When Athlone Boat Club pushed its first vessel out onto the Shannon in 1837, a young Daniel O’Connell was engaged in a protracted campaign to repeal the Act of Union, and a very cold summer led to the widespread failure of the potato crop, which of course was the beginning of an gorta mhór. One of the most defining eras in our nation's history. Athlone Boat Club stood the test of time since this very dark and bleak moment of Irish History.
Nearly 200 years later, the rowers of Athlone Boat Club can still be observed cutting through the Shannon’s broad waters of Athlone Town and Coosan Point while the club has grown beyond the dreams of its forbears that have gone before them.
Over those years, it has evolved a proud tradition of teaching and coaching young people from across the community of Athlone in rowing skills, while competing at all levels across Ireland and Europe. The club’s Coosan Point regatta is an established highlight of the country’s rowing calendar and one that has proven to be a popular racing day for club from each of Ireland’s four provinces.
Athlone Boat Club now boasts a membership of over of 130, comprising juniors, adult members, masters level rowers and veterans. The club will also actively expand its membership to include young people, adults and parents. The club plans to role out adaptive rowing for individuals with special needs in 2022.
And, in keeping with its family-friendly ethos, it has developed an annual River Festival focused on recreational rowing races in September each year.
However, the club’s ongoing evolution was somewhat hampered by its cramped and outdated facilities and plans were drawn up to develop a new, state-of-the-art riverside clubhouse that would, quite literally, provide the space that was needed to grow. The new facilities which have helped take Athlone Boat Club into its third century included expanded storage space for boats, indoor rowing facilities, new dressing rooms and meeting rooms for club events.
Location: Athlone
Website:
https://www.athloneboatclub.ie/
"The club’s ongoing evolution was hampered by its cramped and outdated facilities and plans were drawn up to develop a new, state-of-the-art riverside clubhouse that would provide the space that was needed to grow."