IT wasn’t just Skibbereen rowers collecting medals this summer, as Bantry rowers also celebrated success recently – the crew of Unité finished second overall at the Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship, held in Belfast, Maine in the USA.
Not only did the 10-member longboat crew from the combined clubs of both Bantry Rowing and Bantry Sailing come second overall but they also emerged winners of the Dr Matt Murphy award for rowing excellence across all rowing events.
This excellent group of young rowers, aged between 16 and 21, put in an outstanding performance after months of intense and rigorous training.
Speaking to The Southern Star, Diarmuid Murphy from Bantry, the Irish international trustee and chair of the Atlantic Challenge International events committee, said the young crew did exceptionally well.
The Dr Matt Murphy Excellence in Rowing award won by the Bantry team at the Atlantic Challenge in Maine, USA.
‘All the other crews had previous Atlantic Challenge experience and a second place behind an older, more experienced Belgian crew is a great achievement,’ said Diarmuid.
‘They also won the Dr Matt Murphy Excellence in Rowing award which was very fitting. Their overall second place will stand to them when travelling to France in two years’ time.’
The Atlantic Challenge International contest of seamanship will be next held in France in 2026, while Bantry will have the honours of hosting this prestigious event two years later in 2028. At this year’s event, the contestants who are under the age of 22 showcased their seamanship skills in rowing, sailing, docking, knot tying and navigation events.
The competition events take place in Bantry Bay gigs, which are copies of eighteenth-century French Navy Captain gigs, which were captured on the shores of Bantry Bay. These vessels are 38ft long and powered by three sails and 10 oars. Their gig was shipped to the United States by sea in a 40ft container and is currently on its way back to Bantry. The Bantry Longboat was built by Billy Andy O’Driscoll in Shipyard O’Driscoll in Baltimore and made from Russian two-star pine and was launched in 1990.
It was christened Unité in honour of the United Irish Men who led the ill-fated invasion to Bantry Bay in 1796, where the original gig was captured.
