The 9th Annual Boyne Boat Race, hosted by Inver Colpa Rowing Club, took place on Sunday May 4th 2025 with crews from all across the country making their way once more to the Wee County. This year however, the winds and tides did not want to co-operate with race day, so on Saturday evening, the club had to make the big decision to change the race to a river-only race and remove the sea stretch from Clogherhead. However, the race went ahead smoothly, with all the reorganisation ably led by Race Co-Ordinator Shirley Byrne.
With the new starting point of Crook Point in Mornington, it gave the boats the chance to pass right along the Boyne through the town of Drogheda and loop back, coinciding with the Drogheda 10K race, so while the boats rowed along the river, runners ran along it – a sight to see for all! It was also wonderful to see all the crowds along the river and across St Dominic’s bridge cheering on all the runners and rowers!
As usual, the race showcased a mixture of boats – East Coast Skiffs, St. Ayles Skiffs, All-Ireland One Design boats, Celtic Longboats, Curraghs, Fiesas and for the first time, a Pilot Gig boat all the way from Whitby in the UK! As the sun shone on the Sunday morning, the riverside at Crook Point was a hive of activity with trailers arriving, boats unloading and rowers preparing. Inver Colpa had 3 boats competing, all with mixed crews, and were delighted to hold onto the Cassidy Cup again this year with the fastest mixed crew in a One Design boat. This year that crew was Saoirse Mallon, James McKevitt, Hannah Woods, Darragh Farrell and cox Glenda Murphy.
Speaking after the race, Club PRO, Sarah McCann said:
It was another amazing day at the Boyne Boat Race. The last minute route change, although a mammoth organisational task, gave the crews the chance to row through the town of Drogheda for the first time and with the Drogheda 10K race also taking place at the same time that afternoon, there was a real sense of excitement and healthy competition in the air!
Inver Colpa Rowing Club would sincerely like to thank everyone who rowed or helped out in any way on the day along with the Boyne Fishermen’s Rescue and Recovery Service, Clogherhead RNLI Lifeboat Station (especially Barry Sharkey), The Irish Coastguard, Eric Kirwan and all at Clogherhead Coastguard, Padraig Rath, Harbour Master Capt Lar Kirwan, Dr Cyril Sullivan, Director and Paul Fleming, Chief Executive, Drogheda Port for all their support and sponsorship of medals, McManus Tyres, Last Lap Cafe & those who helped with tea & coffee, Richie Hatch, Leinster Farm Machinery, Grennan’s Bar, Tirlan, Phone Tec, MCC Premium Label Solutions, our timekeepers, all those who helped to launch and recover boats and especially all of our club sponsors – Flogas, Southgate Shopping Center, Help my Pension & KC Shipping.
2024 saw the 8th Annual Boyne Boat Race taking place on Sunday May 5th with crews from all across the country making their way once more to the starting point on beach at Clogherhead, this time for a very early morning start! From 5am, rowers from all across the country arrived with their boats (a mix of East Coast Skiffs, St. Ayles Skiffs, All-Ireland One Design boats and Celtic Longboats), all bleary-eyed due to the early morning start, but looking forward to a challenging race for approximately 15.5km along the coast to the mouth of the River Boyne and down the river underneath the viaduct for a sprint finish to the de Lacy bridge.
As the sun rose, the beach was a hive of activity with trailers arriving, boats unloading, rowers preparing, and organisers officiating. With perfect weather conditions (for a change after the four seasons in one day last year!) there was a real sense of excitement in the early morning air. For the host club, it was a big day as it was the first time that Inver Colpa had 3 crews competing on the day, pointing to the growth of the club over the last few years.
Speaking after the race, Club Chairperson, James McKevitt said:
A hugely successful day for the club on and off the water. Inver Colpa’s mixed crew of Andy, Sarah, Tom, Joanne & Gerry (cox) did the club proud and took home the honours, winning the coveted Cassidy Cup. Great participation by all club members and visitors whether from within a boat or on the shore. It was the clubs first time entering three boats into the event, and there were Boyne Boat Race debutants in Cliona, Tammy, Linda, Saoirse & Claire. Some boats took the scenic route across the Mornington flats, but all made it to the finish line in the end! We witnessed some great duels on the river and sea. Great support from friends and family, and the townsfolk of Drogheda. The Boyne Boat Race was a fitting prelude to the ‘Drogheda 10k’ later in the afternoon. A wonderful day for all involved, and whets the appetite for Boyne Boat Race 2025!
Inver Colpa Rowing Club would like to thank everyone who rowed or helped out in any way on the day along with the Boyne Fishermans’ Rescue and Recovery, Clogherhead RNLI Lifeboat Station (especially Barry Sharkey), Clogherhead Coast Guard Eric Kirwan, Padraig Rath for Safety, Laurence Kirwan of Drogheda Port, Last Lap Cafe, St Nicholas GFC, Richie Hatch & Tony Campbell, Leinster Farm Machinery, Hurleys, and especially all of our sponsors – Flogas Ireland, Premium Pellets, Helpmypension.ie, KC Shipping, The Mariner & Grennan’s Pub.