Flowstate Issue 9

WHATS INSIDE
Freestyle European Medals • Lynda Byron Interview
Performance corner • 2021 Medals
FLOWSTATE
The official magazine of
ISSUE NO. 9 DEC 2021
Liffey
Descent
First experience taking on the Liffey
Tokyo 2020
Olympic Games & Paralympic Games Review

ISSUE 9
A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
EUROPEAN
CHAMPION
David McClure
Article on page 4
FLOWSTATE
The Board of Canoeing Ireland wish all
our members, clubs, athletes, volunteers,
coaches and stakeholders a Happy
Christmas and a Wonderful 2022. It has
been an extremely busy and productive
year. Here’s a few highlights.
Despite the restrictions in 2021,
we achieved many of our strategic and
operational objectives and Canoeing
Ireland continues to go from strength to
strength. We managed to use the windows
when travel and events were permitted to
host a very successful Liffey Descent and
Be Active Paddle Day as part of European
Week of Sport. Thanks to all of you who
volunteered for Liffey Descent rescue
duties - you make it possible.
We, the Board, continue to focus on
how we can serve our members while
supporting our culture of openness,
transparency and inclusivity. We have
been actively consulting with our members
through surveys, workshops and online
and in person training sessions so
that we are providing the support and
leadership needed from grassroots to high
performance.
During the year we facilitated
workshops in club development including
the important role of the Chair. Our
Women in Sport group continue to roll out
innovative initiatives nationwide to engage
with and support our female membership.
We recruited our younger teen members
to lead the way with the Teen Connect
programme, which continues to evolve
and is a hugely popular at a difficult time
for teenagers when the only option for
connection is online.
We launched our Strategic Plan
2021 – 2023. This is an ambitious plan,
following an extensive consultation
process with all of our stakeholders. It
will need extensive, but worthwhile
resourcing. We review our objectives
regularly to ensure that we are on
track and so far we are doing well.
We will continue to take an agile
and energetic approach to achieve
the many goals we have set for the
organisation and are confident that we
will continue to perform well during
2022.
The focus on best practice
in governance continued during
2021, with an extensive and
collaborative review of the
governance of our committees.
We have adopted a new suite of
guiding documents, approved
by our committees, with a view
to supporting and protecting
committee members who work
tirelessly to develop and grow
our sport. We would like to
extend a special thank you to
everyone who has volunteered
on committees during the
year.
Equality, diversity
and inclusion are built into
every new initiative and we
have developed specific
programmes to help us become
a fully inclusive sport. The iLead
and Good to Go programmes
are two examples of initiatives
developed to support our
ambitions. While we were limited
in our capacity to fully launch these
programmes, we have run successful
pilots and have received excellent
feedback from coaches and participants.
Hopefully, with easing restrictions, 2022
will see the full roll-out of these and other
programmes.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
CONTENTS
The Olympic and Paralympic
Games are the pinnacle of sporting
competition and we congratulate Liam
Jegou and Patrick O’Leary, not only
for their performance, but also their
ambassadorship of our sport on the world
stage. The competition achievements of
our athletes were not limited to Tokyo. We
had podium performances in Freestyle by
David McClure & Aoife Hanrahan, Va-a
Para Canoe Sprint by Patrick O’Leary,
Ocean Racing by Roisin Cahill and Canoe
Sprint by Jenny Egan .
This last year has seen
exceptional performances and results
at an international level and we would
like to congratulate all our athletes
who competed so well in all disciplines
throughout the world and to those who
supported and assisted them to their
success.
We all have a responsibility to address
climate change so Canoeing Ireland
teamed up with Crann and Easy Treesie
on a number of tree-planting initiatives.
We will continue to make the right choices
in relation to sustainable practices and to
do our part to protect the planet.
Coaching at all levels, from club
to performance, has been an area of
focus for us during the year. We are in
the process of developing a coaching
framework, from club to performance
level. The first stage of this process,
coach assimilation, took place in
November in Kilcullen and was hugely
successful. We will continue to work on
this during 2022 and beyond.
All of these successes couldn’t
be achieved without the dedication of
the CEO Moira Aston, Canoeing Ireland’s
hard-working staff, coaches and the
discipline/technical committees and
support from Sport Ireland. We are also
grateful for the constant commitment
of our brilliant volunteers who are
generous in devoting their time to all
aspects of the sport. A sincere thanks
to you all.
At our AGM in October, I was
honoured to be elected as the first
female President of Canoeing Ireland.
Thank you for your support and good
wishes. I am lucky to have an excellent,
talented and experienced board in
place. Thanks for the opportunity to
lead this great organisation and I look
forward to hearing all of your ideas and
views during the next couple of years.
Have a great Christmas and we
look forward to seeing you on the water
in 2022.
