Aisling and Kitty Tinnenny are joined in the 35-foot rowing boat by two members of Carrick on Shannon Boat Club.

New coach rows in behind thriving Belturbet club

For the last 20 years Belturbet Rowing Club has been providing training for young rowers. The club has attracted a new coach to expand on the training it offers with the addition of a new four-person boat.

Rowing allows people the opportunity to be part of a great team, while participating in a fiercely competitive non-contact sport. This makes the sport most attractive to all ages, genders, and particularly to parents who are concerned about their children being injured while playing contact sports.

Located at Kilconny, Belturbet on the Erne river system, Belturbet Rowing Club offers courses to any budding rower aged over 12 years. Children under 12 can be accommodated if accompanied by an adult. Sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6.30pm throughout the summer.

“We have over 50 junior members,” Tommy McMahon the founder of the club told the Celt.

Rowing has been one of the most successful Irish sports over the last number of years. Our national crews have won 27 medals at the World Championships; 10 gold medals, nine silver medals and eight bronzes.

Tommy hopes to attract more members with the club’s latest acquisition: “We have moved up a few notches by acquiring a quad. That is a 35 foot four-person boat. We have a number of young adults interested in training, coach Hugh Tinniny has taken over our long boats to help us with that training.

“We hope that, by securing the knowledge of an experienced coach, we can get more people to take part.”

The rowing club lack clubhouse facilitates, but equipment is stored on two sites: “We have one container at Belturbet Marina, and one at Quivvy where we keep the quad.”

The club doesn’t hold formal regattas, but facilitates casual competition between members.

“We are really into recreational rowing,” Tommy tells, “but a number of members have gone on to competitive rowing.

“One young lady, Emma Brady, is on the Trinity first rowing team. Another past member, Niamh Grogan, went to UCG and is on their team. There are many other past members still involved in rowing.”

Tommy says Belturbet Rowing Club gives a good grounding for beginner rowers: “Up to our latest addition, we use lake boats. It is about showing young people the basics; how to run, how to row, how to slow a boat, stop it and turn about. Hugh will allow us expand on that.”

Under a Cavan Sports Partnership programme, the club is providing rowing training for adults. “We had 18 people for a session last Wednesday night,” Tommy recounts, “it was our first night. They will run for the next four weeks.”