Trinity set to take on Neptune

One hundred years ago, in May 1898, Trinity College's rowing club and boat club amalgamated to form Dublin University Boat Club and the college's rowing activities moved from Ringsend to Islandbridge. The merger was not attended by huge celebrations, but was momentous enough for Irish rowing: Islandbridge became the base for Dublin rowing clubs, and DUBC was one of the main driving forces behind the formation of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union the following year.

The first Trinity regatta at Islandbridge was held in July 1898, in the shadow of the half-finished boathouse. That beautiful structure will tomorrow oversee the 1998 Trinity regatta, sponsored by Guinness, when the hosts will take on Neptune, Commercial, Cork Boat Club and Garda for the blue riband event, the men's senior eights.

The presence of only one club from outside Dublin is indicative of a trend in recent years, but the competition should still be hot. Trinity, who only barely saw off the challenge of Cork at the Cork regatta, face them in a heat. Their main rivals, Neptune, must overcome Garda and Commercial in successive races to meet the winners.

Should Neptune and Trinity meet in the final it will be the first time the two crews will have raced since Neptune's own regatta when the hosts won by a canvas. Both crews are at full strength. Micheal O'Connell returns for Trinity, who will be stroked by William Gilbert, with Gianpiero Cavallieri moving back to the second of three eights the hosts will put out.

Ciaran Lewis will stroke Neptune's eight, which will be the same as competed in the London Docklands regatta except for the inclusion of Oisin McGrath for Gary O'Neill.