Cut in funding leads to rethink

ROWING:Irish rowers will have fewer days in the sun this year thanks to cutbacks in funding from the Irish Sports Council. Ireland team manager Mike Heskin said yesterday that his funding will be about €50,000 less than last year, and outlined a programme of belt-tightening which includes scaling back the number of camps outside Ireland, even in this Olympic year.

"We're revisiting every area. Any excess will be cut," Heskin said.

National coach Harald Jahrling and lightweight coach John Holland will be expected to have firm views as to their hopefuls for the Olympics as early as possible.

"We would have carried a greater number of athletes for longer. That is not going to be possible," Heskin explained.

The number of camps will now fall about 50/50 between home and away, and the focus will be entirely on the Olympics - Irish athletes who hope to make the World Championships for non-Olympic events will not be sent abroad for camps.

Holland's lightweight four, which could be our best hope of a medal, must find its way through the Olympic Qualifier in June in Poland. If it does there is no provision that Heskin knows of for a new tranche of funding.

Other boats, including a men's single scull and a lightweight women's double, may also make it through in Poland. While some sports may consider not sending qualified athletes, Heskin was not countenancing this option yesterday.

"We haven't crossed that line yet," he said. He stressed that a good women's boat was very important in a sport which has a strong component of young women in its ranks. He spoke of returning to the ISC with "the begging bowl" if necessary.

In advance of next week's time trial, Neptune's Cathal Moynihan will give himself the chance of competition at the NRC in the St Michael's Head of the River tomorrow.

The big time trial event had to be moved away from its traditional O'Brien's Bridge base because of the high water level on the Shannon, but the Kieran Kerr of the organisers says he is "confident" of an entry of 260 crews or more. The change of venue was aided by the recent appointment of Denis O'Regan as full-time NRC administrator.

Offaly man Ciaran Brady has been selected by University of Limerick Rowing Club as this year's recipient of the Paddy Dooley Rowing Scholarship.