KILLARNEY'S rowing establishment is expected to make an historic departure from their 200 year old parochial racing tradition later today when they vote to consolidate the town's recent gains in mainstream rowing with the creation of a single, stand alone club.

The merits of creating a united Killarney Rowing Club that will represent all six clubs Muckross, Fossa, Commercial Killarney, Workmen's, St Brendan's and Slesk Valley in "modern" competition are said to have been finally acknowledged after the capture of two national titles last weekend.

Killarney oarsmen finished first and second in the fours and won the MJ18 eights at the Irish Junior Rowing Championships in Enniskillen, but competition rules required the Fossa crew members to race in Muckross colours.

According to the Irish Amateur Rowing Union (IARU), joint club membership is a legitimate way around the composite ban, but it was a source of resentment during the weekend and, as Muckross coach Scan Coffey readily concedes, is not the ideal way forward.

"What we did at the championships was based around two fours and if we have a situation with 12 people going for an eight then it is going to need a proper coaching structure and club system in place within the next couple of months.

"What worries me is whether this crew can stay together for a couple more years. We are fighting university involvement now, and the clubs need to offer the best facilities and develop a pride in rowing for Killarney.

"The development of the town as a new rowing centre is now tenable, but there has to be some thing here if we want to do more than produce oarsmen up to the age of 19 and then lose them to other clubs."

Five of the eight coxed by Niall Daly Ross Barry, James Mangan, Sean Casey, Colin O'Brien, Donal Daly, Sean O'Halloran, Declan Madden and Paul Griffin have now left school and Muckross in particular, stands to lose what is potentially its entire senior four.

There have been some concessions made towards the "sliders" this year with the 211th six oar Killarney regatta the oldest regatta in the country being moved back to August 18th to allow crews to enter the Senior National Championships in Inniscarra next weekend.

The moves to establish a Killarney Rowing Club would be welcomed by the IARU. The union's president, Dermot Henihan, has said that having six clubs competing outside their own rowing set up would be to the detriment of crew and individual development.

Although the town supports 250 active oarsmen and women, the membership of some clubs barely reaches double figures and none have the space to store larger boats.

Two month's ago the club's documentation was filed with the union, only for the affiliation to be scuppered by the concerns over a loss of identity.

. The Great Britain Under 23 team start the three day Nations Cup in Hazewinkel, Belgium, tomorrow with high hopes of success.

Sixteen crews 10 men's and six women's make up the team which includes three medal winners from last year's competition.

Rob Perry, an Under 23 gold medalist, is one of seven University of London rowers in the heavyweight men's eight. University of Newcastle oarsman Rob Latham completes the crew.