Lynda
Lynda Byron
President
Spotlight
Interview with Lynda Byron 7
Teen Connect 12
Paddling News
Freestyle European Championships 4
Canoe Polo Irish Open 17
SUP World Championships 22
Performance Corner
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games 14
Paralympic Games 2020 15
2021 Medals 16
Flowstate Focus
Cabra Kayak Club - BeActive Paddle Day 10
Governance Corner 18
Liffey Descent - First Experience 20
Volunteer - Garry Cosgrove 24
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News
FREESTYLE
European Championships
Medal Success
By Dan Griffin & Aoife Hanrahan
T
he recent Freestyle Kayak European
Championships were jammed with highlights
for Team Ireland. This championship saw one
of the biggest teams Ireland has had at a major
international, with 18 athletes competing across
the various categories. Not only did the team
have depth it also had strength, with sensational
performances across the board. The main
event was of course David McClure becoming
European Champion, along with Aoife
Hanrahan taking home the bronze. But there
were many more performances which on their
own would've made the event a success. Ireland
had an incredible six paddlers qualifying
through to the semi-final rounds in a great
range of categories. On the junior side Leah
Hough and Rory Kearney made the K1 semis,
setting up a bright future for freestyle. Also
making some great progress for the sport was
Fionn McNally, qualifying through to the C1
semi's, a category on the rise in Ireland. Anaïs
O'Donovan had a sensational performance to
qualify for the K1 Women semi, finishing in 2nd
in the qualification. The success of the event
was eventually stamped by the Medal winners,
Dave and Aoife.
Maria McGivern
David McClure and Aoife
Hanrahan made history in Paris
on Saturday, October 6th, when
they won gold and bronze at
the European freestyle kayak
championships and helped
the Irish team to its best ever
performance at an international
competition.
McClure, a current
NUIG School of Business HDip
student won Ireland’s first
ever senior men’s gold medal
at the International Canoe
Federation (ICF) European
freestyle championships.
Hanrahan, a current RCSI school
of pharmacy student became
the first Irish woman to reach
the podium at an ICF freestyle
kayak event, winning bronze in
the senior women’s category.
Together they are only the third
and fourth Irish kayakers to ever
win a medal at an international
freestyle event.
Canoeing Ireland said
the results were a historic
achievement for freestyle
kayaking in this country. “Just
to put some perspective on last
weekend’s excellent results:
Twenty-four years ago, Ireland
sent its first team to the
freestyle world championships
in Canada; since then we have
sent teams to every world and
European Championships,”
said the organisation’s event
manager Kipper Maguire.
“It has been a long journey
with many super performances
over the years. Our medallist’s
before the weekend: Moe Kelleher
got a senior bronze medal at a
World Cup in Canada; Len Kelleher
got a silver medal as a junior at the
European championships in Spain.
On October 9th, history was made
with our first gold medal and our
first women’s bronze medal”.
In addition to the medals,
Ireland secured six places in the
semi-finals across the men’s,
women’s and junior categories –
the highest number of qualifiers
for the Irish team yet. Rory
Kearney, Leah Hough, Fionn
McNally and Anaïs O'Donovan
all made it through alongside
Hanrahan and McClure.
Hanrahan started strongly
in the final on Saturday, sticking
several high-scoring moves such
as McNastys and air loops to
land 363.33 points on her first
heat. That was enough to earn the
25-year-old full time Royal college
of Surgeons pharmacy student
the bronze medal behind Poland’s
multiple ICF medallist Zofia Tula,
who scored 463.33 points in her
final heat. Former two-time junior
world champion Ottilie Robinson-
Shaw, from Britain, won gold with
750 points.
McClure, who finished fifth
in the last world championships
in 2019, went into the final day
at the Olympic course in Vaires-
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sur-Marne in first place following
the semi-finals. He put in a nearflawless
performance in the finals,
linking a galaxy of moves such as
McNastys, lunar orbits and space
Godzillas to land a score of 1496.67
in his second heat. It was enough to
see off the challenge from current
world champion Joaquim Fontane I
Maso, from Catalonia, who finished
in second place on 1130 points.
For Hanrahan, McClure and the
rest of the Irish team, focus now
shifts to the world championships in
Nottingham next summer – as close
to a home event as you’ll get. The
recent European championships
mark the start of a new era of
success for the Irish freestyle team.
With the likes of Hanrahan and
McClure hitting their prime, and
a crop of eager juniors following
closely behind, no one would be
surprised to Irish athletes standing
on international podiums for years to
come
Images by Maria McGivern
Watch the recent
interview with our medal
winners on our YouTube
Maria McGivern
SPOTLIGHT
Lynda Byron
Canoeing Ireland's First Female President
At the 2021 Canoeing Ireland AGM
the first ever Female President
was successfully elected, with
brilliant support from the
membership. The new president Lynda
Byron, was nominated for the position by
the Board after a very successful year served
as an Executive Member. Lynda spoke to us
after taking up the position about her plans
in the role, from competition, to continuing
to keep inclusion and diversity at the
forefront of what we do.
First of all, a massive congratulations on your
recent election as the new Canoeing Ireland
President. Could you give us a bit of a run-down
of your journey through Paddlesports? And any
highlights along the way.
I started in paddlesports in 2008, doing my L2 in
WWKC, loving kayaking here and abroad.
