St.Patricks Rowing Club
St.Patricks Rowing Club, York Road,Ringsend,
Dublin
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Our club was formed in 1936 and is the first skiff rowing club in Ringsend parish. It was named after our parish church by the late Paddy (Nipper) Breslan, Jamsie Geoghan and Walter McFarlane who were all confraternity men in Ringsend Church.
The following is a story taken from the memoirs of Willie (Lax) Murphy (Snr). He records that there was only one club at the time in 1935-1936. The keel had been laid by the boat builder Harry Smith, whose boatyard was where the Community Centre is now.
The late Paddy Breslan was running raffles to raise the 40 pounds old money to pay for the skiff. Jamsie Geoghan (a stevedore on the docks) and Kit Murphy gave donations along with the prize money from winning Wicklow and Dun Laoghaire races.
Hence, the skiff was built and then the time trials were set up to pick the best crew to represent the boat. The winning crew on time was Christy Dalton, K. O’Byrne, Ned McDonnell (Ramsey), Willie (Lax) Murphy and the coxswain Willie Lacey.
Following some dispute, the wrong crew were deemed to be winners. After a heated debate some rowers left and decided to form their own club, which became the Stella Maris, the name coming from the Star of the Sea church.
Christy Dalton, Ned McDonnell, K. O’Byrne, Joe Moore and Bill Higgins all started the Stella Maris club in 1937, so the first crew to represent the St Patrick was Whack Dent, Davy Geoff, Jack (Saw) Cox, Willie (Lax) Murphy and Eddie Lacey.
Their first race was the triangle course in Dalkey. The race was won by The Guiding Star, Wicklow. It was Willie’s opinion that the crew who won the trial would have won the race.
Once the St. Patrick was up and racing from 1936, finding a home or a base was a problem. The first base was the Anti-Communist Hall in Thorncastle Street. Then it was in Kit Murphy’s yard for a while.
Paddy Breslan tried for several years to get some sort of base for the club, when finally a piece of land at the top of the lane in Pembroke Cottages was donated. The clubhouse was built by the late Gerry Gregg and Tommy Kinsella, a bricklayer and a master carpenter. The following is a list of helpers: Pierre, Gidda, Willie, Seamus, Thomas, Christy, Paddy, Tommy (2 thumbs), all Murphys! Also, Joe Doyle, Kammer Kimple, Hawkie Barnie Murtagh and the lad with the billie can was Johnie Gregg, our now-president.
Work was completed in 1956. Unfortunately, our club later went on fire so we were out of a home once again. It must have been God telling the committee not to be selling drink in the club on Sundays!
We were then reduced to getting changed for training at an area called ‘the products’. That was some experience, with the size of the rats running around.
Things took a turn for the worse because the old club was in a bad way and the Scouts became established there. Whatever agreement was made, we could no longer use our old club premises.
A new committee constantly pursued the issue and the scouts handed back the old club in 1984. That committee was J. Gregg, R. Saunders, P. Orr, J. Farrell, J. Murphy, T. Plunkett, F. Maher. We got our new club in 1985 along with our new St. Patrick, built by Patsy Whelan.
We were like lotto winners from then on. The committee back then worked so hard to get the old and new club up and running and it must be said Tommy Plunkett was a big influence to Johnie Gregg and Ritchie Saunders. They both became brilliant at any negotiations for the club.
It was a sad day for us when Johnie Gregg (honorary president) retired from the committee for health reasons. We still have a great committee: Ritchie Saunders (chairman), Pat Orr (secretary), Gerard Murphy (fund officer), Noel Murphy (treasurer), Philip Murphy (safety officer), Dave Cox (grant officer) and our lifelong member Irene Montgomery (child care officer) and me John Hawkins (club maintenance).
Like so many clubs, a committee is only as good as its members, who bring us so much fame in rowing. I’m very proud of all our present members and rowers. Two have won us indoor gold and we have won the All Ireland Senior Open Skiff Race in Wicklow on no fewer than 16 times in the last 20 years. Our rowers have won several gold medals in the All Ireland. We have won the East Coast Shield numerous times, the London Great River Race under 16 and under 18; a super-race over 22 miles long.
