Celbridge Paddlers Canoe Club - News Archive 2003

News Archive 2003

Turkey Race (December, 2003)

Well done to Tadhg McIntyre, Jeanne Wilson and everybody involved in organizing this years Turkey Race. The event was a great success (despite the freezing cold!) and all the proceeds went to the Vincent De Paul. This was the first year that GP classes were included which allowed many more paddlers to enjoy this annual madcap event.

Turkey Race 2003 - Junior takes Grandad over Vanessa

National K1 Championships (October, 2003)

The National K1 Championships were held at the club on the 19th of October last. The event was a resounding success (thanks to all the usual suspects in the club for putting in a great organising effort). The results were good for the club too. Neil Fleming came in less than two seconds behind the winner Gary Mawer in the Men's Senior (long course) event. Fergal Walsh was also just pipped at the post by Barry Watkins one second ahead in the Boy's Under 18. Graham Buggy came a creditable 3rd in the same event. Ciara O'Toole came in 1st in the Girls Under 18 class and younger sister Orla did the same in the Girls Under 15s. Aine Fleming came in an excellent 2nd in the same event. Well done also to Paula Durkin for a very creditable 4th.
Of the nineteen competitors in the Boy's Under 15 class fourteen were Celpridge Paddlers juniors! Sean Marchetti came in 2nd (less than one second behind the winner Rob Lynch of Salmon Leap). Well done to everyone!

Some of our top paddlers wait for the start of the Boy's Under 15 event at the 2003 National K1 Championships held at Celbridge Paddlers Canoe Club (pic Brian Daly).

International Marathon and Sprint (October, 2003)

On the international scene it was another very busy season for our juniors in the squad who attended a number of competitions abroad. The club had paddlers competing at both sprint and marathon events in the UK and Europe.
We had paddlers competing at the Nottingham Sprint regattas in April and May, the British Championships in July (where Eugo set up camp Shamrock for the week there to do some training) and some even went back again in September. A large group made the journey to Bochum in Germany but it was the younger emerging juniors who stole the honours with medal winners Adam Hetherington and Orla O’Toole in the U 14 classes.
A large group also attended the British Marathon Championships in Worcester where old and new camping equipment and tents were given a thorough waterproof test! (yes, it rained A LOT!). Brendan Buggy spent a small fortune on a new tent for Audrey and it was only gorgeous in a lovely yellow and blue ensemble. Even Jim and Jeanne who were camping for the first time had a ball. The O’Toole’s looked fresh and tanned just back from an intense tanning camp in France.
Both Ciaran and Fergal went to Norway for a World Cup Marathon event and found the going tough there and finished well down the field. They were also selected for the World Cup in Gdansk (Poland) and the World Championships in Spain earlier this month where they finished in good style some seven minutes behind the winning boat.
Eamon Fleming.

A 'report' on the Liffey Descent by Kevin Burke (October, 2003)

Sitting in the "Double Duck" on a turbulent River Liffey I finally made my debut! 12:30 in the afternoon of Saturday September 13^th 2003 and the K2’s were gone. Next would be the K1’s. Then the Wild Water boats… "I don’t want to disqualify anybody today….." pontificated our Eamo on the bank. "Aw, Jaysus, just let us go!" thought everybody on the river. "Move forward to the start line"….and away we went! More than 17 miles of weirs, rapids, a lake and overhanging trees. With the ~~vultures~~ (sorry, spectators) lining every vantage point waiting for someone to go belly-up! And Boy did we oblige! Just as Tony Maher announced "Kevin Burke and Brendan Lavery in 117 heading for Straffan Weir" we were in the water! Around us there were boats and paddles and bodies everywhere. Meanwhile the ~~vultures~~, spectators, were lapping it up from the safety of the bridge. We met Brendan Buggy and Colm Butler under that bridge. We would eventually meet them a couple more times as they bravely tested the water for temperature and depth on a number of occasions!
Keith Burke and Philip Maher also checked in with the rescue team under Straffan Bridge. But not Tom and James Smyth. Oh no, falling in was too good for them. They had a race to run (or paddle). And they had to come in at least fifth (Well done, men).

After we finally got back in to the "Duck" we were off. Barging our way through a throng (note the "R") of people, some in good humour, some in boats and some in the water, again! (Is that Buggy & Butler doing more tests?). Down through the Jungle, bodies floated as freely as, well, bodies in the water! Isn’t that right, Ciaran? Down over Temple Mills and Vanessa, where Alan O’Reilly was waiting to pluck some unfortunate out of the water, but they wouldn’t oblige, Alan, would they? You got wet for nothing. Through the rapids at Castletown and then on to the lake. That lake! If I didn’t know any better I’d swear this is where yer man did that "walk on water" trick. The lake was almost dry! And my arms were falling out! We met Tino who was on his way to a swim meet in Lucan and Sheriff McEvoy, who on his way to a hangin’ at the Sluice! Oh and B&B again. "Not enough water for testing here" they said.