Paddled in Slovenia, Greece, Spain, Grand
Canyon. I had a blast! Started paddling open
boats about 6 years ago and met a great crew.
Highlights were a two-week wilderness trip on
the Missinaibi river in Canada in a Canadian
Canoe, trips to France, Germany, Scotland,
Sweden. We go en masse to the Ulster, Welsh
and UK Canoe Symposiums which are always
great events. You can’t beat paddling down a river
on a lovely autumn day with the leaves turning
every colour, the craic with a great bunch of
people and the challenge of a bit of white water
thrown into the mix.
You get to see places you’d never see any
other way and meet like-minded people, often
camping and cooking on open fires along the
way.
Introducing new paddlers to open
canoeing as an instructor and showing them
a whole new world of fun, challenge and good
friends is as a real pleasure.
You are Canoeing Ireland’s first female
President, a great moment for diversity in the
organisation, what does this mean for the
present and future of developing women in
Paddlesports? Do you think its important to have
role models for other women looking to take up
similar positions?
It’s a great privilege to be the first female
President. There are so many capable,
passionate women in canoeing. CI’s Bridge
the Gap Programme has brought a lot of them
together and plans to continue the process
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this year. Through programmes like these, we
hope to encourage more women to step up into
Leadership roles of all types – in our clubs, on the
river and on the Board.
Role models are essential – if young
girls, particularly, don’t see women in leadership
roles in their sport, they may assume that those
roles aren’t open to them. It needs to be seen as
normal, not unusual.
In general, how far do we still have to go for
equality in the governance of sport at the top
level?
Like in business, sport has a long way to go but it
is encouraging to see so many women stepping
up to be coaches, instructors etc. Don’t get me
wrong, we shouldn’t be promoting women into
key positions just for the sake of it – they have
to earn it and be capable of it, just like men do.
But they need to know it is possible and sport in
general needs to know that women have a lot to
offer.
Our volunteers are the backbone of
Canoeing Ireland. We need to support and
appreciate them as much as we can. They
are our coaches, instructors, administrators,
committee members, board members. Everyone
who turns up on a cold winter’s day or evening
when they could be doing something else. They
are the ones who make the magic happen.
I’d love to see a strong pipeline of
competitive talent and be able to support
them on their journey. We’ve come a long way
in the last few years by professionalising high
performance. This has built on the great work
done by the committees and coaches over
the years. But we need to do more to identify,
encourage and support young paddlers and help
them to compete at the highest levels.
And lastly, taking every opportunity
to build relationships outside of our sport
with others at all levels both nationally and
internationally. This will help to put us on the
map and help us to get things done.
What are your plans as President of Canoeing
Ireland? What to you hope to achieve for the
community and for the organisation?
More collaboration between the board, the
staff, the committees and the membership
would strengthen the sport. There’s a great
excitement, energy and optimism among the
board members at the moment – there’s so
much happening in the sport and there’s a lot we
can do to be a vibrant, dynamic and meaningful
support to these activities, as well as overseeing
them from a governance point of view.
Obviously inclusion and diversity in all its
forms is a priority right now. We need to open our
sport up even more to those who woudn’t come
across it naturally by making it more accessible.
This is in terms of mindsets, equipment,
coaching and instructing.
Nancy Geary
What advice would you give to other women
looking for a career in sport, or looking to get
involved in the governance of sport?
Have the courage to believe in yourself. That
may sound easy but when we feel challenged,
it is the very time we need to just get on with it.
Of course there will be obstacles but you can
get around them, work with them or sometimes
simply ignore them. If you are passionate about
what you are doing and try to make a difference
both for yourself and others, you will eventually
get the support you need. And the sense of
achievement you will experience will be well
worth the effort, as well as being a role model to
other aspiring women athletes and leaders.
*
* Dependent on COVID-19 restrictions
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#BeActive Paddle Day
by Mark Finn
Based on the banks of the Royal
Canal in Dublin, Cabra Kayak Club
was established in 2016 by local
volunteers who had been resourcing
and delivering kayaking activities
through a local youth project called
Cabra 4 Youth. The establishment of
Cabra Kayak Club aimed to extend
kayaking to the wider community.
The club operates from the Lock
Keepers cottage at the 6th Lock on
the Royal Canal. The establishment
of the club was made possible with
the support of key stakeholders
including Cabra 4 Youth, Canoeing
Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Dublin
City Council, Iarnroid Eireann and
Transdev. The club has grown year
on year since 2016 with increasing
membership and ongoing support
from organisations.
kayaking. Alongside this, the club offers
opportunities to engage in whitewater
kayaking and in recent years has
developed programmes around
freestyle and sprint kayaking.
The club is run on a voluntary
basis and often requires additional
funding to that of membership fees
to be able to purchase and maintain
equipment. Another key support the
club needs to access is funding for
programming and activities. As an
affiliated member of Canoeing Ireland,
Cabra Kayak Club endeavors to work in
partnership with Canoeing Ireland on
national programmes and initiatives.
Some examples of this are Bridge the
Gap, Flat Leader Award, Zero to Hero
and most recently the #BeActive
Paddle Day as part of the European
Week of Sport. Cabra Kayak Club has
taken part in this programme over the last
two years.
