There was disappointment for Trinity men’s rowing team as UCD won the Gannon Cup for 2010. UCD’s rowers won the colours race last Sunday, the 6th of March by 4 lengths in a time of 6:33.5. This is the third year running in which Trinity were bested by their UCD counterparts at the Gannon Cup. The race takes place annually between O’Connell Bridge and St. James’ Gate Brewery.
Four races took place in the annual colours event and the day started out badly with UCD’s Novice Women’s crew taking the Moorehead Cup but brightened for the Trinity teams soon after with wins from both Trinity’s Novice Men’s crew and the Women’s crew to take both the Dan Quinn Shield and the Corcoran Cup respectively.
The Dublin University Boat Club (DUBC) had been training diligently over the winter months to prepare themselves for the races under the guidance of coaches Mark Pattison and Gerry Cantan, who referred to the men’s senior crew as a “solid” group. The DUBC’s website reports that both the Novice and Senior crews were “ready and looking forward to the contest”. The Novice men’s crew had proved their mettle the previous day, beating the UCD crew for the Goonan Cup.
The men’s senior squad included five rowers from last year; Charlie Landale, Peter Croke, Rob Mawn, Ali Floyd and Paul Dunphy. Paul Dunphy was substituted in place of Lorcain Cameron who had been ill. To three new members of the crew were Fionn McCaffery, Patrick Jacques and Steve Lowe. The coxswain was Rebecca Crowley.
Unfortunately despite the best efforts of the eight they were bested by a notable UCD crew. The UCD Boat Club Captain had recently written that the “outcome is both eagerly anticipated and highly uncertain” and that it would “set the tone for the coming season.” For DUBC, it reports its crews are now focussed on the approaching head races at Erne, Galway and London.
The Gannon Cup was set up in honour of Ciaran Gannon of Clongowes Wood College and UCD medicine student. He captained the UCD crew in 1937 and 1938 and in recognition of his services to rowing an annual race and trophy was set up in his honour to be held on the Liffey. DUBC have won the title 35 times while UCD have won 26 times since the competition’s conception in 1947. Only in 1950 was there no winner with both crew’s running a dead heat.
