It’s been an action-packed month for Dublin University Ladies Boat Club (DULBC) with the squad taking on both physical and fundraising challenges in preparation for their final and most anticipated event of the season: the Irish National Rowing Championships in July.
DU Ladies Boat Club Successfully Completes 24-Hour Ergathon
Thirty members of DULBC recently joined forces to complete a 24-hour “ergathon” in Trinity. Kicking off at 12 noon on Monday 9 June, two rowing ergometers stayed in continuous movement for a full day. With tourists, staff, and students alike duly entertained, club rower's were positioned in Trinity Front Square from 12 noon to 9pm before the “graveyard shifts” were completed by some particularly enthusiastic members in the Islandbridge Boathouse from 9pm to 8am. The return of daylight saw the rowers return to Front Square for one final push. A huge team effort saw a total sum of €3,506 collected by midday on Tuesday 10 June, with a total distance of 555,295km travelled.
The event was organised to raise funds for Women's Aid and DULBC training and racing with one third of donations going to Women’s Aid, which the Club has partnered with for the event for the last number of years. The Club was delighted to receive support from the Provost Dr Linda Doyle and the team at Trinity Sport in the running and promotion of the event.
Further donations since the erg handles were put down means the event has to date raised €4,051 – breaking €4,500 would enable the Club to donate approximately €1,500 to Women’s Aid. Donations are still welcome at https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/DULBCErgathon2025
Success for DULBC at Cork Regatta
With less than a month to go until the National Championships, DULBC’s senior squad travelled once more to the National Rowing Centre, where Cork Regatta was held over the weekend of 21-22 June. A huge turnout of crews from all over Ireland led to intense racing in variable conditions, and made the Regatta a perfect final tune-up event before the Championships.
DULBC Senior 2- at Cork Regatta
The weekend got off to a good start with four DULBC entries racing well in the Senior 2- heats, from which the A and B crews progressed to the A final. The B crew of Imogen Cooney and Grace Healy rowed to a strong 5th place, while the A crew of Addy Telzrow and María Mezquita García-Poggio took a commanding win, leading the race from start to finish with an eventual nine-second margin over the second-placed crew from the University of Galway.
On Saturday afternoon, three DULBC boats took to the water, with A and B entries in Senior 4+ and a third crew racing Club 1 4+. The A crew stormed to another open-water win for DULBC in Senior 4+, with crew Addy Telzrow, María Mezquita García-Poggio, Imogen Cooney, and Grace Healy, coxed by Jane Prendergast (Captain), taking an assured seven-second win over the second-placed crew from local rivals Neptune Rowing Club. Notably, the B crew went stroke-for-stroke down the course in the fight for second place with Neptune and the University of Limerick, eventually settling for fourth place with only two seconds separating the three crews. The Club 1 4+ rowed strongly in both the heat and final to take a second-place result in their category.
On Sunday morning, the final medals of the weekend came to DULBC, with the Senior 4- of Addy Telzrow, María Mezquita García-Poggio, Imogen Cooney and Jen Forde (shown right) racing to a spectacular win over the University of Galway, with 0.8 of a second separating the crews at the finish line. With conditions becoming more challenging as the day drew on, the weekend closed for DULBC with a fifth-place finish in the Senior 8+ and fourth in the Club 2 4+, all extremely valuable races from which the athletes took significant lessons.
DULBC Senior 4+ at Cork Regatta June 2025
Per tradition, the National Championships will conclude the season on the second weekend in July for DULBC, with a jam-packed racing schedule due to stretch over three days from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 July. With a strong season of racing and training almost at completion, the Club is hopeful for a performance at Champs that reflects the membership’s talent and ambition which has been demonstrated all season.