As a community-based sports club,
taking part in the #BeActive event fits
with the club’s mission to address fitness,
participation, and access to local resources.
On September 25th, the club ran a day of
activities to celebrate #BeActive Paddle
Day. Canoeing Ireland’s support on this
programme helped the club to offer a day of
activity on the canal to the local community.
The club were able to run two sessions over
the course of the day. The morning session
was aimed at new people, most of whom had
not engaged in kayaking activity before. The
afternoon session was aimed at existing
club members, getting out on the water and
having some fun.
We had an official visit to the
morning session from Canoeing Ireland's
CEO (Moira Aston), Events Manger (Ciaran
Maguire) and Communications Manger
(Sam Curtis). The atmosphere and
weather were great, and it was a pleasure
to see people out enjoying the canal and
having fun while being active. A number
of the participants have joined the club
following the event and overall, it was a
great success. Cabra Kayak Club looks
forward to BeActive Paddle Day next
year and to any other initiatives from
Canoeing Ireland.
The club’s mission is to make
paddlesports accessible to the
community and to utilize the Royal
Canal for sporting and recreational
activity. Kayaking activities run from
March to September each year on
the canal at the club’s base where
the community can come and try out
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F
by the Teen Connect Project Team
emales in Paddle sports, like many other sports, have
long been under-represented. In clubs across the
country, girls like us are facing the same challenges.
Some of us started paddling as the only girl in
the group, and for others the only competition we
have are males. It can be incredibly hard in some
disciplines where we have to match men’s times
even though there are physiological differences.
But thanks to Anaïs O’Donovan and Cleo Pitcher
Farrell, and others like them all across Ireland, this
has started to change.
In the winter of 2020, Anaïs and Cleo set up Teen Connect. This was
an opportunity for girls across all disciplines and around the country
to share our experiences, and connect with other girls in the paddling
community over Zoom. We got to learn about different types of
paddling, we learned how to prepare and stretch before and after our
training to get the most out of our paddling. This was facilitated by
physiotherapists and Olympians who are also experienced kayakers..
Teen Connect allowed us to connect with others in our locality, as
prior to that we hadn't realised that there were other paddlers close by
who were as eager to get out on the water as we were. Teen connect
and the associated events gave us the opportunity to meet up, get to
know each other and develop firm friendship.
The Teens who participated have reported that this was very
beneficial to them, especially in lock down when other avenues were
closed to them. In addition Teen Connect have held 2 national events.
One event in spring and the other in October. These have been held
in over 6 counties, with approximately 10 events taking place and well
over a hundred teenage girls getting active on the water, regardless of
the weather and cold.
Then, Teen Connect Project Team was set up.
'We are a group of TY students, who want to make a change for girls
in paddle sports. We have been meeting over zoom and in person,
discussing issues we faced, and solutions that would get more girls
involved in paddling.'
We plan on having multiple events throughout the year, some
are visibility campaigns through social media posts, with others being
an introduction to paddling, and finally a big event with a large group
of girls getting together with the focus being on the social aspect but
will include a variety of disciplines also!
If you or your club is interested in helping make a change, please
contact The Teen Connect Project team at teenconnect@canoe.ie
with any ideas/suggestions.
Performance
CORNER
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Tokyo Paralympic Games
2021 International Medals
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TOKYO 2020
Olympic Games Canoe Slalom
This summer’s Olympic Games provided no
shortage of reasons to be memorable. The
unprecedented move of holding the 2020
Olympic Games in 2021 as a result of the
global pandemic, and the need to protect all involved
in the event, provided much of the spotlight. But also
for a much more uplifting reason of seeing the Irish
flag again being flown on the Olympic stage. Liam
Jegou had the honour of ending a 9 year Olympic
drought for Canoe Slalom, being our first Olympian in
the discipline since the 2012 Games in London.
The pandemic continued to provide roadblocks for the Games, with travel restrictions making
it difficult for athlete to travel to Tokyo to train on the Kasai Canoe Slalom Course. To combat this,
Liam travelled out to Tokyo 2 weeks prior to the Games in order to train on the Olympic venue and
acclimatise to the time change and humid weather.
With this, and the extra year of training provided by the pandemic, Liam lined up for the first
day of racing on the 25th of July in the best possible condition. Racing in the Olympics is always
a different animal, with the pressure and prestige of the event taking its toll on the competitors.
This was displayed vividly in Tokyo where the world’s best athletes struggled to get to grips with the
course, with mistakes being made and time penalties being taken regularly. Liam proved no exception
to this, incurring a 50 second penalty on his first run, leaving him at the bottom of the results with
everything to do in the second run. Thankfully, the preparation that went into this biggest of races
showed. Liam delivered a solid and composed run of 104.4 seconds including a 2 second penalty to
see him safely through to the next days semi-final, and the final hurdle before the medal round.
