Whilst the UK prepares for its Fours Head in two weeks, on Sunday 24 November, the Irish equivalent takes place this coming Saturday on the Erne river in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. Some of the crews competing will be looking to use this event as a practice run for The Fours Head in London, where they will face stiff competition from the best British clubs on the Tideway. With only a small entry in the women’s senior coxed four event, let’s see who is in contention to claim the title over the six kilometre course.
Trinity College Dublin Boat Club
The ladies of Trinity come into this event having won the club coxed four at the Irish Championships and are due to start first in the category. Maria Mezquita was a part of that winning crew in July and will hope to continue her winning streak in the coxed four. She will be joined by two second-year rowers Caoimhe Keller and Charlotte Connolly, who both saw positive results in their novice season finishing runner up to University College Dublin in the novice eight championship final and third to University College Cork in the novice coxed quads. Further coxed four experience is brought into this crew by the strokewoman Adelaide Telzrow who was part of the winning academic coxed four at London Metropolitan Regatta in 2023 and finished first with Mezquita in this category last year. They will be steered down the course by successful coxswain Ashla Copeland who coxed both the novice eight and coxed quad to victory at the Irish Championships in 2023.
University College Dublin Boat Cub
The blue and saffron send out the other two crews who will be contesting this event and they appear to have distributed a wealth of experience between their A and B boats. The A crew contains Kate McDonald and Jessica Farrell who were triumphant in claiming the club eight title at Irish Champs, whilst McDonald finished third to Trinity in the club coxed four. Orla O’Sullivan also secured a win at the same Championships in the novice eight. They are joined by fresher Ailise O’Sullivan who hails from the famous Skibbereen Rowing Club and finished out her junior season at the Championships with silver in both the junior pair and junior coxless four before capping off with a decisive win in the Junior quad.
The UCD B crew will look to back up their A crew by securing a top two finish. They have experience being brought to the fore by Sarah Butler and Lauryn Roche who finished second in the intermediate eight to the University of Galway and fourth in a highly competitive senior eight Championship final. They also secured a win in the academic eight and coxless four at Reading Regatta en route to good results in both Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. Phoebe Grimes was a part of the winning novice eight and all three of this crew alongside Ella Fitzpatrick produced promising performances at Castleconnell Head of the River last month.
Verdict
With only three crews entered, it will be a small field but could produce some close times being put down by all. It is hard to look past the strong pedigree of UCD A but I would not rule out the women of Trinity who will have unfinished business with members of the UCD A crew, given it was UCD defeated them in several events at the Irish Championships. UCD B will be looking to push close to their A boat and lock out the top two placings but expect some good racing from all three crews. Good luck to all!
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