Clare currachs triumph on the Thames

LAST weekend, the citizens of London were mesmerized as the humble Clare currach cut through the swollen waters of the River Thames, keeping apace with the more conventional and customised fleet of rowing boats.
The Great River Race from the Docklands to Richmond over a gruelling 22-mile course with deadly currents and a spring high tide set a fair challenge for the two teams from Fergus Rowing Club, based in Clarecastle.
The club, only in its second year, has performed well in county and national leagues throughout the year and the teams had been training for several weeks in preparation for the Great River Race.
The annual rowing race had over 330 entries with competitors from England, Holland, Denmark, Canada and France.
There was plenty of admiration for the craftsmanship and elegance of the Clare currach and indeed many comments on the style of the oars, which are very narrow at the tip compared to conventional rowing oars.
However, the comments were soon retracted as the oars and the rowers proved a good match for the challenges of the mighty Thames. After a handicap start of position 50 and 51, the Fergus RC teams had soon moved up the ranks as they approached Tower Bridge to fifth place overall.
It was only in the final hour, after enduring two hours of thunderstorm, deluges of rain and hailstone that the mighty Dragon Boats could be heard closing in, pounding up the river with their drum, hailing cox and crews of up to 20 people.
The Clare currachs held on well and the Helena boat finished first in their class with the Madness crew not far behind. The club, based in Clarecastle Harbour, rely on local support, including the critical storage of boats and equipment with Clare Civil Engineering.