In the semi-final the pressure only increased, with athletes adjusting to racing on the
Olympic stage and beginning to show their real form. Liam got off to a great start in his semi-final
race, posting the fastest times on the top 2 splits as he powered his way down the course in a very
composed display of racing. As he neared the bottom of the course the tiny margins in Canoe Slalom
became clear as he barely misjudged the next gate in the sequence, diving to get his head between
the poles but incurring a 50 second penalty, throwing him off balance and too far from the next gate
to complete it correctly, ultimately ending his Olympic Games.
Speaking with RTE after the race
Liam, understandably heartbroken, spoke
about being ‘gutted’ with the result, but
accepted it was part of the sport of Canoe
Slalom. When asked about pushing on to the
next Games in Paris Liam said –
"It's maybe an hour of sulking and being sad, but
the rest of the year I'm doing what I love and I'm
going to continue doing that and keep on pushing.”
As the racing continued in the C1 Men event it was
Benjamin Savsek of Slovenia who was eventually
crowned Olympic Champion with a dominant display
in the Final.
PARALYMPICS 2020
Tokyo Paralympic Games
Patrick O’Leary has for the past 2 Paralympic Games
been Ireland’s sole representative in the sport of
Paracanoe, and in that time has been a fantastic
advocate for the discipline. Since racing in canoeing’s
first ever appearance at the Paralympics at Rio
2016, Patrick has continued to demonstrate his outstanding
commitment to the sport, culminating in his 1st place finish
at this years European Championships in the VL3 category.
Competing in Tokyo in both the 200m KL3 and VL3, Patrick
had a busy competition schedule at the Sea Forrest Waterway,
with this competition schedule being packed into 3 days of
qualification races and medal rounds.
Day one (2nd September) saw Patrick get his campaign
underway, progressing easily to both semi-finals. After this,
the business end of the racing came quickly, with the next day
marking the beginning of the medal rounds. Day 2 saw Patrick
racing in his favoured KL3, where he had previous Paralympic
success, finishing in 6th in the Rio Games. The racing in Tokyo
proved a more difficult affair, with a tough semi-final seeing
Patrick miss out on a spot in the KL3 final, and a chance to
compete for the medals. In the B-final, Patrick still had a point
to prove, paddling a very strong race to take 1st place, placing
him 9th overall for the Tokyo Games, still an outstanding result.
With a quick turnaround to the VL3 racing the very next
day, a refocus was needed. Coming in to these Paralympic
Games as European Champion in the VL3, there was a great
chance of coming home with a medal, which brought pressure
with. In an interview with Canoeing Ireland Patrick spoke about
feeling none of the pressure, having a fantastic attitude to just
go in to have his best race on the day, with previous results
have no influence on how his preparation would change or
how he would only look to perform to 100% of his ability. This
focussed preparation showed with a 3rd place finish in his VL3
semi-final booking Patrick his spot in the final later the same
day. In the final itself Patrick had what he has stated was his
best possible race, improving on his previous best Paralympic
placing to come home in 5th place in a time of 52.91 seconds.
Speaking after the race Patrick said –
“I am delighted, over the moon. Today I delivered everything I
had. The absolute best race in me. I didn’t have 0.15 sec faster
in me. 4 people were faster fair play to them. But for me sport is
performing to my best. Mission accomplished”
In a video posted on his Twitter, Patrick later extended
his thanks to the entire paddling community in Ireland. Both
to those who have directly helped him in his career and
preparation for these Games, and to the community as a whole
for cheering him on and supporting him across the whole
season.
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Performance Corner
International Medals
2021
Canoe Polo
Irish Open 2021
Jenny Egan
Roisin Cahill
Silver Medal
ICF Canoe Sprint World
Cup Barnaul. 5000m
European Champion
ECA Ocean Racing
European Championships
Jenny Egan Patrick O'Leary
European Champion
Paracanoe European
Championships. VL3
Silver Medal
ICF Canoe Sprint World
Championships. 5000m
Roisin Cahill
Peter Egan
Silver Medal
ICF Canoe Ocean Racing
U23 World Championships
Bronze Medal
Canoe Marathon Masters
World Championships
E
rlier this year, Kilcock hosted the 2021
Canoe Polo Irish Open. The competition
was a 2-day event, with over 20 teams
competing across 3 divisions.
Sunday’s matches drew to a
close with “Ulster A” facing “X-Out” in the
Division 1 final. With both sides mostly
comprised of young players still eligible
to compete in the U21 class, the match
was a fast-paced and high-scoring game.
X-Out had a large share of possession
throughout the 2nd half and needed
to take their shooting opportunities.
However, a strong Ulster defence broke
down these attempts and were quick
to take advantage of any changeovers
in possession, resulting in a string of
swift and aggressive counter-attacks,
ultimately allowing Ulster to widen the
score to take the overall win.
The Division 2 final was a close
match with Kamikaze narrowly taking the
win over KACC in a competitive golden
goal extra time. While the Division 3
final also saw a tight contest with Cavan
Cobras coming out
on top over Kilcock.
This weekend
of competition was,
without doubt, a great
success for the return
of Irish Canoe Polo
to the events calendar.
