Sunday 17th August 2025 was an historic day in Glenarm, Co. Antrim, at the All Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships where the Inver Colpa Novice Ladies took home the first ever medal for the club winning Gold in their race. The crew were Eavan Doyle (cox), Christine Cowap, Claire Corcoran, Saoirse Mallon and Linda Carter.
Although the club have competed in the All Irelands before this year, and some club members held medals from rowing with other clubs over the years, this was the first time that a full crew of rowers from Inver Colpa won an All Ireland medal. As the winning crew crossed the line, the race MC and Chairperson of the Irish Coastal Rowing Federation, Mary B Teahan, commented on the club’s maiden win.
The club was established in 2011 after a successful charity row from the Isle of Man that year, is affiliated to the Irish Coastal Rowing Federation and has grown in size and experience ever since.
However, for almost a decade, Inver Colpa Rowing Club has operated out of containers at the Boyne Fishermen’s premises on the Marsh Road, but this year will finally see the start of works on the site for their new boathouse to serve the community. Over 150 years after the former Drogheda Rowing Club built their clubhouse in 1867, Inver Colpa Rowing Club are working hard to keep the sport of rowing alive on the River Boyne for future generations to come.
Speaking after the race, Cox Eavan Doyle was delighted with the win:
‘It was a great race, we had a great start, and we just had a long length of a stroke and we really finished strong. I couldn’t have asked for more from the girls – everything I asked from them, they did’.
In addition, club member Martin Murphy also helped the Masters Mixed crew from Castle Rowing Club to third place over the weekend, also earning himself a bronze All Ireland medal.
There were great performances also over the weekend of racing from our Veteran Ladies, Masters Ladies, 800m Sprint Ladies, 800m Sprint Men, Novice Men, Mixed Veteran, Junior Ladies and Veteran Men crews in all of their races.