Our crew won in Italy, Scarborough and Holyhead. It would take the whole of NewsFour to name all the places we have raced.
We went to Cobh Island five times, coming first each time and raising money for Chernobyl Children’s charity. We left our skiffs behind and ran from Wicklow Rowing Club to our own Club.
One of our big sponsored rows was the one from Arklow to raise money for the Seaman’s Memorial up at City Quay. Another project was our club being invited to be a guard of honour for the World Peace Day mass in Ringsend Church.
Last year we rowed the offerings up to City Quay on St. Patrick’s Day. The style of rowing probably has not changed much but with the families associated to our club, we are always getting a good crop of rowers.
Ringsend has a deep family connection to both clubs and I don’t think any other sport has as much family ties as the rowing. I’d like to thank our sponsors; Dublin Port Company and Bob and Monica Prior (the Yacht). A special mention to Charlie Murphy for his commitment to helping our club. Without the co-operation of the harbour master with his kind permission for our gangway and pontoons, our club could not survive on the river.
On a more serious note, both clubs won’t survive if the yacht and boat owners keeps pushing out the line of yachts. We have a safety training lane to protect our very young members, but it is getting smaller by the day.
Both clubs are having to address the problem of safety so we hope the owners might take note. Both clubs look after quite a lot of children from Ringsend. While this story is not meant to offend anybody, our survival in rowing is our number one priority.
Does anybody remember Peter Tilly dressing up and walking the greasy pole on the Barge? We’d like to wish Micko a happy 90th! Himself and Jimmy Purdy are always at the club supporting us.
Good health to Christy, Paddy and Annie Murphy. To all our supporters, we need you all more than ever this year to make our 75th regatta a big success on the 23rd/ 24th July. To all past rowers, you’re all welcome to the club to celebrate your involvement and contribution to the success of the club.
Thanks to RICC and NewsFour for bringing our history into so many homes. Last but not least, to all our deceased members especially club captain Thomas (Come on Paddy) you are always in our hearts.
Behind the scenes over the years has been a group of ladies who made life easy for us: Tina Gregg, Marie Murphy, Marie Saunders, Dolores Orr, Olive Farrell. And more recently, Jacqueline, Christine, Debbie, Jacqueline Smith and Barbara, Laura and the two Barry twins.
I hope I’m not forgetting anyone. Be very proud if you were ever a member of our club, because you helped to make us what we are today on our 75th Anniversary.
East Coast Tradition
Clinker skiff type boats were once one of the most numerous type of working boats found along the eastern seaboard of Ireland. They were recorded in 1874 by historian E.W. Holdsworth, where he noted that ‘The smaller boats employed for the line-fishery are of the same style as the Norway yawl, sharp at both ends.’.
Skiff racing has its origins in the occupation of hobbling. Hobblers were freelance pilots, and competition was strong to be the first to board the approaching ships. Not only did the successful hobblers receive payment to pilot the ships into port but they were also awarded the contract for discharging/loading those ships whilst in port.
The skiffs worked mainly between Lambay Island just north of Dublin Bay and Wicklow Head where they required considerable skill on behalf of the oarsmen. The long tradition of rowing is now carried on through the rowing clubs affiliated to East Coast Rowing Council. These clubs can be found around the old Dublin pilot stations of Ringsend & East Wall in Dublin Port, Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey, Bray, Greystones, Wicklow and Arklow.
Regatta's
Annually each member club of the (ECRC) East Coast Rowing Council hosts a regatta ,If a crew (team of 4 + a coxain) wants to enter a regatta, they may enter under the following categories:
(Mens)
Under 12's
Under 14's
Under 16's
Under 18's
Intermediate
Junior
Senior
(Womens)
Novice Ladies
Junior Ladies
Under 18's Ladies
Senior Ladies
(Mens & Womens)
Mixed