Canoe polo has been heavily
affected by ongoing restrictions
and, due to the nature of team sports,
has been slow to return when compared
to other paddlesports. So, the sight of
tournaments has been sorely missed by
both competitors and spectators alike.
One point of note, while Ireland has
had a short canoe polo season it has been
very encouraging to see a high volume of
entries. There were over 10 domestic clubs
fielding players, which is a testament to
healthy and resilient development/ youth
programmes, showing that there is great
promise for winter leagues and summer
tournaments next season.
David McClure
European Champion
ECA Freestyle Kayak
European Championships
Aoife Hanrahan
Bronze Medal
ECA Freestyle Kayak
European Championships
European Championships 2021
The U21 mens team had a brilliant outing at the European
Championships in Sicily, finishing in 7th place overall. The team
comprising of Kevin Quinn, Conor McLoughlin, Owen Bracken,
Leander Mutschler and Patrick Macdonald took a 5-4 win over the
Czech Republic on the final day of competition to secure their top 10
finish. A brilliant competition for the team, coaches and manager.
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Governance Corner
iLead Launch
The iLead programme aims to provide opportunities for transition
year students in DEIS schools to participate in a leadership
programme based on skill acquisition and mentorship. This
programme is designed to promote a lifelong love of Paddlesports
in participants, done by offering a different perspective on sporting
participation for teens who may not be inclined towards participation
in sport. We were also delighted to welcome Jack Chambers, Minister
for Sport, along to support the programmes launch. Find out more
about the programme here - https://www.canoe.ie/2021/09/16/ileadprogramme-launch/
Governance Corner
New Website
In a very positive move for casual paddlers Canoeing Ireland earlier this year launched a new website
www.getirelandpaddling.ie with a wealth of useful information for everyone - from first time or
occasional paddlers, to enthusiasts who are trying a new craft or looking for new challenges.
With an emphasis on water safety, the site offers easy to follow guidelines on the basic requirements
for safe paddling. Our recognised activity providers and watersport retailers are listed with contact
details for ease of access. Check out the safety essentials below or on GetIrelandPaddling.ie.
Digital Accessibility
We are committed to becoming a more inclusive organisation for all
and so, we have added a new Accessibility Toolbar on our website.
‘Recite me’ is innovative cloud based software that lets visitors
to our website view and use it in the way that works best for them,
through a rage of helpful tools . The new accessibility tools can be
found through the yellow ‘Accessibility Tools’ button on the top of
every page on canoe.ie. For more information on the tools available
see our guide on the new features on our website. https://www.
canoe.ie/accessibility-tools/
New Database
LKA 10K Charity Paddle
Canoeing Ireland is pleased to launch our new membership
and events platform designed specifically for the paddlesport
community. The new platform is designed with the latest
functionality to meet the needs of members, officials, event
organisers and instructors on a mobile friendly site.
The system is powered by industry leaders, Eventmaster. A range of
additional functionally will be added over time and we are committed
to delivering ongoing innovations and improvements as our needs
evolve.
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Nancy Geary
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Liffey Descent 2021
First Experience
with Melissa Fisher
T
he return to the start line of the Liffey
Descent was sure to be a special day for
all in the paddlesport community. After the
unfortunate but necessary cancellation of
the 2020 race, seeing the event back on the calendar
was a welcome return to the thrills, spills and smiles
our flagship race brings. While we love the racing
side of the Liffey Descent it is also an event about
participation, with just completing the 30km course
being an achievement in itself. With this in mind we
wanted a first hand account of taking on the Liffey for
the first time, the challenge, the emotions, and why
you should take it on for yourself next September.
SPOTLIGHT
that I soon felt my courage rising. When race day arrived, I felt
super excited to part of the event. Arriving at the departure
point was a thrill and I watched how all the many participants
stopped to encourage one another. Paddlers that I might
have only encountered once before, stopped to have a laugh.
The air was filled with excitement. We started the race and
my immediate focus was to stay as close as I could to anyone
in my club. Our chairwoman was in my sight and I realised
she was quietly keeping an eye out for all the club’s less
experienced paddlers. Once the 1st weir was behind me, I
settled into my boat and started watching out for the trees
in the ‘jungle’ as the first section is known. This part was a
little scary I have to admit, when the larger canoes come up
the rear and travel so much faster than my tiny river boat. I
capsized somewhere in the middle of this section but almost
instantly a friendly gentleman appeared beside me to help. I
only know him as Pat Jnr and he gave me reassurance that
my paddle was with him and helped me to safety until I could
make my way back into the boat. Our trusted chairperson
and some of my peers had also paddled back by this time
and helped. As with most river trips, once you’re wet the rest
somehow seems less scary and now determination set in.
So, let’s start this article with some disclaimers.
I am by no means an experienced kayaker, therefore a
paddle toddler. I have never been courageous as far any
sport goes. I am afraid of most things when it comes to
nature or the outdoors. However, I am lucky to be part of
a paddle sports club that has patiently helped me build
confidence, over the past three years.
