New Ross Boat Club left its mark at the Irish Indoor Rowing Championships on January 17, 2026, at the University of Limerick Sports Arena. Juniors and masters alike turned months of winter training into standout efforts across sprint and endurance races. The full squad’s resilience sets a high bar for the Heads of the River season ahead.
Junior rowers tackled demanding distances with composure, whether chasing podiums or logging personal bests. Liam Crotty surged to 1st in Lightweight Men’s Open 500m through sheer grit. Darragh Dreelan and Ben Cashman went stroke-for-stroke in Lightweight Men’s Open 2000m for 2nd and 3rd. Órla Brennan claimed 3rd in Women’s J18 2000m with a personal best—a crucial marker in her Irish team trials process. First-timers Aogan Slater, Henry Roche, and Janey May Cashman overcame debut nerves in MJ16 2000m, MJ16 2000m, and WJ15 1000m respectively to hit personal bests and build on their competitive spirit and experience.
Paula Whelan and Lizzie Gibbon represented the masters contingent with some stand out performances. Lizzie took 3rd in W50-54 1000m in a strong field. Paula grabbed 3rd in W50-59 2000m while doubling up strongly in W55-59 1000m and W50-59 500m events, showcasing great adversity under pressure.
Coach Talitha Doran celebrated the team effort:
“We had a great day as a club… impressive performances from Juniors and Masters. Orla, Liam, Darragh and Ben all brought home well-deserved medals… Aogan, Henry and Janey May… each produced PB’s… Paula and Lizzie… both winning medals. Well done to all!”
Coach Luke Sutton zoomed in on key battles:
“Liam, Darragh, Ben and Orla all competed… Darragh and Ben racing… side by side… coming home 2nd and 3rd respectively. At the same time Orla was racing in the J18 women category, this was an important race for Orla as it’s a further step in the trial process for the Irish team. Orla finished 3rd overall… and came home with a new PB. Liam… pushing through… to claim the top spot in Lightweight Mens Open 500m. Aogan, Henry and Janey May all did fantastic on debut. Well done to everyone, a very positive start to 2026.”
Full Results
Juniors:
– Liam Crotty: 1st, LMO 500m
– Darragh Dreelan: 2nd, LMO 2000m
– Ben Cashman: 3rd, LMO 2000m
– Órla Brennan: 3rd, WJ18 2000m (PB)
– Aogan Slater: 45th, MJ16 2000m (debut)
– Henry Roche: 41st, MJ16 2000m (debut)
– Janey May Cashman: 19th, WJ15 1000m (debut)Masters:
– Lizzie Gibbon: 3rd, W50-54 1000m
– Paula Whelan: 3rd, W50-59 2000m; 4th, W55-59 1000m & 7th W50-59 500m