Loop Head Rowing Club came to fruition on a wet, windy day in Carrigaholt Bay. After a row in the bay, three new friends dreamed up the club.
Marcus McMahon, Seamus Graham and Jill Leonard set out plans to execute the formation of Loop Head Rowing Club. Days before, Seamus and Marcus had been in to Breda O' Driscoll of the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board to suss out funding possibilities. On that fateful day after rowing, Jill offered to take up the daunting task of securing the funding for the boat, trailer and tutoring in order to run a boat building course through LCETB. While Seamus and Marcus captained the boat build, Jill created the company, maintains membership for the club, built the website, created socials, and keeps the company operating on a daily basis.
Adrian O' Connor has done amazing work to create the buzz around the club as our Public Relations Officer. His long history of working in the media work has created a strong brand for LHRC.
Our main objective after setting up the club was to secure funding for a boat build project through Limerick & Clare Education and Training Board, mirroring the process of the Ealu out of Kilrush Marina.
Stephen Morris was commissioned as our mentor through LCETB to assist with the build.
A bit about the St. Ayles Skiff (www.coastalrowing.ie)
"The design of the St. Ayles skiff is inspired by the traditional Fair Isle skiffs, small and relatively lightweight fishing vessels suitable for use in rough sea conditions. The name is a reference to the medieval St. Ayles chapel, which stood on the site of The Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther.
With a double-ended hull and relatively wide beam the St. Ayles skiff is a stable and seaworthy boat. It is built from a kit using high quality marine plywood using the clinker ply method. It is 22ft (6.5m) long and has a beam of 5ft 8in (1.7m). There is some variation in the weight according to exactly how it is built, but most skiffs are finished at around 350lb (160kg).
Each kit contains the plywood planking and frames, together with the moulds over which it is built. More items are required to complete the skiff, including the timber for the keel, stems, seats (thwarts) and gunwales. Most of the timber elements, including the planking and frames, are jointed and connected using either epoxy resin or Polyurethane glue.
Oars for the St. Ayles skiff must be built using timber and, for competitive use, must not be spooned or asymmetrical. The original designs show oars of 12′ length but builders may experiment with alternative designs and lengths. Metal rowing pins or rowlocks are not allowed in competitions.
The first prototype boat (Chris O’ Kanaird) was supplied by the kit manufacturer Jordan Boats and launched in October 2009. By May 2010 five more boats had been built by communities around Scotland and the first St. Ayles Skiff Regatta, which was attended by all six boats, was held in Anstruther on 29 May.
The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association was formally constituted as the governing body for the developing sport at the first Anstruther Regatta. The Association is the governing body and class association for the developing sport, encourages community involvement in the construction and rowing of the St. Ayles skiff and maintains a Craft Register.
In Ireland, the Down Coastal Rowing Association is the representative body of affiliated Coastal Rowing clubs within County Down. These clubs primarily row St Ayles Skiffs and they do so in accordance with the guidelines established and operated by the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association."