Posted: 20 March 2008
UCD takes all in annual Liffey boat race
UCD rowed to an unprecedented victory winning all four races in the 2008 Dublin Boat Race and bringing home the 60th Gannon Cup on Saturday 22 March 2008. Large crowds gathered to watch the annual boat races (from O’Connell Bridge to Guinness’s Brewery on the River Liffey) between the rival boat clubs of UCD and Trinity College Dublin.
"These victories are a testament to the current upward cycle of the UCD Boat Club, and to the hard work and dedication of the crews, coaches, and committees supporting this trend,” said J Brooke, Captain of the UCD Boat Club. “I see great successes in the future of this club, and the focus now shifts to the coming season and the opportunities it presents."
The day's boat racing began with the Ladies' Maiden Eights. The UCD Women finished up to three quarters of a length ahead of their competition to claim the Sally Moorehead Novice Trophy. In the second race, the Men's Maiden Eights, UCD claimed their third win out of four in the Dan Quinn Shield (first introduced in 2004).
On the day, UCD also retained the 29th Corcoran Cup with their 18th win for UCD Women’s Senior Eights. The team captained by Emma Doyle rowed to victory by two and a half lengths.
The final race of the day was the much anticipated 60th Gannon Cup race for Men’s Senior Eights. After the first 800m, Trinity led by half a length, but the UCD team came through to claim the final lead by three quarters of a length.
The Gannon Cup was introduced in memory of Ciaran Gannon, a native of Galway, who began his studies at University College Dublin in 1933. Gannon was an enthusiastic oarsman and a member of the Maiden Eight that were unbeaten in 1934. In 1937, he was elected Club Captain and during his captaincy University College Dublin Boat Club achieved great success. The Club went on to win the Wylie Cup, and the Leander and Metropolitan Cups. In 1939, Ciaran Gannon graduated Medicine and Surgery. He then joined the Royal Army Medical Corps where he served as a captain in Egypt and India before going to Burma where he was killed in 1944.
The winning teams were as follows:
Gannon Cup UCD team: David Neale, Colm Pierce, Tom Duggan, Sean O’ Neill, J.R Skelly, Damir Rasidovich, Thomas Doyle, Anthony English. Cox: Naoise Grisewood. Coaches: Colm Daly, Conor Walshe, Pat Gannon.
Corcoran Cup UCD Ladies Boat Club team: Emily Kearney, Fifi Monaghan, Emma Doyle, Brona McEntee, Naomi Fearon, Aisling Ryan, Susan Harkin, Deirdre Keane, Cox: Michelle Claffey, Coach: Tom Sullivan
Sally Moorehead Novice Ladies team: Neva Noone, Jenni Monohan, Roisin Harkin, Hannah Brady, Jenny Barnes, Anne-Ruth Benagh, Laura Reid, Bronwyn Lait, Cox: Karen Concannon, Coach: Pat Gannon
Dan Quinn Shield UCD team: Philip Craven, Kevin Kelly, Andrew Kane, Richard Murray, Darragh Coffey, Chris Barter, Peter Murphy, Joseph Murphy, Cox: Jennie Lynch, Coaches: Pat Gannon, Brian Barter, Ciaran Laird, Campbell Gradon.
UCD Boat Club was founded in 1918. It provided four of the Irish rowing team for the 1948 Olympics.
