It seems the St Michael’s Head of the River is set to have another tense battle in the junior men’s eights with some of the best junior crews in action up and down the course. Featuring crews such as St Michael’s, Col Iognaid, Castleconnell, Athlone, St Joseph’s, Shannon, and Neptune, it will undoubtedly be an intense set of races.
Castleconnell Rowing Club
Selecting to field not one but two highly competitive junior eights, Castleconnell has eyes set firmly on Headship. Finishing first and sixth overall at Casteconnell Head in late 2024, these crews maintained impressive momentum through the winter season, regularly topping timing sheets across the Emerald Isle with standout performances, including a win at Erne Fours Head and first, third, and fourth place finishes at October’s St Michael’s Head. Castleconnell has traditionally produced technically sound and aggressive crews, so should feature prominently as a competitive crew throughout this race.
St Joseph’s Rowing Club
Also widely referred to as “The Bish”, St Joseph’s come into this race as the potential dark horse. Since their predecessors’ sensational gold medal at the 2024 Irish Championships, they’ve struggled to topple the likes of Castleconnell, finishing over 30 seconds behind their rivals at St Michael’s Head in October. With significant experience on board and a history of delivering excellent performances when it matters, St Joseph’s will surely be on the radar, though they are unlikely to convert their efforts to a win.
Col Iognaid
Representing the west, Col Iognaid is a club steeped in junior rowing success. Having finished second (behind St Joseph’s) at the Irish Championships last year, crew and coach alike will be looking to challenge for the top spot in 2025. Conspicuously quiet so far this year, could this be Col Iognaid’s time to shine?
Other notable entrants:
Much of the rest of the field is stacked with talent yet to be thoroughly tested this season. Crews from St Michael’s Rowing Club and Neptune Rowing Club have long, proud histories of junior success, and could well put the cat amongst the pigeons this weekend.
Predictions
The junior men’s eight at St Michael’s Head of the River could be very exciting, with most traditionally influential programmes entering at least one crew. For me, it’s hard to look past Castleconnell for the win. Behind them, the field is wide-open, though based on their recent results, I would expect Col Iognaid and St Joseph’s to be on the hunt for a podium position.
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