MYROSS Rowing Club in Union Hall has dusted off its 30-year-old Naomh Bríd timber yawl for a 28km ocean to city race to raise money for three charities.
Dusting off is perhaps an understatement because the team of four – namely Ray Limrick, his cousin Michael Limrick, who is the RNLI helm, Ray Cahalane, and Damien Deasy – as well as their coxswain Hannah Connolly, are still working on removing years of varnish to properly restore the vessel that was built specifically for the club.
The crew members that have stripped, sanded and oiled the yawl with help and advice the odd night from Damien's brother Pat.
‘Because we share the harbour with the RNLI, we decided to donate one-third of what we raise – through the idonate Myross Club fundraiser – to the life-saving service,’ Ray told The Southern Star.
Damien nominated the Irish Cancer Society, following the death of his dad Dick last year, and everyone agreed that the fundraiser should have another local element, so they chose to contribute a third to the palliative care unit at Skibbereen Community Hospital.
Almost €7,500 has been raised to date, but there is still lots of time to help the team achieve their €10,000 target before the event on May 31st next.
Ray estimated that the 28km journey to the city should only take them two and a half hours, but that he says is time enough in the saddle!
For weeks now, the team has been meeting every Tuesday and Thursday and working from 9pm until midnight to get the yawl in good condition.
They have also engaged in mid-week and Saturday training sessions so that they, like the boat, will be in peak condition on May 31st.
The first day they took the Naomh Bríd out of the shed was on St Patrick’s Day.
It was a bracing change from training on the rowing machines, but it has wheted their appetite for the Ocean to city event.