Since starting my time with Poulaphouca
Paddlers, I have listened with envy, to the many
tales of the experienced kayakers of the infamous
Liffey Descent. At first in sounded daunting but as
I grew in confidence, the tales I realised was building a
picture of possibilities. All it took was for me to be ready
in my own self to take on the challenge. Preparing for the
distance was thankfully simple on our paddle pond that
is Blessington Lakes. I also resigned myself to the fact
that despite my best training I might capsize at every
water feature and that was ok. The best safety teams
were waiting to help me back into my boat (a shout out
to all of them) and so all I needed to do was be at peace
with capsizing. Wanting to just complete the race was my
objective, so timing was not important for my first attempt.
I recall my self-talk during the days before the race, ‘Finish
what you started, that’s all that counts’. I put my fear out
on social media and all the responses was so encouraging
Nancy Geary
Nancy Geary
Different people paddled beside me during the race
and everyone that we passed was shouting encouragement.
At some features members of the public were providing
encouragement. At some point I spotted my husband and one
of my sons standing among the crowd. My spirit lifted.
I could hardly believe when I made it across the last feature
and somehow managed to stay upright through them all. The
last 3km felt like eternity but my pride was already evident. I
kept my arms moving and was determined not to stop until I
could see the finish line. At the finish line all the other
participants stood clapping and I felt a big sense of
achievement. I was thankful for the sandwich and treats at
the end and proudly took my turn on the bank, clapping for
anyone else still arriving.
If you are interested in doing the race but afraid, my advice is
to find a mentor and simply try it. One of my most memorable
experiences and hopefully I will be back next year, and for as
long as I have the energy thereafter!
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The ICF SUP World
Championships
were held in mid-
September 2021
on Lake Balaton in Hungary.
This was the second ICF SUP
World Championship (the first
being in China in 2019) but
the first ICF worlds in which
Ireland had competitors.
The ICF SUP world championships were held
in mid-September 2021 on Lake Balaton in
Hungary. This was the second ICF SUP world
championship (the first being in China in 2019)
but the first ICF worlds in which Ireland had
competitors.
Team Ireland consisted of two athletes,
Ross McGarry and Patrick McCormack.
They joined a field of over 500 athletes from
45+ countries for four days of racing on the
beautiful lake Balaton (the largest lake in
Europe). With the sprint and technical races
being held right in front of the main promenade,
it was the perfect venue for such an event.
For those not familiar with Paddle Board
racing, at senior level race boards can be a
maximum length of 14ft (unlike other disciplines
there is no width or weight restrictions).
There are three main race events at the World
Championships; Long Distance, Technical
and Sprint, with most athletes taking part in at
least two of the events, if not all three. Aiming
to increase participation at races, this year the
ICF also put on an event for inflatable Paddle
Boards (up to 12ft 6 inches long).
For each race event (bar the sprint), the
organisers can choose the race distance. For
this championship, the race distances where as
follows:
ICF Stand Up Paddle Board
World Championships
Long Distance 18.5km: A mass start event with a
1km start out, then two laps of a triangular course
followed by a 1.2km back to the finish line.
Technical 1km: This race is a mix of speed and
turning. With seven turning buoys, four left hand
turns, and three right hand turns, run off in heats
of eight paddlers. (Think flatwater kayak slalom
mixed with Boater Cross).
Sprint 200m: A 200m course with heats of eight
paddlers.
Race Categories: Female & Male Junior, Open,
Masters 40+ and Masters 50+
Prize Money: € 30,000 total prize pot for male
and female open categories
Event Recap
Team Ireland got an early start on the
Thursday morning, with Patrick in Heat 2 of
the technical event and Ross in Heat 3. With
Lake Balaton being 17km wide it means that
any wind creates some swell, so during the
technical event there was a nice bump on
the water which made the racing extra fun.
The racing was hard and fast, with National
and World Champions in almost every heat.
Patrick put in a solid effort in his first ever
official technical race to place 6th in his
heat. Ross got off to a great start in his heat
and was sitting in a position to potentially
qualify to the next round, when on one of
the turns he kicked back on the board a
bit too much. He took in a lot of water, got
unbalanced and ended up in the water. Ross
put in a valiant effort to try catch up but
unfortunately he couldn’t recover enough
distance and didn’t make it through.
Next up was the Sprint heats, Patrick was
the only Irish competitor in the sprint event
and with more swell rolling straight across
the racecourse, it made the racing more
challenging. Heat 11 saw Patrick take to
the course and put in a great effort only to
place 5th (Top 4 qualified to quarter finals).
That drew a close to Ireland’s inclusion in
the Technical and Sprint events, not the
results we would have hoped for, but great
experiences and lessons learned.
Friday was the long-distance race
day, with 18.5km of a course out into Lake
Balaton and a mass start with 150
competitors on the start line. It was an
impressive sight to see a 200m long start
line with the world’s best all in attendance
and when the start horn went, racing was
hard and fast. With an initial straight line to
the first marker buoy and then two laps of a
triangular course, the athletes were faced
with tough conditions (crosswind, downwind,
upwind and lots of chop from all directions).
