UCD Boat Club –1948 Olympic Boat-Naming event
The upcoming Beijing Olympics have particular significance for UCD Boat Club as this year is the 60th anniversary of the London Games,in which an Ireland VIII competed. The VIII included 5 UCDBC oarsmen and a UCDBC cox. One of the coaches and the team manager were also UCDBC / Old Collegians Boat Club (OCBC).
On 29th May last, UCD and UCD Boat Club jointly held a boat-naming celebration to mark the occasion and honour UCD Boat Club members who competed at Olympics whilst students.
The 4 surviving UCD and Ireland 1948 crewmembers, Paddy Dooley, Morgan McElligott, Tom Dowdall and Denis Sugrue as well as representatives of Barry McDonnell, were guests of honour. Robin Tamplin from DUBC who rowed in the VIII also attended as well as representatives of Paddy Harrold from Neptune RC. The final UCDBC member of the crew was Joe Hanly.
The crew included an oarsman from Queens University Belfast, Danny Taylor. The authorities were initially reluctant to allow the crew take part as they were deemed to be from the 32 counties of Ireland instead of the 'Republic' only. The crew refused to accept this, the incident becoming known as the 'Thin Green Line'. Eventually the crew was allowed to take part as selected, as an all-Ireland crew.
The crew's participation was also noteworthy as it was the first Ireland international rowing crew.
An account of the affair written by Morgan McElligott who was in the 2 seat can be read on the Old Collegians Boat Club website, www.oldcollegiansrowing.com.
Paddy Dooley, Joe Hanly, Barry McDonnell, Morgan McElligott, Tom Dowdall and Denis Sugrue also won the Irish Senior VIII Championship with UCDBC in 1947 and 1948.
Jaye Renehan and Martin Feeley, two UCD Boat Club members who rowed in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games were also honoured in the boat-naming.
Current Olympic hopeful Sean Jacob, (UCDBC Captain 1994 and OCBC member) was in attendance as were Their Excellencies David Reddaway and Tom Foley, UK and US Ambassadors to Ireland respectively, Frank Durkin, President IARU, Martin Corcoran, CEO IARU, Sean Drea and numerous other national and UCD / OCBC rowing figures. UCD Boat Club’s current Director of Rowing, John Holland is working with the Ireland lightweight squad in their efforts to qualify for the Beijing Games. The Club’s Temporary Director of Rowing, Pat Gannon is himself an Olympian, finishing 7th in the pair in the Moscow Olympics whilst a member of GSBC.
The UCD crew of 1974 which won the Ladies Plate at Henley Royal Regatta was also recognised
The new VIII, ‘Olympian’, was rowed to victory by UCDBC the day after the event in the Intermediate VIII’s at the University Championships, contributing to UCDBC’s winning of the Wylie Cup and National University Championship. It also won the Senior VIII’s at Metro Regatta on the Saturday.