Did you know you don’t have time to fix your spray deck after the portage before you get to Leixlip Bridge? Into the boat, one stroke and there it is, right in front of you! Thankfully I avoided it this race (Thanks Vincent) and stayed in my boat (Thanks Lavo)!
At Lucan we had a mass migration of ~~vultures~~, spectators, on the bank and on the bridge. And our paddlers provided the entertainment! Hands up ye swimmers at Lucan. Ciara? Sheena? Tino? Any more? Come on, don’t be shy! A couple of boats decided to drop in on their way to Shackletons. Isn’t that right, David? Keith? Philip?

A few of our members were invited to the Rescue Team after race party because they became so familiar with them. Kevin Durkan at Straffan and at Wren’s, was one, where he dislocated his shoulder (again). This time just getting in to his boat. Keith and Philip joined the sub aqua unit for a while at Straffan and Lucan and Wrens and Palmerstown and…..! They also tried to start a new discipline where you use Gremlins for paddles at the front and you fashion a C1 paddle from a broken set of wings for at the back. It didn’t catch on. Meanwhile B&B were doing more tests! Lad’s, there’s only so much testing you can do before you get waterlogged!

There was still time for people to learn how to exit a boat (rapidly) at Palmerstown where Keith and Philip decided to become vultures, spectators! But once you cleared that and Chapelizod, (but what about these rapids, Brendan? Sorry, Colm, did I not mention these?) it was plain sailing, but then, that’s a different boat altogether.

I just have a couple more observations. I know Gerry Keane raced because he tried to give me €1 for his boat (Later, Gerry, when we finish) but I don’t believe Peter O’Toole actually raced. Why? Well I don’t recall seeing him at the start but there he was at the finish line, all dry and clean and relaxed. Strange that! Others that tried the same trick were Brendan Ryan, Joe Holton and John Keane. Lads the race starts in Straffan, OK? David Ellis and Eoin Doohan that goes for you also! Oh and Cormac Walsh, stop hiding in the rushes! Fiachra could still be holding onto the river bank at the K Club because I haven’t seen him since. And as for Wes, the last time I saw him he was sitting on the side of the road telling anyone who would listen how he tamed Mother Nature with just a single blade. Congratulations to Tadhg McIntyre who came first in his class but did Graham Buggy have to defect to the "LEP" in order to win another medal? See the Result Sheet…. Result Sheets never lie!!! Sean O’Neill came third in the "Quickest Dressed" Class. Congrats Sean

And finally, Girls, if you want to go dancing, a faded black and white photograph of your mother as a teenager is not classed as ID. Yes Ciara and Sheena I’m talking to you!

I was asked by the webmaster to type up a couple of lines for the website, but how can you put into a couple of lines what takes an eternity and years off your life? If anybody wants to hear more, I have a drop of the Créatur, an old fireside and a stack of turf……..K.B.

Keith Burke and Phillip Maher attempt to paddle UP the weir!

David Ellis tries to follow Keith and Phillip up the weir!

Peter O'Toole emerges from Straffan victorious

Paul and Robert McKay do us proud (Sept, 2003)

Congratulations to Paul and Robert McKay for helping the Irish team to victory against a top international field in the World Kayak Surf Championships 2003 which were held in Ireland (Sligo and Donegal) in September. Both Paul and Robert came first in their classes (Junior Men’s IC and Junior Men’s HP)

Quote of the month! (March, 2003)

"You just lie back and wait for it to happen" - one of our 'shuttlebunnies' observing paddlers going over the weir at Thomastown at the end of the recent Kilkenny ranking race. Question: which shuttlebunny? Answers please on a postcard to Kevin Burke!

Marathon season kicks off (March, 2003)

The marathon season got off to a busy start with a Junior Series race hosted by Celbridge Paddlers on Saturday, 22 March, followed by the first ranking event at Robertstown on Sunday the 23rd. Both events were well organised and went off without a hitch in spectacular sunshine. The Robertstown race was the first under the new 'divisional' Marathon Racing Rules. The change to a divisional ranking system has been generally welcomed and even at this early stage in the season seems to be working well. For results of all marathon races check our results page.

Neil Fleming picks up award (March, 2003)

Congratulations to Neil Fleming on being successfully nominated for the Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star of the Year Awards. The awards ceremony took place in the Berkeley Court Hotel on March 13th and was the 19th such event (and the second in association with TV3). Young athletes from a wide range of sporting disciplines were honoured for their achievements in 2002. Neil is currently training for the World Championships in the United States and also hopes to gain qualification for the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.