing Club, there is plenty to look forward to.

With four gold medals, two second places and numerous other strong performances secured against the country's leading junior clubs, the club can look towards the 2026/27 season with considerable optimism.