Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey chase glory at Dorney Park

Metropolitan Regatta at the London Olympic course of Dorney Lake this Saturday and Sunday is the next venue on the Irish rowing roadshow.

European senior silver medallist Denise Walsh teams up with Aoife Casey, a silver medallist at the World Junior Championships, in the Skibbereen entry for the Championship Double Sculls. The crew heads up an entry from this island of real depth.

The regatta will be used to test Ireland crews for the Under-23 World Championships and the two men’s quadruples should be competitive.

There is a big contingent of Ireland’s best clubs represented in eights and fours – in the straight final of the men’s championship coxed fours, three of the six crews are Irish: UCD, Trinity and NUIG.

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Single scullers Monika Dukarska of Killorglin and Sam McKeown of Queen's, who have hopes of representing Ireland on the international stage, go in championship races, while Ireland coach Sean Casey will also observe British-based competitors who qualify to row for Ireland.

Commercial have entered a women’s eight and four at championship level, and are pleased to have Ruth Morris back from America. Trinity, Galway, Cork and NUIG also have a strong presence in the women’s events.

Laid low

Sanita Puspure, who was so unfortunate to be laid low by illness before the memorable European Championships in Racice, is recovering and hopes to compete at the next World Cup in Poznan in two weeks’ time.

Irish crews had excellent results in the British National Schools Regatta at Dorney lake, which ran directly opposite the European Championships.

Hannah Scott of Bann won the Championship Girls Single Sculls (The Internationals’ Cup). Enniskillen’s Ross Corrigan and Aaron Johnston took silver in the junior pairs, and their junior 16 four and women’s junior 16 coxed four both took gold.

Back in Ireland, (Dublin) Metro regatta was completed despite torrential rain.

Rowing Ireland has announced that selection for the senior team for the Home International Regatta in July will be based on performances at Cork Grand League Regatta on June 24th and 25th. The junior team will emerge from the ongoing selection strategy.

The two-day Carlow Regatta this weekend is a highlight for emerging rowers and generally a well-run, friendly, event. The big numbers are at the lower age levels: there are 12 women's junior 15 coxed quadruples and 24 men's junior 14 single scullers.

At the top level, the new HPD for Ireland, Antonio Maurogiovanni, will visit Ireland in July, and will take up his post in mid-August.