The men’s intermediate coxed four is a battle of West versus East this year, with four crews from two clubs entered. Anyone who has read up on Lough Erne knows it is one of the most challenging courses for coxes and rowers alike on the Irish head racing circuit. Though most of the coxes in this category have a breadth of experience behind them, some of the rowers do not. On a course that requires a balance of brute strength and mental toughness, a lack of experience can be the difference between a smooth sailing and the longest race of your life.
University College Dublin BC A and B (UCB)
UCD did not enter Erne Fours Head of the River last year and their senior A boat at Erne Eights Head of the River would have been disappointed with a third place finish behind Galway. Though most of the faces in these crews are fresh, Sam Daly, stroke of the A boat and a three-year mainstay in the UCD Gannon Cup crew, will be looking for revenge. A-boat cox Kayleigh Fox will know Lough Erne well as she’s rowed, footsteered, and coxed the course many times in her junior career with Neptune RC. The B boat has its share of recent novice crew members, including their cox, Neasa Farrell, who coxed the UCD novice women to victory in Novice Colours last year but has never coxed Erne Fours Head of the River or Eights Head of the River. However, UCD are used to winning, and that includes the recent novices who won twice at this summer’s Irish Championships. Though I don’t expect the B crew to beat the A crew, both crews will be battling to beat their respective Galwegian counterparts.
University of Galway BC A and B
Galway have likewise entered an A and a B, though these seem to be a bit more evenly matched than the UCD crews, and this largely comes down to the coxes. In B is Jamie Haddock who coxed Galway’s senior coxed four and senior eight at last season’s Erne Heads to first and second place finishes respectively. It is clear, however, why Katelyn Fee was selected over Haddock for the top spot: she was a junior at Enniskillen RBC. This is where she learned to cox and she no doubt knows the river better than all of the other coxes in her event. On to the rowers: Last year, Galway fell just short of a win in the intermediate coxed four. It seems they are really going for it this time around as the A boat in this event is Galway’s top coxed boat. It is a strong crew of some senior-event veterans, including Thaddeus Kaiser, a returning member of the losing intermediate crew last year. Moreover, with Eamonn Kavanagh and Rory Kane, also returners from last year’s crew, and Coupe bronze medallist Lochlann Crooks in the B boat, the second crew will be itching for the Galway one-two over UCD.
Prediction
I’m predicting that the University of Galway A crew will take this one. Galway B and UCD A will battle for second, with UCD B rounding out the field in fourth.
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