The conditions made drafting very tricky
and limited it to a short upwind section, so
for most of the race, athletes where on their
own. The event was won by French New
Caledonian Titouan Puyo, followed closely
for second place by his fellow country
man, Noic Garioud and 3rd place going
to his Hungarian hometown hero, Daniel
Hasulyo. For Ireland, Ross placed 40th
and Patrick placed 52nd. All the athletes
agreed afterwards that the course had very
challenging conditions.
Saturday saw the final race of
the weekend that Ireland would have a
participant in, the newest addition to the
ICF world Championships, the 7km inflatable
SUP race. With 120 racers on the start line,
lessons learned from the previous day’s race
were put into place. The course was a 3.5km
straight run out to a turn and then back.
Conditions were perfect, almost no wind and
glassy conditions. Patrick got a great start
and tucked into a good draft train. The pace
for this board type was very quick and the
action was non-stop. Patrick had to jump
from one draft train to another to reserve
energy to keep in touch with the front of the
field. In the end, Patrick came home 15th
place in this event. The race was won by
Russian Andrey Kraytor (Former C1 sprint
World Champion).
That drew a close to Ireland’s
involvement in the World Championships for
2021. We sat back and enjoyed watching the
world’s best battle it out for the remaining
medals.
World Championships 2022 will be
held in Gdynia, Poland Date TBC. We hope
to send a larger team next year with some
juniors, seniors, and masters.
If you're interested in giving SUP racing a go,
get in contact with Canoeing Ireland.
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Garry Cosgrove has made
up for a later start to
paddlesports with no
shortage of passion and
drive for sharing the sport with
others. Getting into a boat through
his role as a Scout Leader, Garry
followed a passion for kayaking
to become a founding member of
the Limerick Kayaking Academy.
Through this role Garry goes above
and beyond to make the club the
best possible place to go kayaking.
Garry
Cosgrove
written by
The Limerick Kayaking Academy Committee
As a Leader in his local Scout Group, 46th
Ballybricken, Co. Limerick and having witnessed
the benefits of kayaking first-hand from his son
Andrew, Garry decided he wanted to make this
sport an accessible and regular activity for his
Group. Spring of 2016 he approached Colm
Slevin, a local Kayak Instructor and Scouter
and arranged kayaking sessions for his Scout
Group. While he had no personal experience of
kayaking, Garry was never going to be an observer
on the bank….and so, he began his own personal
kayaking journey.
Garry’s goal was to introduce his own
Scouts and Scouts from local Groups in Limerick
to the sport of kayaking and achieving Instructor
level would facilitate this. Within a short period
of time, he attained Level 3 Kayaking skills and
went on to get his Level 2 Instructor award. He
was on his way… Since then, Garry’s enthusiasm
for Kayaking has seen his own Scout Group and
a number of other local Scout Groups include
Kayaking as a regular part of their programme.
Under Garry’s watch, 46th Ballybricken Scout
Group have secured their own fleet of boats and
matching sets of equipment.
Garry became one of the founder
members of the Limerick Kayaking
Academy Club in 2017. He took on the
job of Club Secretary and continues to
execute this role with professionalism,
efficiency, grace and good will to present
date.
Garry is a key member of our
committee and his contribution to our
club is truly immeasurable. In addition
to his regular Club Secretary activities,
Garry manages our grant applications
and has been successful in securing
funds for new and replacement club
equipment. His garden has become one
of the storage points around the county
for club equipment and Garry willingly
co-ordinates and transports boats and
equipment required by club members
for our weekly sessions. After the first
lockdown, when our sport was given the ok
to get back on the water, Garry designed a
seamless process for our club to manage
and record COVID Declarations/Contract
Tracing Logs. This enabled LKA to safely
run our sessions.
Garry is a key driver in all our club
activities, from our regular weekly club
paddle, to running courses, managing club
memberships, or negotiating with local
government bodies on our behalf. Garry
plays a major role in the large events the
club is involved in each year; The Rape
Crisis Midwest Charity Paddle and The
Limerick Junior Boater-cross Events.
Spring of this year LKA established
a Kayaking Programme for our local
Limerick Dragon Boaters and Garry
plays a key role in the delivery of this
programme.
What defines Garry as an
incredible volunteer is not just the skills
and abilities he willingly brings to the
club or the work he undertakes for our
club but the way he goes about it. He is
professional and through in all he takes
on. Garry is fair, inclusive and honest. He
is creative and innovative in his approach
to challenges the club has encountered
since our inception. Garry is more than
approachable. His encouragement to all
members, particularly youth members
is evident, both on and off the water. It
would be remis of us not to mention
how much fun Garry is to be around. His
good humour often brings lightness
and relief to difficult situations. He
is welcoming to all members and our
Saturday mornings would not be the
same without his smiles and cheery
greetings. For all the time and effort
Garry puts into our club he never looks
for anything in return. He is humble
and unassuming and never seeks
recognition.
While Garry may not be involved in
Kayaking for a long period of time, his
service and contribution to the sport
in Limerick and to our club in particular
has been vast.
Limerick Kayaking Academy
are truly blessed to have Garry as a
volunteer and friend.
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